Artists who copy tattoos/styles

[deadsp0t]

Ed Hardy and another tattooist make reference to this subject near the end of tattoo the world. If I remember correctly it's shrugged off fairly casually as flattery and something a successful artist can expect.

A pretty mature response(IMO) that they spend very little time on. Sorry I don't recall the other artist but it's at about 15-16 mins left when it's brought up.

Of course in a perfect world, such things would not exist and everyone would 'play by the rules'

But similarly to the thread where dude tattoos 'DRAKE' across that young lady's head, the FACT is, that if you don't tattoo it, someone else will. Unlike a couple decades ago, the market is full of tattooers of varying skill level, unlike before if a good artist turns you down now, there's another good artist who will take your money and make you a good tattoo.

I'm in no way advocating that tattooers should tattoo whatever comes comes through the door, I merely stating the obvious fact that for every customer willing to bend the ethics there's an artist willing to participate. The willingness to participate is is a choice the customer and tattooist have to make. I feel like, just like any other industry, ppl are going to do what they feel is 'right' but ppl are also going to do what they have to do to eat and pay the bills.

Similar situations or parallels can be drawn in any industry. Make your personal choice as a collector and artist(in our context) and stick to it.

Personally I'm pretty indifferent as to what other ppl get tattooed on their bodies and unless someone is passing your work off as their own, I lean towards looking at it as flattery, but of course I haven't been active artistically in over 15 years, I suppose It's possible I'd feel differently if I made my living making art(if any form).

[passive jay]

People here are way more traditional biased. It's a waste of time posting your tattoo here. Though as I mentioned in the other forum, I like it.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

I am not up to speed on tattoo types. What exactly makes a tattoo "traditional"? the guy that did my futurama tattoo did my last tattoo as well and I "think" he called it traditional.

[TaeTae]

@passive jay. He means American traditional, it's the most popular style on this forum, so other styles don't get the same attention. That's really nicely done though and looks as though you like your futurama tattoos! The objection to the white, is because solid white tends to turn a slight yellow after the time an doesn't hold up so well, some artists use it, some only use it for highlights.

[smiling.politely]

Small Paul just did a Hyottoko mask with a huge amount of white packed into it, and I believe Valerie Vargas did a rose that was packed solid white recently. As long as the expectation isn't for a lifelong snow white tattoo, it's not the worst thing in the world.

[Delicious]

People here are way more traditional biased. It's a waste of time posting your tattoo here. Though as I mentioned in the other forum, I like it.

How exactly is it a waste? Your tattoos that you have posted havent been American traditional and I know you recieved many compliments on them....

[scubaron]

@passive jay. He means American traditional, it's the most popular style on this forum, so other styles don't get the same attention. .....

I am new here and new to tattoos. Curious, are there other good tattoo forums that are popular for the other styles ?

[TaeTae]

I am new here and new to tattoos. Curious, are there other good tattoo forums that are popular for the other styles ?

This forum is great for all tattoo discussion, that was just an observation on my part. If you are new to tattoos then you are already in the right place.

[scubaron]

Thanks. I do like this forum. In my limited time here I can see the membership is very helpful and respectful.

[MoistTowelette]

How exactly is it a waste? Your tattoos that you have posted havent been American traditional and I know you recieved many compliments on them....

not just american trad but japanese trad also. that is the reason why i havent posted my realism/surrealism pieces on here.

- - - Updated - - -

Small Paul just did a Hyottoko mask with a huge amount of white packed into it, and I believe Valerie Vargas did a rose that was packed solid white recently. As long as the expectation isn't for a lifelong snow white tattoo, it's not the worst thing in the world.

what about horitomo and the mon mon cats as well

[Noodles]

Original work is always in danger of being copied. It is unfortunate for those who work very hard to create their own voice being cowardly copied by those who do not. A question to further investigate this is, what is the motivation? Ego? Money? maybe a sincere emulation of an artists work to better understand and study their techniques as well as theory only to better themselves? what external elements cater to this thievery?

regardless of motivation (at the cost of an individual client who may not know any better) some of us know and understand the situation upon sight of the executed work. Thats what puts us in a different field of play right? It cannot be stopped. Thank you.

[Lance]

Aaand Horitomo's monmon cats too! If it sticks great. If it doesn't stick, still great.

[Gregor]

People here are way more traditional biased. It's a waste of time posting your tattoo here. Though as I mentioned in the other forum, I like it.

Thats not true , @peterpoose 's work gets much love. I like realism , I have some myself. I think this is a place for all tattoos . The great thing about this place too , even if we don't like the style everyone recognises quality. (and no spell-check I refuse to use a Z in recognise!!!)

[Mike Shishmanian]

if a client comes to me with a picture of someone else's tattoo I tell them that we can recreate the concept of the piece but NEVER the same exact piece. if they are not ok with this then they don't need to get work from me. it's that simple. of course, I'm a bit spoiled / lucky that I'm busy enough to turn down any work ( I remember a time when I first started where I would do anything the client wanted) but I just can't bring myself to spend that many hours working on someone and having them walk away with something that I had no part in creating.I just can't put the love in. it's a bummer and completely defeats the purpose of getting a tattoo or making the tattoo for me personally.

[tattslave]

The photos you sent are examples of just plain copying, which I am against. I expect we could all find examples of the demon face, and done before Shige did it. But to copy the cherry blossoms in the exact same pattern? shame.

[Dennis]

That's a straight up line for line copy of Shige's work!

Instagram

- - - Updated - - -

The caption on one of the photos is "Hannya work.. Just finished shading.. Backpiece is progress.. by shige copy work.. :(" like C'MON MAN!

[Matthew Thomas]

I personally feel that most of the responsibility actually lies with the clients who want the copied tattoos. If you want something done and one artist won't do it, you'll keep looking and eventually you will find someone who will. If someone goes to an artist and wants a certain tattoo like "DRAKE" across their forehead, there are plenty of artist who will do it because they want the money because they know if they won't do it then they will go to someone who will. Now, this is not entirely the artists' fault, because every artist has to use their own ethical judgment sometimes and people base their ethical judgment on different things. But the question is, why would someone want a copied tattoo? I mean there are exceptions like friends/family/lovers/etc that get matching tattoos and whatnot, but to see a tattoo on a person you probably don't know, and to know that it's an obviously one of a kind design and to go and say, hmm, I want exactly that? It bespeaks laziness and unimaginative boringness. You can't even muster the motivation to come up with your own idea about what you want for a tattoo? I have had friends ask me if they could get some of my tattoos, and the ones I was asked about weren't even custom, and I basically said that while I can't stop you, I'm not going to give you my permission. These are images I've chosen and I don't care for the idea of someone going around having copies of my body art.

[Zillah]

Does the US or UK have creative commons licences? In New Zealand we have this thing where the artist chooses if and how they want their work shared/tweaked/used commercially or not:

Licences explained | Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand

[misterJ]

figured I might weigh in and see what happens.

I think that the most obviously hilarious thing to me is that people rip off Shige. He has a delicacy in his depth and work that is astounding and all the copies lack that soul completely. It reminds me of Hyosung when they made their Ducati look alike, and I am not the biggest Shige fan. Beyond that I also believe in the bond between artist and client that happens when sitting through very large pieces, this cheapens that to me by mimicking an experience along with the final product.

I know in the drumming community, many of the better known will "share" patterns among peers. But never entire pieces as with what is listed above. Maybe the lesson to take is to borrow inspiration not destroy originality.

I love that Fry/ Leela tattoo, but that's just my geek bias. As for packing white in the eye I would be curious to see how it looks over time.

[anomaly1964]

Some of these are just INSANELY cool!

[Iwar]

Some of these are just INSANELY cool!

You must not have read a single post in this thread

[LuceroTat2]

I try and explain to clients who bring in other peoples tattoos, that it's not cool to get someone's exact tattoo. Usually saying something along the lines of "how bummed would you be if you saw someone wearing your exact tattoo, pretty bummed out right, why would you wear someone else's tattoo?" I think it is disrespectful to the client with the original, and especially to the tattooer who busted his ass to draw and excite the tattoo. Do your research find reference, but make every piece one of a kind.

[William Coty Siegert]

I have mixed feelings on this as well. Many tattoos are flash and meant to be copied over and over. Further, most people see a style they like and say "I want that!" Plus, with the internet we can get a lot more references and covet those unique works of art. However, if I went to the trouble of getting a unique work of art from a specific tattoo artist I would not want it copied. My last tattoo was based on several pictures which I asked my artist to combine and do in her style. She did a great job.

[astraelly]

Flash is one thing, but I've seen people justify copying custom tattoos by saying something along the lines of, "The artist should be flattered that I think their design is amazing enough to copy. It speaks to me exactly the way it is." There's no reasoning with that sort of person.

[irezumi]

If you don't post the secret sauce then nobody can steal it.

[irezumi]

I've always found this to be a very interesting viewpoint on biting. Steven Powers has been out of the graff scene for a while (so have I) but still inspires the new generations. This was originally printed in an old magazine called On The Go, and later reprinted in one of his own books 'The Art of Getting Over'. A side by side comparison doesn't exactly line up 100%, but in idea it's not real far off in some ways.

- - - Updated - - -

I have to to type this whole thing and I am a pointing finger Plunker so you damn well better appreciate it. Filip Leu said this in his TAM interview;

TAM comments on his style growing, and his reply is

my view of my own progression is that my work keeps changing not because I think that what I'm doing is not good but in order to maintain an interest. You have to evolve a bit and try things differently; otherwise it gets boring right? So if people are copying something you're doing now by next year you should be doing something else already anyway, hopefully.

I also think about it another way. Let's say I am working on a water style and I'm trying to crack something and I'm having a hard time with it, but a bunch of other guys pick up the same kind of water and they crack it and they figure out how to put it on the arm all perfectly. When I see it, the first thing I do is rip them off and use what they figured out because I didn't manage to do it on my own.

TAM - yes, but you're not going to take their tattoo or their style and redo it, you'll apply it what you see to your own work, that's different.

Leu - I know, but I'm as guilty as anyone of having gone through a period of redrawing everything I like that I saw any photo. I drew it to learn it and I tattooed a couple of them. It wasn't any fun for me though; the fun part is learning how to do it and making your own design.

Later in the interview he also makes this comment in a different question

Leu - I guess I've never worried about it because it's been more important to me to produce and put out than to watch what other people are doing. If I see it copied and picked up, I think I'm on the right track and that's all I need to know about it. I go back to producing and putting out. That's the thing to concentrate on. It's funny that the question comes up so often. Do I think that people should copy other peoples tattoos? I think it's lame, but it's not a problem for me if people copy my work, I will keep working