Please Listen.

I just got an email from a concerned parent. Her daughter has an account on DA, and apparently she copies and traces my drawings. I looked on her profile and confirmed that, yes, she did trace and gave minimal (sometimes no) credit. The reason her mother messaged me was because a few people were apparently sending her harsh messages asking her to give credit. She even got a few death threats.

Listen...I'm going to say this all again because I guess it needs reiterating: When it comes to my art, I do not mind young artists copying or tracing my drawings in hopes of developing their skills, or because they are still learning the way of things. If you see someone posting a traced or heavily referenced drawing that does not mention the original picture, please DO NOT immediately jump to aggression.   If something like this (art theft/style theft) really gets on your nerves, then I understand why you might be angry upon seeing it, but you must find the maturity to take a breath, and politely ask the person to give credit.

Listen...I'm not mad. At either party.

People who copy and trace...I hope you learn it is something you can only do for so long before you must develop beyond it. You must give some form of credit to the original...even a simple "original by ____" or "inspired by ____" goes a LONG way.

People who become heated and accuse or threaten said copiers/tracers...I hope you realize how small the issue can be, and manage to take a step back. I understand it is a frustrating thing to see the original artist get no credit, but that does not give you any right to lash out and threaten others, especially when they are likely no older than 10-13 years old. If you see someone clearly tracing/copying and there is no credit, take a breath and tell them "hi, I see you're a fan of ____. Listen, I understand you are probably trying to learn from someone you admire, but you really must give credit to the original piece. Would you please update your description with a link to the original piece, or a mention to the original artist? Thank you!"


Now, I realize that sometimes, even though one is polite, the tracer/copier will respond angrily and say they didn't copy/trace and that the drawing is their own. This is not an invitation for more aggression. Simply, "I'm sorry if you took my words the wrong way, I wasn't trying to be rude, but you clearly referenced (link to the original piece), and I think it's only right to give the original artist recognition. This isn't an attack, it's just that when you post something online that was traced from another artist, the right thing to do is give them a mention for their work. If I were to trace your art, wouldn't you want me to say that you were originally the creator, then give a link to your profile so people could see what you've made?"

If they still respond with aggression, report the post but do not reply. If they never respond and do nothing to credit, then report the post if it really bothers you.



Overall, make sure to take a step back and check your anger. I know it can be hard on the internet, and it's easy to be lured into a pointless argument until eventually someone breaks into tears, but seriously...if you find yourself in an argument with a stranger online: pause, step away from the computer, take a breath, and think about the situation beyond yourself. Most often it is best to simply not reply, or to end the argument with, "well, we obviously don't agree, and I don't see a reason to continue this conversation if nothing constructive will come from it." Then never ever reply again unless they respond in a more polite manner.

In this world full of darkness, hate and anger, what point is there in working yourself up over something so small?


I hope you all have a great day! Let's continue living our lives, yeah?  

~River

EDIT *please read: There are a few people in the comments who have brought up really great points, both in disagreement and as an addition to this post. I beg you to please take a bit of time and go through the comments. I've featured the ones that I think you all need to read, because what they say are definitely things that need to be considered.
Look for featured comments.