"Inspired" vs. Copying

AUSSIE3070, I agree!

My word, after reading this, I am really working my brain for more creativity! Which is a really good thing.

I entered a couple of contests not long ago with paintings that I did after looking at the Snaz site. Of course they were not exact,I like to change things, I just wanted to try them and had no intention of entering a contest. Even when I posted them on FB I always said, not from my brain but a try at someone elses design. They turned out pretty good so months and months later, I entered them. At that time I guess I thought that was what the Site was for, sharing. The inspired by Snaz site one got 3rd but an ,original free form I did, got 1st. Another inspred by Snaz that I painted, didn't win. Can't remember at the moment the artists name of the originals, I will have to go look it up. Any way, I will make sure NEVER to do this again.

It would never be my intention to offend or steal from anyone. I just honestly thought that if someone posted a pic, that they wanted you to try it. And I honestly thought that as long as you always give credit where credit is due, then what is the problem? If someone flat out lied and said ,"Oh this is my design." When indeed they got it from someone else, that is def. wrong.

If I ever enter anything in the future it will be as much from my brain as possible. Like the ones that are up on the story book page in the snaz contest, those are from my little brain. Of course purple people eater was inspired by a cartoon. Feel free to give anything I do a try, I would be honored.

And thanks for this thread by the way, whether intentional or not, I believe it is helping us all be more aware and pushing us all to be more creative ourselves.

here here jody! i am actually enjoying pushing myself after reading all this to pump out some totally original work(even if nothing is original really lol). btw luv ur avatar!

FYI, if I post it it's up for anyone to pull out their paint brushes & go to town. I couldn't prevent it. Once you've painted it, feel free to post it to FB, the forum & even your website. Just don't enter it as your original design into a contest if there's a prize(feel free to enter it to theme contests/challenges, etc). Just my thoughts on the topic....

Thank you, Synni. I like your avatar ,too.

Maybe you all could help me with a question on another type of copying. I'm just going to use the Snazaroo contest for children's books or cartoons as an example. The contest is for story book characters or cartoons, if someone paints, let's say a Smurf (just because that is popular right now.) in the eyes of a face painter, would that also be considered wrong because it is copying an exact copy of a character that someone else created?

There just seem to be grey areas that I had never thought of in the past, and I want to be sure to always be respectful and professional towards other artists. I have way to much respect for you all to ever want to step on toes. And it is good to know this info so I can share with new painters that I meet.

The Snaz contests are a bit of a paradox. While copying exactly is touchy, there are many contests for specific characters - Sesame Street, Fairy Tales, Cartoons, etc. that actually seem to want exact copies. Heck, I even painted Kermit pretty much exactly. I think, as a face and body painter, copying something from another medium is "safe" as long as you aren't selling it. I hope. I try to avoid Disney just in case though.

... And the purple Dinosaur. Is he even around anymore?

Maybe he's extinct? We can hope.

He is around and unfortunately one of my daughter's favorites.

Yes, and I have everyone one of his songs branded in my brain for life, after going through it with three seperate children, two of which aren't even mine.

I had the pleasure of watching that Purple Dinosaur this morning. The joys of having children.

What ***** are you talking about? The purple dinosaur shall be extinct before arriving to Spain ... How did you paint it? Any pic, please?

Brady was frustrated that someone was teaching how to paint a copy of one of his faces in a video on youtube, not that people were painting his faces in general.

I think that, in general, it's fine if you paint another painters design. It's not cool is you teach others how to paint it, or claim it as your own.

Otherwise, I say paint away.

Shannon Fennell wrote:The Snaz contests are a bit of a paradox. While copying exactly is touchy, there are many contests for specific characters - Sesame Street, Fairy Tales, Cartoons, etc. that actually seem to want exact copies. Heck, I even painted Kermit pretty much exactly. I think, as a face and body painter, copying something from another medium is "safe" as long as you aren't selling it. I hope. I try to avoid Disney just in case though.

Interestingly, Disney is hard to avoid now. They bought the Muppets and their affiliations in 1994 (there goes Kermie).

They merged Marvel Comics into their fold in 2009. That takes out A LOT of Superheroes, including the ever popular Spiderman.

If you do not do exact replicas, or fly under the radar it helps but Disney has been known to send out Cease and Desist orders on people using their property/images well beyond Mickey and the Princesses.


Ashley, I talked with Brady about this as I posted this thread. It wasn't just the teaching. He was annoyed that people were copying him and passing it off as their own in addition to the teaching. He's even mentioned it on this forum a couple of times.

Whitney, I'm sorry. So very, very sorry. I went through He-who-shall-not-be-named with my son as well. The only comfort I can offer is that he got past it pretty quickly and hasn't mentioned him since. I wish the same for you!
Although, that song will forever be stuck in my brain.

Has Disney done a cease and desist with face painters? I worry about stuff like that with glitter tattoos and such.

D.

Ashley, I talked with Brady about this as I posted this thread. It wasn't just the teaching. He was annoyed that people were copying him and passing it off as their own in addition to the teaching. He's even mentioned it on this forum a couple of times.

yep, which is why I mentioned "as long as you don't claim it as your own." pretty sure that falls into that same category.

Denise, they have on glitter tattoo producers who have sold things like Mickey and Minnie, and I know there were two artists in Florida that were told to stop painting the Disney inspired designs a year or two ago.
It was a huge ripple in the community.

Thanks Lynnie. I'd heard something about Spiderman being a copyrighted face actually before I became a face painter but I wasn't sure how much we could be "inspired" by the stuff and be okay.

I don't usually have those requested because people choose stuff out of my design book but I am doing a Super Hero party for little boys this weekend and was wondering about it a bit.

D.

If it's a private party, I wouldn't worry about it. I paint them if requested but don't advertise them...and lords know with every artist they take on a new look/incarnation (in comic and on faces) so it's all "inspired".

(BTW, I'm a HUGE comic geek )

I'm actually very excited about it because the mom is sticking to the theme so I can design/practice away and not feel the time is wasted.

Yeah for stubborn moms!

D.

I have sketched out a new face for the red skull from Captain America.. Can't wait to have time to paint it..

Ashley Pickin wrote:Brady was frustrated that someone was teaching how to paint a copy of one of his faces in a video on youtube, not that people were painting his faces in general.

I think that, in general, it's fine if you paint another painters design. It's not cool is you teach others how to paint it, or claim it as your own.

Otherwise, I say paint away.

Agree! (and love your profile butterflies =)

Just an idea for those of you who want to keep posting pics, but don't want anyone to use it as an inspired pic, or learning... would it be possible for you to add something to your signature... Or even the other way around... Then people can avoid offending those that would rather just keep it to themselves so to speak... I know that I am not the greatest painter in the world, but if I have painted something and posted it then feel free. I have better things to do than to police everyone to see if they copied and called it their own.

As to if I have ever offended anyone, by using their pics as an inspiration, and posted, I am truly sorry for hurting you in any and every way that I have!! Please let me know and I will try my best to remedy the problem if I can!

On a kind of separate note, and I don't wish to hurt or offend anyone, but its amazing how some people can take a simple thing and get way out of control. Patience is a virtue you know, its something that helps us all get through a lot of situations.

Take care everyone!!! And thank you all for your continued inspiration!!!

Also there are very very few designs now where you don't see elements of a design you have seen somewhere else. Things we see stay with us and we can then incorporate them into designs without even realalising it.

I am with Skidzz if I post a pic then its fair game, I keep a few back for if I want to enter comps but most of the time just post them. I get such inspiration from others,you tube, books and courses. I like to share and will happily let other copy my work. I would only be annoyed at them using my pics.

So if you spend a lot of time designing a new facepaint and them half a year later you saw it in a step-by-step book, made by another facepainter, but a complete copy of your design, would you still just be happy? Would you feel different if they wrote that it was designed by someone else, but they can't remember the name? Or if they did mention your name, but you was not asked before? Maybe you would have liked to have your design in the book, instead of the other painter?
We are not talking about something being illegal, but if it is polite.

And Skidzz, the problem is not inspiration!! It is those that paint exactly the design some other painted.

I agree, there is nothing new, there probably haven't been for the last many thousand years, everyone get inspiration from somewhere else. Everything in your brain, has to get in there somehow. You have to see, hear or something and then your brain transform and mix it with other inspiration into something else. Sometimes it is clear to see the inspiration and other times not.

And again: I am fine with people using my designs (and love to see how they end up), just don't enter them into competitions or make step-by-steps/videos, please =)