Don’t make someone’s art your phone/computer/Tumblr/social media background or icon without the artist’s explicit permission.
Don’t use someone’s art for a moodboard, video, or other project of yours without the artist’s explicit permission.
DON’T REPOST SOMEONE’S ART WITHOUT THE ARTIST’S EXPLICIT PERMISSION.
DON’T TRACE OR COPY SOMEONE’S ART WITHOUT THE ARTIST’S EXPLICIT PERMISSION.
- Read the artist’s about page and FAQs.
- Look through the artist’s art site for the policies that they have on people using their art.
- Send a message asking the artist if you can use their art.
- Don’t crop out the artist’s signature on purpose.
- Don’t claim the art as your own explicitly or implicitly.
- Support the artist in other ways besides just using their art (follow, reblog, like, etc.).
- Remember who made the art that you are using (after you receive permission to use it). Save a note of it somewhere, anywhere. If you lose the name of the artist somehow, find it again or out of respect, stop using the artwork publicly (privately is okay since the artist gave permission at the time of you originally using it).
- If the artist expresses terms for being allowed to use their art, FOLLOW THEM TO THE LETTER!
- Always, always, always give credit if the artist allows you to use your art, even if they say they don’t require it. It’s just a polite thing to do.
- If you are given permission to use the artist’s art for an external project (pictures on the wall, a tattoo, a school project, etc.), share a picture of you doing so with the original artist.
- If the artist says no, RESPECT IT AND DON’T GET ANGRY! It’s within the artist’s rights what happens with their art.
- If you find an artwork floating around that you love and want to use, but it’s not clear who made it, find out who made it and ask permission, or otherwise, DON’T USE IT!
Artists work really hard and throw their heart into what they do. When you don’t ask permission, it’s almost like giving them a hug without consent. The idea of it is relatively flattering and sweet, but it’s unwanted, uncomfortable, and gives anxiety to the artist.
So many artist’s fear posting their art online and have to go to great steps to make sure what they make doesn’t get stolen, including myself.