Is this considered stealing?


rii-alreirav's avatar
I'm sorry this will be long. But I hope you listen. Thank you.

I have a friend that likes drawing too. We get along pretty fine. She's still working on proportions in her original drawings, but great at copying something. At first, we're both into traditional arts. So even if she copy, it's with pencil and paper.

I got envious sometimes, because I'm not very good at imitating/drawing fanarts. Even though I still think my original drawing is better than her. Well, I am a competitive person. I kept trying and trying. And finally I learned to draw fanarts.

But by the time I've done that, she dove into digital art. And know what? All she did is tracing others' drawing, coloring it, and posted it with no credit. I know doing lineart is kinda hard, especially for us beginners and touch pad users. But it's still not her drawing right? What about the original artists?

I'm a bit bothered (and actually feeling a bit envious again for her copying skill). And then it got worse. One day I showed her one of my recent sketch. She was interested in making it a digital art. So she took a photo of it to be traced with lineart.

I trusted her. She IS my friend.

Just today, I was talking to my other friend and then she told me something along this line: "Oh, like the doll in [her name]'s drawing." I was shocked. And then I showed my sketch, "Was it a drawing like this?"

Apparently yes. It is exactly the same since she just did the lineart and color it. Everyone thought it was her drawing. I checked her instagram. She did post it without credit. And it was one of my best drawing. She took not only one photo, but some of my best sketches too.

Seriously it's not about her increased followers or faves she received. I don't care because I'm not really a social networking person. It was the feeling of: your hard work being stolen like doing it was the most normal thing to do!

I don't know it would feel this terrible. She IS my friend. What would you do if you were me?
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waynemountan's avatar
I Agree with XephrosART , There isnt too much you can do about it, and if she does this alot, will make her ending up looking like a fool. I would just ask nicely for her to take it down, or what I would do is ask her to credit you in the post.
XephrosART's avatar
Well, in my opinion. It's stealing if she claims that it's her IDEA, as in "This is my character, I came up with it myself". But there's not much you can do about it. But put it this way. If you really have the competitive spirit, then go show her what a true artist can do. Study art fundamentals, because I can guarantee you if your stuff is good, then she will be making a fool out of herself by tracing and claiming that it's her work.
Nocturn0wl's avatar
If I were you, I'd ask her to either go back and give me credit for the original artwork on her posts, or take the drawings down; let her choose. The longer she waits to do either, the more I'd pester her about it. And, from this point onwards, never share any of my own art with her again.

If it's possible to report the art theft on the sites she's shared it on, I'd recommend doing so. However, you might have a difficult case if you either a) haven't posted your original online, or b) posted your original after she posted her copy. In the future, if posting your stuff online is something you like to do, I'd highly recommend posting it before you share it with anyone else, so it's effectively timestamped (making it much easier to prove if someone else has copied your work), or even taking a picture of it with a digital camera (because it imbeds time/date created info in the file).

She doesn't sound like a friend to me. She's used you and your hard-won skill for her own personal gain, and taken all the credit for herself without your consent. Friends don't do that to each other. If you value your relationship with her, I'd highly recommend sitting her down and talking to her about it. Otherwise, it might be wise to let her go.
SeasideDreamer's avatar
Don't be jealous! Tracing someone else's art is stealing! (And RUDE if no credit is even given) It is alright to trace when you are learning to draw, but it is not a good idea to then POST that tracing and try to claim it as their own work :/ 


If I found out someone traced my art and then posted it as their own, i would report them for art theft. It is a dishonest thing to do. 
NemoTheGoblin's avatar
You're envious of a copy-machine? Don't be, tracing isn't art.

Also copying stuff isn't fanart
Fanart is taking characters/settings and interpreting them in a new way.

Tell her to remove ALL her traced stuff. Or just wait for her to copy the wrong person and be ripped apart by that artist's fans.
KinglyFaults's avatar
Tracing people's art and posting it is stealing.  Most of the time people don't want their art traced credited or not.  Okay so let's say she steals people's art.  Okay.  But stealing her friend's art?!  That is a big no no! mhm.  I mean if my friend stole my art I would be totally mad. 

Also your friend dosen't make "fan art."  It's more along the line of stealing.  Tracing people's art =/= fan art.

Try talking to her about it and if she doesn't listen and continues to steal your art, she's not really your friend.  
CrispyLettuce's avatar
That is most definitely stealing. If she's really a friend, I would give her the benefit of the doubt and explain to her that what she's doing isn't ethical. If she refuses to stop, or to at least take down the drawings she stole from you, then I wouldn't call her a friend anymore.

Tracing is already bad enough. People can argue all day on whether there's any merit to tracing when you're just learning how to draw. But tracing an image without permission and posting said tracing without any form of credit is inexcusable.
3wyl's avatar
:pointr: I have moved this thread to the Help with Life Forum as it is more appropriate here.
rii-alreirav's avatar
Alright, thank you and sorry for the trouble ^^
rockstar1009's avatar
I have a friend that likes drawing too.

You got two things wrong:

1. She's not a friend. She would have praised you on your best drawing. She would have given you props, but she doesn't care about you; she cares about herself.

2. She doesn't like drawing. She likes tracing.
rii-alreirav's avatar
I improved this fast because of her too (and my competitiveness maybe?). Yes, I don't trust her anymore. But I don't think I can fully hate her. We spent so much time together sharing hobbies, competing silently, and stuffs. After thinking this through, I'll tell her my mind (if she can't accept, then so be it. I'll leave her.)

2. I just realized that :| (Blank Stare)  Even though I know she really liked drawing back then. Ah, past...
CrispyLettuce's avatar
"She doesn't like drawing. She likes tracing."

^This. Well put.
Bobbelebien's avatar
Tell her to remove your drawings off of her instagram as a starter.

What she does IS stealing. 
Yes, making lineart can be considered hard and yes it does take work but in the end it's still not her who made the drawing.
She just linearted and colored it.
rii-alreirav's avatar
Thanks, I think I do need to do that. It would take a lot of courage but I'll do it. Thanks again ^^
Bobbelebien's avatar
Np and good luck =p
Kellodrawsalot's avatar
Yep that's stealing, Friend or not better  contront her before she makes a habbit of it.
rii-alreirav's avatar
Alright!! Thank you for offering your words!
SadistSkunk's avatar
Why are you jealous of someone's tracing "skills"?
rii-alreirav's avatar
Not exactly her tracing skill. But her lineart skill and how she can imitate other's style to make fanart (even though her fanart is always the exact same as the drawing she referenced to) ^^
CrispyLettuce's avatar
That's not really what I'd call fanart... She's literally just copying. Whether by hand or by tracing, if she's not changing anything in the original picture then it's just imitation. Which is useless. It's nothing to be jealous of.
rii-alreirav's avatar
Haha, yes, but from that envy I learned to make my own fanart (which aren't the same with the references I used) ^^
CrispyLettuce's avatar
Well, at least it's turning into good motivation. :B
SadistSkunk's avatar
That's not really fanart. ;-) I wouldn't be jealous of that if I were you.