Posted

May 12th 2007

Mood

Enthusiastic

From s Journal and for all SA users:

come to my attention that there is a fair number of artists in the community who don't understand what a 'pornographic submission' is concerning Sheezyart's Terms of Service. We've had a few people labeling arts which are not pornographic as such and we've had a few users totally disregarding the rules by posting them without realising.

There has also been a few occasions when we've had a few users claiming 'pose theft', and traces where clear referencing has been met

I've decided to spend a few hours of my time explaining these issues so everyone has a brief understanding of them.
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Issue # 1 - When is a SheezyArt submission deemed pornographic?
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A big question that has come up a lot of times since Sheezyart first banned pornographic submissions in Mid 2005 revolves around whether a particular submission is pornographic or an artistic nude. Though we've reminded people in the past, some artists know what is, some don't, but some think they do, but don't.

Pornography is defined generally as any form of media that is designed to 'sexually arouse' the viewer/reader/listener.

We have defined this on Sheezyart as any form of artwork that contains:
A) Implied or depicted sexual acts. Censored or not.
B) Depicts an erected penis or open view of the vagina.
C) Body fluids.
D) contains fondling, or
E) Contains the character, or characters in a pose that is meant to be sexually arousing.

Pornography however does not include artistic nudes, drawn or photographic. We've allowed artistic nudes on the condition they aren't doing anything suggestive, or sexual.

In relation to mature submissions, which all artistic nudes MUST be tagged with when they are submitted; Mature submissions are not required to have a preview image to censor the full image. It wouldn't be a bad idea for artists to provide warnings for other artist's benefit, but it is not an enforced rule.


Issue # 2 - Traces and referencing.

A rather big issue that's been coming up concerns users mucking up what a trace is, what reference work is and if pose theft is even a theft at all.

Tracing is globally accepted in society as theft. It is the simple procedure of retrieving an image from a source and copying it line for line. There's a number of ways to identify traces, the most dominant way is to have two images and layer one over the other whilst applying half opacity. Should the lines meet each other accurately, the image is traced.

Referencing on the other hand is the form of copying certain parts of an image and transforming it into your own work. It is always done freehanded, unlike tracing.

Referencing ranges in many forms. For example, one way to reference includes finding the texture of fur for a lion.

Another way and a predominant example of referencing is referencing an already existing image in your work.

Example: I find an image of a photograph with a woman sitting on the bonnet of a car. I use this photograph as reference and draw up my own work where the car is instead a spacecraft and the girl is female robot.

Again however, if I transform that car and girl by tracing them that constitutes as tracing. Copying however with the same poses (or setting) is acceptable referencing.

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'Pose theft' as people call it is an apparent 'theft' where artists take poses or similar features from other pieces of art. Be it hair pose, hair style or body pose.

In truth however, this form of 'theft' is actually referencing. It is in no way theft, unless the entire image was copied line for line, when it is no longer copying, but tracing.

All in all this form of referencing is not new either. Its as old as 1930 when Disney artists used real life examples to study poses for their cartoons.

A lot of artists today still do it as well, it does not make them less original than what they are either. Finding the right pose can take a lot of effort and time, but usually some people just like a distinctive pose.

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An important thing to remember in the world of art and when using reference material is providing credit when it is due. As always, it is good etiquette to credit any reference material you used.

On SheezyArt we greatly advise crediting all sources whenever you submit art. Using reference material does not make you an unoriginal artist, nor does it mean you are any less of an artist from another. Don't ever feel that you are just from using references.

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[[now for Missing nike info]]

I will be missing tomorrow for the Anime Central Convention here in Chicago ((anyone whose gonna be there, I'll be a Misa from Death Note dressed in white top, black tie, black shirt and stockings ^^))

Sunday, I'll be at my aunt's house to celebrate Mother's Day.

Basically, I doubt I'll be online tomorrow at all cause I plan on not leaving til I'm about to pass out Sunday...well, I don't think I'll be 100% sober when I get back (family events are so much more tolerable now that I can drink).

See ya guys on Monday ^^