Updated Art Usage And Crediting
Forum Index > Core > Announcements > News Archive >
PokéFarm requires that all art (including traditional or digital artwork, gifs, photos, and sprites) used publicly on the site be properly credited to its creator/artist.
Art that is not properly credited has effectively been "stolen". The artist is not receiving even basic acknowledgement of the effort they put into creating the art, and if the art is not free to use, then they are not receiving monetary compensation either.
Please do not take this to mean that you shouldn't use any art ever; using art can be a valuable part of expressing yourself. But please, respect the artist while you are doing so.
Remember, if the art is not from an official source like an anime or free-to-use, and you do not have the artist's permission to use the art, you should not be using the art. If you are still looking for the artist, or waiting for the artist's permission, the art needs to be taken down until you are able to properly credit it.
If you claim to be the artist of a piece of art, and you are found to not be the artist, you will be immediately locked for art theft. This is something that is absolutely not tolerated.
These sites contain additional information.
How to Credit Art
In general, art credits should be placed in the same general location as the art that is being credited. When using art as your forum avatar, the ideal place for it to be credited is in your forum signature. The credits for art pieces in your About Me are best kept in your About Me. However, it is also acceptable to keep art credits in your Journal, provided you make it clear in your forum signature/About Me that credits are in your Journal.
When using art created by a specific artist, it's best if you can link directly to the artist's profile, art shop, or website (if not a PokéFarm player).
Exception: As it is against site rules to link to inappropriate offsite content, if linking to the artist would break this rule, please either use a Mature hidebox within your About Me to contain the link, or contact a Moderator. The Moderator can note the credit in a location not visible to underage players.
- Official Art: This includes using unmodified images or gifs from movies, TV shows, anime, video games, manga, comics, and webcomics. Example: "Gif from the Pokémon Anime."
- Modified Official Art: This includes using images or gifs from movies, TV shows, anime, video games, manga, comics, and webcomics, but that have been modified or edited in some way. Examples: "Gif from the Pokémon Anime, modified by me."
- Commissioned Art: If you commissioned art from an artist, you now own the art and may use it. However, you still need to credit the artist through either a direct link, or through showing proof of your commission, such as a screenshot of the transaction.
- Free-to-Use Art: This includes art where the artist has specifically stated that their creation is free-to-use. The artist still needs to be credited, ideally by linking to or showing a screenshot of their statement of free-to-use.
Regarding Tracing
"Tracing" is exactly or closely duplicating all or part of an image, either by outright tracing over the image, or by heavily referencing it to the point it might as well be identical. If you trace something, the majority of the effort of the resulting art piece was put in by the original artist, not by yourself. Do not state that you are the sole artist of a traced piece of art.
- Players who trace official art for personal usage must credit their source material (Ex. "Official art of Eevee, modified by me").
- Tracing official artwork to give to someone as a gift is acceptable, as there is no profit involved.
- Attempting to sell traced official art that has not been sufficiently modified from the original, for profit, will result in a lock being placed on your account for art theft, and you will be required to reimburse your customers. "Sufficient modification" of official art includes the following: a full recolour, modification of at least half the image, addition to the image of a significant piece of original art, etc.
- Tracing art other than official art, whether for personal usage or profit, will also result in a lock being placed on your account for art theft.
Cannot post: Please log in to post