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Edit: 4-18-08
Holy shit, yay! I'm in the Pepper book! Wooooo!
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I was wondering how many of you watermark your artworks that you submit either here at DA or other places online. I haven't, since I dislike the way a watermark disrupts the picture. But I've been thinking about doing it. Especially on my Kenshin fanarts.
I have a FAQ with terms of usage listed on it. In it, I think I make it pretty clear that I really don't like having my images used as forum banners and as the layout of a site. And I dislike it when people alter my artwork by cropping it, placing text over it, making collages out of it, removing my signature (and sometimes replacing it with their own), changing the hair color and clothes and calling it their own character's name, and so on and so forth.
But I often have people sending me notes or e-mails stating that they've used my artwork as their avatar or banner, have edited it to smithereens, and hey, would it be okay to continue doing so after the fact even though they know it goes against the terms on my FAQ?
Eh? Why even ask me after they've already done it? Yes, I'm flattered they like my art. But no, of course I'm not happy that they swiped it and altered it. This happens far more often than I'm comfortable with. Are they expecting me to say, "Aww, thanks. For you, I make an exception." Do people think I just wrote the FAQ for shits and giggles, and that it applies to everyone except the person reading it? Do they think that just this once, I'm not going to be annoyed that someone altered my work?
I'm at a loss. I really am. I'm not sure why people have a hard time understanding this. I mean, I know there will always be people who either read the FAQ and choose to ignore it, or never read the FAQ at all. And I know I'll never know about most of those cases. I know people deal with this kind of thing all the time. And I know there's this attitude that, hey, if you put your work online, expect this to happen. (Which I think is a terrible attitude, by the way....)
But I'd like to ask -- especially those of you who have a buttload of pageviews and must have to deal with this kind of thing far more often than I -- what do you do about it? If you watermark, does it actually help? Or do people just crop it out of the image as well? Does a FAQ actually help? Or do people just ignore it and occasionally send you a note asking if it's okay that they've already done what you asked them not to do? Is there anything you can do that's effective? Or do you just throw your hands up in defeat and think, "Fuck it. Whatever." Or does this kind of thing just not bother you at all? (And if it truly doesn't, I wish to hell I could be like you.)
Sorry for the rant. I'm just a little riled up after receiving yet another note about this matter. The person who sent me the note was very polite, and I think it was really nice that he at least asked, which is more than many people would do, but I admit, I'm frustrated all the same.
Am I crazy or over-sensitive to be irritated by this? Ugh, I don't know.
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`anmari has been spreading her infectious positivity throughout our community for over 6 years. Throughout this time Ana has been at the core of all things devious, passionately developing an eclectic gallery, helping organise devmeets, participating in chat events and also recently completed dedicating her time as a Community Volunteer. We are absolutely delighted to bestow the Deviousness Award for May 2013 to `anmari, congratulations! Read More
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I watermark my pic where it's least obvious so it doesn't ruin the picture.
Thanks so much for letting me know.
Keeping people from using your artwork as prints is one thing, but keeping people from using your art as part of a signature is another because the images are so heavily edited in the first place. Seriously, short of putting watermarks over every single part of your character's body, you can't prevent someone from just cropping out your watermark. >_< What I've seen really popular artists like *bara-chan do is combine watermarking with small image size. It's a little sad that you can't see the details in her work, but as someone who's seemingly trying to make a living off of her artwork it's completely understandable.
Hmm. Small image size is an option, but like you said, I love seeing details in other people's works, so I'm assuming people like seeing details in mine. I dunno. Still haven't found an ideal way to deal with this, and frankly, I don't think there is one.
I personally don't watermark, because...honestly, I don't think anyone would swipe my art.
But since your art is usually really eye-popping, I suppose you should consider watermarking. :]
I have a friend who goes on an RP site, and the people there don't give two squirts of piss about having my modified artwork in their signatures.
Even if I drew it for people, I don't want people running off and making signatures as if my art is a stock gallery. x[
Honestly... they don't know the meaning of art theft. My friend just openly asked if she could edit a WIP image I drew and I thoroughly refused. She thought I was getting worked up over it.
I even linked her to an article about art theft... and still, she doesn't understand how I view this. She said that if she had her art stolen, she would take it as a compliment. XP Jeez.
Oh, and "Hey can I make a signature?" then making the signature before I even have time to reply to that is as equally as bad.
I know what you mean about ugly watermarks. I guess a small signature in the corner would do, but that seems to be always cropped out or missing...
Corner sigs are pretty easily removed, unfortunately. But that's where I generally put mine, mostly because I don't like having them really conspicuously placed in the image. Ah well....