It seems like a lot of people who trace anime seem to be linking to this journal as some sort of validation for tracing.

I created this journal back when I was the Moderator for Dolls to clarify deviantART's stance on the matter of tracing.

The legal matter of tracing is that it is derivative works and it is only illegal if the original creator of the artwork or artworks has a policy that states "no derivative works" or the copyright holder actually complains about the work itself. Then deviantART will do all in it's power to remove the trace.

Otherwise the derivative work, while highly unoriginal and exceedingly lazy, is indeed ok.

What is not ok is bullying or harassment of people who choose to trace. I don't agree with tracing, and if you've been linked to this journal and are as red as a raving bull right now I'm assuming you don't either but that does not excuse you for shouting and screaming at the person who created the traced artwork. I know you think it's wrong but it's also wrong to make people feel 2 inches tall for something that is technically allowed.

Many of the people who trace do so because they either don't know any better, or because they have no confidence in their own ability to draw and so in their eyes tracing creates a usable product that looks better than anything they draw ever could. Anime bases get people popularity because they are so widely used amoung the anime fan culture as a quick and easy solution to alright looking anime art. This validates the existance of often low self esteem teenagers who are bullied and picked on in school. Don't bully and pick on them online too.

You have several options.

Look up the original drawing, find out about any policys the artist has, and send an email to the artist notifying them of the trace. If the artist is concerned they will deal with it themselves.

Roll your eyes and move on. Or better yet, put your obviously superior knowledge and skills into good use and create better anime bases so that the people who enjoy to use these resources (the same as people create photomanips from stock) have some non traced resources to work from.

Talk to the tracer like a human being, give them tips and self confidence that their own art is always better, more respected and infinately less lazy.

Shout at them anyway, and be potentially reported for harassment.

Also, please remember not all basemakers trace. I hate being told that as a doller and a basemaker I am obviously a tracer WAIT no not your type of dolls sorry. Think before you bash.

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Mature Content

To the tracers

I know it's nice and all that you've chosen me as your champion of tracing, but perhaps you ought to have a serious think about why you trace. If you're really into anime art, and really respet and love the anime's or artworks you trace from, isn't it better to leave them in their original format. I know I much prefer to see my favourite characters in all their glory than as a jagged edged pixel trace.

Also if you really love the CG art but are stuck with mspaint check out GIMP it's a 100% Free piece of software which allows you to do many of the things photoshop does. I use gimp for my works, you can too

I'm ALWAYS open to help and critique young artists, if you're unsure or unconfident about your artwork you can always drop me a note and I'll never laugh or ridicule you. I just want you to get better at what it is that you love. Tracing might be a nice solution but you'll never get any better if you always rely on someone else to do the drawing for you. I can assure you all artists were ameteurs once.

Here are some tutorials that might be useful to you

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And if at the end of all that you still want to trace? Well I can't stop you, nor do I really care. Get off my journal and go trace something else because I can obviously do you no good except provide a little shield between you and people who don't like you. Thanks for turning an artist into a shield. Just what I always wanted in life.