#like tracing and copying are morally grey. If you want to trace to learn stuff or practice or study it's ok ig

[doodlingwren]

It's 2024 can we please stop saying it's normal to trace or copying an entire drawing and pretending it's 100% your work? Just bc you changed the character or added clothes on a base you found on pinterest it doesn't mean you created original art

Edit: I need to specifying some things, or somebody might misinterpret this post in the future.

Tracing and copying are more than okay to use if you need to exercise or study stuff! Copying might be a bit better because you're actually training your eye and hand on how to make shapes and volumes. My best advice is, if you trace something, keep it for yourself and don't post it online (if you do, ask the original artist if they're okay with it)

Always use references, especially for anatomy stuff! It's not a cheat! Poses are complicated, and there are a lot of photographers posting pose packs FOR FREE TO USE! Or even artists drawing them :)

Remember to read the TERMS OF SERVICE when using a photo/ base you've found online: some people want credits, others are fine without them! But you have to check to know, and please be respectful

YCH (your character here) are NOT free to use bases; please know that. They are artwork from other artist showcasing a type of commission they are doing. And neither are WIPs

do NOT trust stuff you find on Pinterest. A great part of the artworks over there have been uploaded 1) without the artist consent and often 2) with a misleading use. Already happened to find other artist artworks or sketches being given out as "bases".

This post came from the fact some of the images used and traced were actually anatomy studies made by a very famous artist who requested for them not to be traced over (or if used like that, to give credits were it's due).

For the actual bases, they can be found on Twitter, and credits are required as well.

For that one traced artwork. It's actually a work in progress made by an artist, and I suppose it was uploaded on Pinterest, so some people might think of it as a base? Although it has on it "WIP" and the original artist name (if you've been drawing. You know exactly what those 2 things mean). The other things that bothered me it's while for the other there has been an attempt, this one it's traced 1 to 1. Didn't bother to change the character face at all. That's what makes me mad. Taking all the credits for something that you didn't do. That's just being lazy and not giving a fuck about art. Also they traced other artist's illustrations as well with their OCs so. I guess it's not just fandom art 😂

On a side note, this is something that I've seen happen quite a lot. And especially if you're doing commissions for a living, a trace accusation can destoy your carreer. Therefore, I won't tell this person a name or make a callout post. I did block them and moved on, and this was a vent post I had to do for myself.

[skye-the-fandom-dragon]

My Tav!!! :D

I thought I’d share how they look in-game, since drawing them can only do so much lol

If you want some additional info (+more how i see them) it’s under the cut lol

So, my Tav.

Their name is Zion, because they’re essentially a self insert and I’m very uncreative

They’re a sorcerer

They’re nonbinary (use they/them), aromantic (but still willing to be in a relationship when they find a person they feel comfy with), and asexual (sex positive tho)

(Let me explore my sexuality through fiction okay-)

They’re around 180 years old during the game’s events, which I’ve decided is more or less 25-30 human years

They’re a human-drow-dragonborn, but the human traces are very slight because their parents were pure dragonborn and a half-drow, but down a few generations of drow/drow relationships. Their most human parts are the slightly creamy colors to their cheeks and ears, as well as a small amount of almost-white hairs, mostly over their arms and legs

From more draconic features, they mainly have slitted pupils, like a cat, because it’s fun, and their teeth are sharper than average. Plus they have scales, other than on the face, on their biceps, and all over their chest area (no nipples lol). Plus sharper-than-usual nails :)

I’ve also decided they do have a draconic tail, despite that not being an option in in-game customization, because it’s my imagining of the world and I get to do what I want, I am the DM now >:3

On that note, big sucker for wings here, so… you know. They have “retractable” (part-magic) draconic wings. But, to make it less op, I’ve made it hurt like hell whenever they summon them, cause it’s essentially like speed-growing an additional body part with bone in it, then shedding it like a skinwalker on supernatural, so they don’t use that nearly at all, unless under really strong emotions, or under extreme circumstances. But, to make it more fun, their feet also turn draconic when they do that

(Ik people are probably gonna come at me for that one, but eh, I don’t really care. It’s my version of the world, after all. Besides, it doesn’t come up often so you can technically just ignore that)

They have the criminal background, and I don’t quite have their backstory fleshed out just yet, but I know they became a thief to survive after their family was killed due to debt (drow are brutal), then it became a sort of revenge thing, to steal from rich people and such

They got found out at one point, at around 150 years of age, and were hunted down, but escaped the town before they got caught and/or killed, which is pretty much like a banishment if you think about it lol

Since then they’ve just been living sorta on the run, stealing or foraging and hunting to survive, at first in the Underdark, then, later, on the surface

Twas on one of their heists for food the nautiloid got them

Now for some fun facts and other little things!

They actually dislike the sun, it makes their eyes hurt from how bright it is. Were very disappointed because everyone who’s seen it and been in the Underdark praised its beauty and shit, but when they saw it for the first time they were just like “I cannot see”

They still appreciate sunsets and sunrises though

They speak Common, Undercommon, Drowish, and know how to say a few basic phrases in Draconic/Glav (they can read the alphabet as well, just not out loud)

They’re very morally grey. Like, would sell your soul to a devil for a single corn chip with no remorse but would also immediately stand up to your abuser kind of morally grey

They can eat raw and rotten food without much consequence, because their draconic ancestry makes their stomach acid more… well, acidic, so it just melts all the bad stuff away. They don’t like rotten food tho, it tastes bad. Raw meat on the other hand…

Once they get attached to someone they will do anything for them

Despite Astarion’s lines being pretty much copy-pasted from a script, they find them endearing (until they learn about his past, then they want to hold him every time he falls back into that habit)

They have unreasonable amounts of charisma when they want (17), despite the fact they’re a total dumbass other times

Speaking of stats, STR is at 8, so they’re very lean

Their favorite animals are snakes, they just love the noodly babies

They make dirty jokes every chance they get (to the delight of Astarion and demise of literally everyone else)

They hate kids. Like, really. They let that tiefling child who stole the locket from that one guy get slapped lmao

Aside from the visible piercings, they have a belly button one as well

That’s it I think for now. If you’ve read this far, I hope you enjoyed me dumping all the info on you lmao <3