Hello everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone knows the answer to my question. If i want to model some concept art that ive found on a site like Deviantart or someones portfolio on the internet, do i need that artist's permission to use their art as ref?? I would only be using it for practice obviously and possibly use in my own portfolio. I was just curious because i dont want to step on any other artist's toes and definitely dont want to go breaking any laws. Thanks!!

I would say it couldn't hurt. Also you should probably give credit. I know that if I was a concept artist I honestly would think it was cool that someone was modeling a concept tof mine, and I would want to see it. So maybe shoot them an email when you are done.

If you aren't making money I don't think you technically need their permission.

There are different opinions on this, but personally if its only for a personal portfolio I don't think it is necessary. It is always nice to ask though, and if the final product looks anything near the concept you should credit the artist for the design.

Once you want to use it in any public way like a mod or a competition or anything like that, you definitely need to get permission.

I find it rather telling of the current climate that you have to ask, but you don't need permission to practice modeling from concepts created by others. You should be fine using concepts for learning. It's covered under fair use.

Some people get pretty pissed off when you use their stuff without their permission. I think it's better to ask for permission(if possible) just to be on the safer side. Who knows, maybe they'll be glad that you've made them aware of a 3d coversion of a concept they've made.

It's common courtesy to ask for their permission, and overall always give credit to the artist. I am sure most artists will let you use their work if you ask them first. If they find you have been making profit of their work, then it can turn into an issue... but that's another topic.

It's an opportunity to flatter the artist and possibly make a friend, why not? At the very least they should be credited properly for the concept.

I always make sure to ask. Don't want to work on something only to have the concept artist find out and say "Stop or I'll tell everyone you're a big fat phoney."

I will definitely ask him/her permission, its his/her idea in the end. And as vig says it might be a good opportunity to make a friend if he/she agrees you to go through.

OK cool, thanks for the responses. So it seems the common consensus is that as long as im not personally profiting off of it, permission is not needed but it is a courtesy. Amiright??

Yes, but remember in any case you always need to give due credit.

chances are you'll probably end up working with them at one point, so yeah

I never ask for permission, but it seems obvious that one should always, always, always give credit. If it turns out shitty I don't do a disservice, and hang it up on a site, though. : P

People like Feng Zhu would have to hire someone just to answer all the permission requests :p

I used to ask permission, but me being a huge slacker and never finishing anything started feeling bad. So now I don't really ask permission anymore but just make sure I give credits, even if it's only loosely based on or inspired by a concept.

I've always thought it was necessary to get permission if you are modelling the piece for your portfolio. There are a few peoples concepts that I found on CGhub that I REALLY want to model for my portfolio, but they never respond to me.

Also, if it is a concept they did for a studio and not a personal work, you don't need to ask permission if it is just for a personal portfolio imo. Stuff that is done for a studio is the studio's work anyway, and you don't need to ask anyone to do fan art.

Originally Posted by MeintevdS

People like Feng Zhu would have to hire someone just to answer all the permission requests :p

I used to ask permission, but me being a huge slacker and never finishing anything started feeling bad. So now I don't really ask permission anymore but just make sure I give credits, even if it's only loosely based on or inspired by a concept.

Hahaha so true. Normally the answer is: "Of course I don't mind, I think its awesome you where inspired by something I did. Be sure to let see it when you're done!" and then you look like a total tool when you lose interest and don't finish. BUT maybe that's enough pressure for some people to finish what they start...

I would ask permission if I was going to model somebody's personal concepts, like Jouste's stuff or something Feng Zhu did that wasn't for a client, but I wouldn't ask Marvel if I could model Wolverine.





--- though I would mention in the presentation that he was created/owned by Marvel Comics Inc.... or I guess Disney now.

Originally Posted by Habboi

I always make sure to ask. Don't want to work on something only to have the concept artist find out and say "Stop or I'll tell everyone you're a big fat phoney."

I don't think it makes you a phoney. How are you a phoney if you did all the work of transforming their idea into another medium? If you use your own labor to take an idea from concept to expression (no matter where that idea comes from), you're not a phoney.

Does anyone see how bad this is? People are shying away from certain kinds of art because they're not sure if some artist isn't going to unleash their lawyers on them. The OP is afraid that he will be attacked in some way if he tries to take inspiration from another artist's work. If you have to stop and think about whether you need to ask permission to create art, you're allowing yourself to be limited. I think a lot of artists need to let go of their attachment to their expressions and realize that what's important is their experience.

Art is an experience. That's not something you can bottle up, put borders around, or stand guard over. The experience is what drives the art and no one can take that away from us because we carry the experience with us of every piece of art we put to the "canvas". I think the business side of it has made people too focused on ownership and controlling use in order to drive up scarcity. Also, they tend to idolize the work they create and that, since they made it, it belongs to them. That simply ignores the fact that their art was built from all of the art and human experience that has been accumulated over the past eon.

I know what you're thinking, "but allowing every yahoo to make derivative creations of my works would dilute the value of my art." It won't, because you know that you are able to do what you do because your art shows it. Those that can't do it won't get far showing off your work as their own because they aren't on the same level as you are and anyone that is any real competition to you already has their own work to exhibit their skill. Even if those fakes actually get the job, they won't be able to keep it if their work doesn't match the quality they claimed they were capable of.

@n8lugo
I'd say if you want to use concepts to create 3D work for your portfolio, you don't need to ask anybody permission to make art. The worst you'll do is offend or anger the artist you draw your inspiration from, but it's quite plainly fair use. Art shouldn't need permission. Art is better when it's set free. Even with that, let people know where you got the idea from. If we all help each other, we can all get ahead easier. Giving credit to your inspiration is like an intellectual hand-job to a fellow artist.

I'd suggest asking just for the sake of networking and making friends. So far what I've done is to work on it a little bit, then shoot an email with an early screen grab so they know what level your aiming for and how true you're sticking to the concept.

Originally Posted by greevar

The worst you'll do is offend or anger the artist you draw your inspiration from

probably not a good idea since the industry is so small and interconnected - always a good idea to ask and always give credit.

From the perspective of an artist, I'd like to be asked.

From the perspective of an employer I would absolutely want it to be credited.

Coming up with a cool concept is a massive part of the success of the model, if I saw a portfolio of decent work that all had awesome basic concepts with no credit to another artist I think "wow, so maybe his skills aren't top notch but he has great ideas, the skills can always be developed to match."

But if they aren't actually from your own concepts it becomes disingenuous.

That said, it's a great learning experience to work from really good concept work, so it's well worth it to just ask and credit where due. Most artists I know would be happy to oblige.

If you're not going to contact them, at the least you could credit them. Maybe you could get them to make concept art for you if they're flattered!

i go along with greevar opinion.

as soon as start modeling a concept/idea, you put your own flavour/style into your model. this creates a new piece of art. the source of inspiration might be seen, still, it is something new, something just you could create the way it turned out.

if you look at "regular" art, taking stuff and create something new is a standard method.

i know lawyers will see this different, but i'm sick of this. we're not talking about steeling and relabeling or reselling existing artwork, but about a creative process, about expressing yourself through a medium, be it with a pencil, a 3d app or knives and a scissor if you da a collage.

if you fly over your inspiration art folders you see so much stuff which comes from same inspiration.(and i'm not talking just about personal artwork...) still every piece has it's own flavour and additions, which makes it something unique and new.

of course giving credit and tell people the roots of your artwork is never a bad thing.

The worst part is when an artist replies back with

"Glad you like my art, cheers/thankyou/etc..."

I had this happen several time to me...bleh...