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Do you think it's wrong to base a drawn character on a BJD mold?

Feb 2, 2011

    1. So I'm a webcomic artist of sorts. I've been working on a story recently and I designed my main character to look like my BJD. Now, granted, I can't draw her to look exactly the same, but I think the influence is noticeable enough. I hope to use my BJD as a sort of mascot (in a similar vain as Danny Choo does).

      But I'd like to know, would you find this to be in poor taste since I didn't actually sculpt the face etc? Many people seem to craft a story and personality for their BJD, which makes sense since we pick their clothes and hair etc, but is it going too far to actually use their likeness in another medium?

      I'm not worried about any legal recourse since art is subjective and I'm not skilled enough to really match her face exactly, but I'm curious what you think.
       
      #1 Averis, Feb 2, 2011
    2. If you're concerned about it, you could always give credit on your website -- explain that your doll is the inspiration for the character and that she was made buy whatever company.
       
      #2 Taco, Feb 2, 2011
    3. I've been a working artist for years and years. Unless your drawing is totally recognizable and obvious and you're using the fame of the original to someone promote your work and taking money away from the original designer... I wouldn't worry about it.

      There are all kinds of people and characters that happen to look like other people and characters. Unless you're making a big deal out of the resemblance (as I said, using it to promote your stuff--or really basing a lot of the looks and style and back story on someone/thing else), there's nothing wrong with it. People are highly visual and we are all influenced on what we've seen before... if we had to make sure to make our drawings so that they wouldn't look like any other characters, we'd be totally out of luck because that's impossible. The sculptors of doll are also relying on what they have seen and are probably thinking of some person or some character or some 'look' they've seen before, and often they are inspired by someone or something--or paying an hommage to someone or something. If we had to cite all our influences all the time, it would be just crazy.

      That said, if you wish to mention someone or something that inspired you, go ahead. On the other hand--that could be seen as using someone else's fame or creation to help promote your own stuff. Like--hey folks, look at this stuff that really doesn't have anything to do with "FAMOUS NAME", but "FAMOUS NAME" fans, maybe you'll find my stuff through key words like "FAMOUS NAME." Nothing illegal with that... but kinda weird, to me anyway... :nowords:
       
      #3 april, Feb 2, 2011
    4. Drawn? Certainly not. Traced or photoshopped or otherwise copied wholesale? Oh heck yes. But original drawings? No more unethical than an artist and any other model, from a nude to a vase.
       
      #4 Victoria Victrix, Feb 2, 2011
    5. If you're basing your character's design off your doll by using your doll as reference, go right ahead. If you're worried about the Mijn Schate (sp?) thing, the difference there was she was directly tracing BJD, not using them as a reference.

      If you're still uncomfortable, you can have an information section in your comic where you can mention it, but I personally wouldn't bother, for the reasons that april mentioned.
       
      #5 Chibihaku, Feb 2, 2011
    6. Thanks for the votes of confidence all.

      I think my fears where mostly from what Chibihaku said about Mijn. I remembered the hate and trouble she got into and didn't want to be accused of the same thing.

      My BJDs will not be hidden as I plan to post photos of them on my site etc, but it's not as a means to use them to gain hits or anything. They will sorta represent my characters in a physical form, like mascots. If that makes any sense.

      Just to give an idea here is one image based on my DoD E-an.
      [​IMG]

      Thanks for your replies. :D
       
      #6 Averis, Feb 2, 2011
    7. Looking at the drawing (which is beautiful!) and looking at your doll, I can see the similarities, but before I looked up your doll, I wouldn't even have made the sculpt connection between the drawing and your doll. I don't think I could have even accurately guessed the company, let alone have said "this is plagiarism." The drawing and character is enough your own that the source hardly matters. Besides, you picked out the wig and the eye color for your girl. You set her up the way you wanted her to be. When drawn, no matter how accurate, she is still your own.

      Good luck with your webcomic! :D
       
      #7 yourlegsgrow, Feb 2, 2011
    8. Nice drawing -- I see no issues. The thing with Mijn is that she traced over other people's photos without permission, claimed that she came up with everything herself, and made quite a profit off them. That's a very different situation from your own.
       
      #8 Taco, Feb 2, 2011
    9. Thanks again for your input. I certainly feel more confident moving forward with the project now. :)
       
      #9 Averis, Feb 2, 2011
    10. This is interesting, she looks like a Soony to me, but Soony and E-an look very similar to me.

      Actually my friend who's on these broads has a character that she drew (many years prior to getting into BJD's and she looks a lot like an E-An and Soony, but absoulty nothing at all like your chacarter.

      Art is all about perception and like others have said unless your directly tracing someone else's photographs (Ala mijn) your really not doing anything wrong. Were all taught to uses references in basic art so this is just that a refernce. :)
       
      #10 RottenLullaby, Feb 2, 2011
    11. Oh wow, Averis! Such pretty art!

      I don't think you'll have any problem at all with what you're drawing - it looks like you've drawn your character, and that you also have a doll representation of the character, not that you've drawn your doll (If you understand what I mean. It made sense in my head. >_>) I don't think you'll have any problems at all.

      PM me a link to your webcomic when you've started it, I'd love to read it! ^_^
       
      #11 Chibihaku, Feb 3, 2011
    12. She looks wonderful! And no problem with the inspiration, you haven't "copied" anything but what's in your head--which might be why you liked the E-an to start with. :)

      This guy was originally a Nanuri 07, btw :
      [​IMG]

      Good luck with your comic!
       
      #12 fishcake, Feb 9, 2011
    13. Nanuri '07 on an SID body! Only in 3-D Modelling World is this possible. :aheartbea
       
      #13 JennyNemesis, Feb 9, 2011
    14. If you customized your doll, there's no way this could be a problem. However, if it were a fullset, and you were basing off the fullset designed by the company... there might be some griping there (I dunno if it's illegal though).
       
      #14 E.Hadrian, Feb 9, 2011