Just hit a moral snag with my latest digital piece. Used a reference without permission. Bad move or common practice?

Totally get that feeling, honestly did the same thing with a background once and just sent a late credit. Reached out after posting and it actually worked out fine for me. Most folks just want the nod for the inspiration.

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wright.cole6mo ago

My first paid commission back in 2018 was a character redraw that heavily referenced a Katsuya Terada sketch. I was freaked out to ask, but I just sent a quick message explaining the project and linked his work in the final post. Most artists get it, we all use references. The line is when you just copy the shapes without adding your own voice. Slapping a filter on someone's work and calling it yours is the real bad move.

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kevin_white336mo ago

Yeah that's a tough spot. I straight up traced a pose for a comic panel last year and still feel weird about it. Maybe reach out to the artist now, some people are cool if you credit them after the fact.

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