Protecting Your Artwork Online

Why I believe it's important to put your artwork online for people to see, but be smart about the way you do it!

My website: ArtByCedar.com

"They copied all they could follow, but they couldn't copy my mind, so I left them sweating and stealing a year and a half behind." ~Rudyard Kipling

Category:

Education

Tags:

• artwork
• art
• copyright
• protect
• intellectual
• property
• rights
• post
• images
• paintings
• internet
• online
• how
• to
• steal
• copy

[dyerome0803]

I have started to upload my pencil works in my facebook..most of them are not original(it come from magazine cut out that interests me) only to show my skills an details of my work, so what i do is include the original pic in the album and write small description about it... in this way, do i post some problem with the real owners of the pic? or do still give the original owners a credit of their works?

[RadicalEel]

@dyerome0803 Copying photos can be a great way to develop your art skills. I think you should be fine if you're only showing this work to friends and if you also include details about where you got your source image from. It's only a real problem if you're trying to sell work which is copied from someone else's image. If you want to sell your work, the only safe (and ethical) thing is to use source photos and inspirations that 100% belong to you--and your art will be better for it too.

[riteasrain]

I have to disagree with you when you say @ 2:21 "it's very unlikely that somebody would actually take your work and reproduce it on a mass scale and try and get away with that". We had a woman in a forum getting art from all over the internet and making cards from it and canvases and selling it online on her site. She seemed a close friend. What gave her away was how could someone have that many different painting styles! Good video. Thanks for your ideas :-)

[RadicalEel]

@riteasrain Just because it happens doesn't mean it's common. Of course I'd be pretty steamed if someone did that to me, but living in fear of it to the point where you don't show your work online defeats the whole purpose of making art. Art is to be shared and enjoyed! (Not to mention it's hard to get people to buy it if they can't see it.)

[toonyfatninjas]

you know what i like to do with my art work is to hide a secret code or figuring or trademark and sometimes in the actual art work it's invincible to the naked eye unless i point it out for you.this is how you can catch a thief's in his lies if it come down to it in court and make them pay you for their crimes. so i say not all thief's are bad some of them like to pay you back for your hard work.

[chamogul]

Thank you soooooooooo much. Truly!!

[BlueKittyCreations]

Thanks for the tips :-) I am just starting out with my own website and your advice will be helpful

[dyerome0803]

@RadicalEel Well thanks a lot Cedar for that enlightenment. For now i'm still doing that to create my client network. I'm still developing my skills and establishing my own signature. I'm well inspired by with the works of Vincent Van Gogh since i started in 1998. You can check my works later if you have time.. Again, thanks and keep on inspiring budding artist around the globe.. More power..

[RadicalEel]

@micciomiao22 Yes, I'm American. Good luck to you with your work!

[micciomiao22]

@RadicalEel

:) Yeah, that is true. They can copy your released work, but not create your next work..

I truly keep this video of yours as a reference of confidence.

I'm still in the "initial discomfort" mindset. Hope I can get over that.

Where are you from, if I can ask? I couldnt figure from the video.. I guess american tough..

Good luck with everything anyways!

[RadicalEel]

@micciomiao22 Thanks! I always try to remember that someone can copy your work, but they can't copy your mind. True artists are always coming up with new work. Putting your work out there to be seen as it should far outweighs any risk of others stealing your work, IMO!