Stolen Art Work

I agree Shannon, I went to the guestbook and saw the posts, I was embarrassed to be associated with such a mob. Yes, what she did was wrong, but seriously, the venom from people...I can see people esclating their comments if she refused to remove photos, or if she wrote back nasty letters, but to come out swinging like that??? Sad.... A strongly worded letter yes, but such abuse was uncalled for... some of those posters were claiming she'd be embarassed if she couldn't reproduce the work, I think they should be embarassed by their childish behaviour.
And no, I'm not defending anyone who steals photos, I just think their is a grown up way to deal with it and alot of those posters crossed a line.

Agreed Gamezgirl. I chose not to put a comment on their site as I didn't want to be associated w/ what others had written. Let the person know they've broken copyright laws & please discontinue using the photos. Address their actions but do not attack the person. Just my opinion.

So unfortunate, all of this.

I think sometimes it is easy to get sucked into the drama and mob mentality. Studies have shown that people will do way more in a group than they ever would individually. Let's all try not to be too hard on either side of the group. What she did was wrong and she took them down. The comments were harsh, but are probably being regretted right now.

It is in the past, so let's forgive and forget.

-Metina

Yeah thats why I said to not leave a message on the Guestbook site b/c I knew that once it started someone might go a little over board in the heat of the moment...Like said before some people dont know the correct etiquette (sp?) but just emailing her would have been fine. I know what it is to get a nasty comment on my guestpage (i didnt do anything i swear, lol) by a face painter and I was soooo upset! Comments can get erased, but what you say cant (hmmm i hope you get it, lol). We don't want to scare her off, we want to "educate" her. Not all of us starting out have people to help guide us (thanks Just Jenny and Michelle Heffner). I was lucky enough to find friends to "show me the way" lol. Peace love and face painting!

For example, before I would have taken pictures of pages from a face painting book that a fellow painter may have let me borrow, BUT now I know thats a "no no". It was explained to me very nicely lol and now I get it. Its a process

Yup, well said all. You see the mob mentality on other forums all the time. Once one person posts something, everyone jumps in and the whole thing can snowball out of control really quickly.

Yup, before I knew better I was given a spiral notebook full of Snaz faces to use at my 1st gigs. When I 1st started(6 yrs ago) I was working for another entertainer & had no clue where those pics came from, etc. I believe that's what was done w/ her when she 1st started. I ditched it as soon as I knew what I was doing was wrong, but it would have been awful if something like that would have happened to me.

Sorry to anyone who I may have unknowingly pirated pics of in that book

I think that copying and using others designs while developing, practicing, and learning new faces is an industry norm; however, with the advent of digital cameras, it is also presumed that one takes a picture of one's own interpretation and that is the one 'used' by the artist for their board etc.. I do find children (not parents so much... funny ) ask if I painted the actual pictures on my board. This leads us to 'why' it's important to show one's own work...

I think paintfairy doesn't get that when a client is booking a painter, they want to know what they are getting and what they're paying for. If I were client, I'd be very miffed to see a terrific portfolio, but a below par painter turned up. I'd feel ripped off that the painter had not given me 'the product I thought I was paying for' and misrepresented themselves. Think about it. They used the photos of some of the top painters in the industry, it's pitching your product as a 'champagne' and then giving the client ...'Pepsi'. (No offence to pepsi, but it's not the stuff of wedding toasts!)

A parent or organisation that hires the facepainter may not know the Snaz logo and what it means to have it on a picture. Why should they? They're not in the industry?

This is why I use word art when I'm painting w/ multiple painters. I don't want someone to ask me to paint so&so's dragon & get mine, etc.

Having worked with another painters design board, it is a COMPLETE nightmare trying to match their designs. Especially as at the time I was a relatively new painter and the other painter was significantly different in both style an experience.

If a similar situation arose now I would ask the other painter to take their board down - unless it was their job of course. Simply because it make the queue longer and slows down the decision making process.

maurs wrote:I think that copying and using others designs while developing, practicing, and learning new faces is an industry norm; however, with the advent of digital cameras, it is also presumed that one takes a picture of one's own interpretation and that is the one 'used' by the artist for their board etc.. I do find children (not parents so much... funny ) ask if I painted the actual pictures on my board. This leads us to 'why' it's important to show one's own work...

Kids ask me this all the time!!! What is with that?
"can you paint this one?"
"yes you can have whatever you like."
" but what about this one?"
"yes you can have whatever you like"
"can you paint this one?"
"YES they are all my work - I painted all the designs - YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT"

At this rate I'm going to end up with signs all over the place...... and then get twice as irate when they ignore the signs...... hahaha
More on subject - there was a post on the Aussie FPF about a woman doing a fete and using a board with everyone else work - from our websites and from the Snaz site.
She didn't think anything was wrong with that - she has been told - very nicely - that's not the right thing to do - meanwhile I know there are people helping out another artist who is face painting next to me at the school fete I'm doing this weekend. She uses crap stuff but is nice enough and doesn't call herself a face painter but has done it for the school for the last couple of years - she uses pictures from a book you can buy in the local art stores here. I'm thinking this woman on the forum is part of that group that is going to show up at the school.
Yes I know I'm paranoid - in a city of 6 million people why would she be at MY school fete???
Because I'm unlucky like that. I have a lot of "what are the odds" moments.
So I get an instant mental image of her showing up with my designs on her board and me losing the plot.
I guess because it would NEVER occur to me to use others pictures to represent my work I can't belive others would do it without seeing the problem.
For the very first free jobs I did to get experience I used the same stupid book that the other painter is using, I figured it was ok because the book tells you to use it for that. - because it was free - and because I didn't know what the *&^%$I was doing - I worked out straight away the designs were crap and the kids picked the ones I would never want to paint.

QUESTION should I tell the other artist not to use the book? to take pictures of her own work and use those? She's NOT a face painter - she's an artist who facepaints for the school.She has also offered a two hour party for the silent auction so really she is painting public with no insurance and bad paints. Up until now I haven't said anything because she is very respectful of me being a professional face painter and once she sees my work I think she will be very intimidated and second guess herself anyway.....

I have watermarked all the photos on my site but I think I may put some wording there about stealing images.
When people call to book now - especially corporates and I know they are going to call other painters to get quotes i always tell them to
1. check the products they are using are FDA compliant - and what brands.
2.Check they are insured - you never know what can go wrong..... and
3. Check the work displayed on their site is theirs
Everyone has been surprised and thanked me for the information.
Srry this got so freakin long..... I have stupid need to over explain everything so I'm not misunderstood.

WOO HOO!! I miss all the good stuff when I leave for a few weeks.