From stock,groups and annoying issues...

Mar 20, 201317 min read

Deviation Actions

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Published: Mar 20, 2013

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Wheels For Independence
- My Gallery
A few days ago,I left most groups I had joined,this after the recent stock rules and the issues resulted from it, I clarify: I am someone who supports stock from DA and its providers, I have recently said: I have never purchased stock, nor I will do, for many reasons but above all because we must use what we have at home.
DA has been my home for 5 years,since I joined,I have always used DA stock,the same,I have always credited every stock used,even if my own resources,so I fully support stock because at this home we have great stock owners/providers, their images have inspired me many times to create.

I can understand when an artist purchases stock,many artists do it because they want 'original creations',because 'the model's image' has been used so many times by other artists and well,'I can afford' stock that will be the newness,a novelty that will catch people's eyes and fave my work,etc...of course,part of this is that many images purchased, come easier for being photomanipulated, some even come with a matching background in which many artists just add brushes and/or just a few other elements,so the photomanipulation gets faster,easier and with less flaws,the artist's work is much better than those who have to add background,matching it with the image of the model and adding more details,the artist finishes a work in less time,changing too little at the original...here I clarify: a few artists do this,not many,I won't even say names because even if some artists can do this,it's their right and nobody can blame them,or give them a bad look for wanting to deliver better and more original art.

What is amazing and almost unbelievable is that many of these artists are even photomanipulating images from artists, celebrities, singers,models,movies,etc without considering copyright rights!,I know many might think: 'wow,why nobody has thought about using 'Dracula's transformation image' -From the 1992,Francis Ford Coppola's version-?,I'll use it in my work'...'I will do my next work using Ashley Greene, Kristen Stewart or Robert Pattinson'...etc,whatever they want to get,these artists are not thinking about copyright infringement.
Every image we find online,has an owner,it belongs to someone and especially those images of celebrities,using those images is doing fan art,nothing wrong with doing it but the artist doing fan art is breaking the copyright rules,using that image illegally,as I said,nothing wrong with fan art,everybody who loves an artist has always wanted 'to honour his/her favorite movie,singer actor,etc' but at least those artists should NOT submit these images using copyrighted images into groups,this is just using 'the common sense' because that image does not belong to the artist,even if the dress was changed or if the image does not belong to a movie,etc...this is more specific for photomanipulators because the artists who do 'digital painting,airbrushing and traditional art' aren't really using the image as it is -raw pic-,they are just digitalizing it or painting it.

I have seen this 'trend' about copyrighted images and purchased stock increasing more and more due to my work at groups in which I am an admin,artists submit their work believing that groups will accept them because the works look great,these artists aren't considering that many group owners check stock and we have all the right for declining a work in which copyright infringement is very noticeable.
It's a different issue the purchasing stock,unfortunately,many artists think/consider that because they are purchasing an image,it 'gives them full right over an image',it should be, if we are fair about the words: buy/purchase,we buy or purchase things we want,things that we want to keep for us but unfortunately in the world of business,talking specifically about images: there is always a photographer and an agency that owns the rights,also,there will always be legalities and no matter how prestigious or famous a stock site is,there might even be hidden rules for the customer.

About the kind of art we decline at my groups:

If a work complies with the 'normal and usual rules' about quality,group themes,proper stock crediting and right submission into the correspondent group category,we barely will decline a work,so we almost never decline works that were made with purchased stock -if it is well credited- but we don't really accept fan art,nor anything that is clearly specified at our groups' journals,I clarify 2 issues: we don't decline fan art which was done with digital painting,traditional art,vectors,digital drawings -if well/greatly done-...this is especially at those groups where I am founder or almost it.

I work with a team,even if the group belongs to me,the decisions for declining/accepting aren't completely decided by me,we the staff are a team,we support each other about every decision taken.
I thank deeply to everyone at the groups that fully depend from me,without my direct staff,my beloved groups wouldn't exist nowadays.

The groups in which I work,fully support stock,we even accept stock submissions at a few of them,thus we check galleries,art styles and stock before accepting new members -this is only at my Dark art groups and literature groups as well-,so if the artists' art comply with DA rules and the groups' rules that artist won't be declined for joining us as a member.

About the pre-made backgrounds,I 'respect' the opinion about pre-mades but I consider it unfair and a very poor judgement because if a pre-made 'meets' the quality and credits/specify the resources,images and elements used then why declining it?,it's art and many DA artists invest their time,efforts and resources on offering them for free,I mean,it should be considered as all the legal stock we use at DA,we have even 'big names' who have pre-mades and who use them as well,now,there is a big difference about using a pre-made and just add a model or change colors,etc and it is when the word: creativity should be considered.

I mention this because as an artist,I have created my own backgrounds and in the same way used pre-mades,always photomanipulating them as well,I barely have used the pre-mades as they come,I change them,add things,use as many resources I can for delivering something that looks different from the ordinary,I am NOT a great artist,my works will never match the perfection and great quality of those big names at DA,though,I try doing my best and try delivering a different image of 'that model at DA' that has been used for most artists. I have improved a bit over the years but I can't consider my art great.

As a part of DA and after 5 years as my home,after 3 years in which I have worked hard at my groups and trying to offer support for artists,I had never felt so annoyed and disappointed from artists and groups,as a simple artist: 'what affects me will affect you',all of us are in the same boat,it's why I can say that while there are great/superb artists,DA does NOT have 'divas/divos nor Prima Donnas',if someone feels superior to others,then what is that person doing at DA?...improving art,trying to play 'the mentor/teacher' does not give the right to anybody of insulting,lacking respect or bullying...I applaud to those who have plenty time for teaching and posting 5 journals per day,or per week,or for thinking 'new rules'...I want to have 3 free hours for my art!,my little free time goes to my groups,I consider that the mission of a group is offering the artist a home for his/her art,promoting it with features and with exposure but groups aren't 'art sites dumpings', nor a place for baby-sitting art.
3 years at my main groups,we have offered support with requests,features,articles,besides having VIPS,the requests,which mostly are done by me,have helped me to know new artists who have improved greatly,the same I have 'met' those big/superb artists who have created a name with their works,I love making requests,it's a honour for me as a group owner whenever those new or great artists accept the requests and even thank for them,it's me who thank each one of them for allowing my groups displaying your art!

Groups need the artist as much as the artist needs the groups for submitting/displaying art,groups won't survive without members,as a group owner and hard worker at them,I can only say that having a group takes time,hard work and effort for keeping it up and running,3 years is easy to be said but it has not been easy.

I must say,I agree about the issue that every group has the right to set its own rules,also about declining art,I have said about my own submissions to groups: 'decline my art if it lacks quality,style or stock' but if you are declining my art or removing it from your groups because I have used pre-mades,especially those made by AshenSorrow,which yes,I have used but photomanipulated,then,I can't avoid getting worried and annoyed for the way the issue of pre-mades has divided DA community.

I have always said that AshenSorrow is my 'official background provider',but more specific is saying that it's silentfuneral the one I support,because if someone has supported and helped DA is him,I will never forget that when I was nobody -I am nothing great nowadays either-,one of those artists who supported me as an artist and as a friend,also to my 2 main groups,but especially my Liliths-Realm home was Sean,so it's been really sad the way some people have been so nasty at him and his work.

If premades weren't art,they should have disappeared since long ago, making a witch hunting' for the use of backgrounds to any artist who used/uses,makes/made premades is despicable and denotes great mental dwarfism,which allow us to see that DA as a community hasn't grown.
The same issue is worrisome because many groups will now decline works based on the use of premades,or because of symphaties without really considering quality of a work and when this happens,the next is forbidding brushes,and then groups will be obsolete and many artists will leave,some have already stored their art,others have started to leave DA!

I don't say this because Sean is my friend,I say this because whenever I have a bit of free time for doing a photomanipulation,I consider a great pleasure to use 'friends and other artists' resources,yes,I have used AshenSorrow's backgrounds but also I have used stock,premades,brushes,etc from many other artists, even my own!

DA is above all an art site,it's sad to see that people forget it and uses the site for ventilating rants,frustrations,bad issues,personal dramas,etc,instead of focusing in art!,it's kind,generous,great and exceptional those artists who are playing to teach,but I don't consider at all the great purpose of this site,we have tutorials,interviews and other sources for learning,at the end: 'Practice is what makes the artists!'

We should never forget that once we were new artists,we should never forget who has supported us,who have we 'called friend' and that in a community like this,there should never be Gods,Godesses,nor big egos.
The recent issues about stock and the whole 'fuss' have made me take a decision about not submit my art to groups anymore,except my own groups,or those groups that request my art because the admins consider it well done, from now on,I'll stick just to my groups and not join others just to engross their members' list.

I will finally say: I am an artist for pleasure,I love art but my main work is being an English Teacher,I know the meaning of teaching too well,so I search no profit from doing my art,on the opposite,art is my catharsis,my relax and my escape from routines and real life,so,I always remember myself that I mainly do art for the pleasure of it!

My support,friendship and work at my groups will remain the same,we support art,artists and stock.

My admiration to those who instead of 'playing politics' have stayed quiet,doing art,the same,my admiration to those artists who have stock,resources,backgrounds,etc.

Great stock:

Premade Backgrounds feature 1 at:--->> daparanormal.deviantart.com/jo…

A few of my most admired artists,who have supported and being kind with my art:

My 2 greatest and beloved friends,away now,missing them deeply,always into my heart,waiting for their return:

Grups I love! -My groups-:

Lilith's-Realm
Guardian

When-Darkness-comes
Group Owner

Daparanormal
Co-founder

Word-Smiths
Co-founder

Tomes-and-Grimoires
Co-founder

Sexy-evil
Co-founder

Blueshadednightmares
co-founder

AllWomen
Co-founder

beaute-lamour
Co-founder

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