Novawuff

[yuiopasd.livejournal.com]

WHO: Novawuff

WHERE: http://novawuff.deviantart.com

WHAT: Tracing/paintover/"heavy referencing", photos improperly used/not mentioned or lack of credit given

WHEN: Varies; throughout gallery over the years

EXPLAIN: Firstly, yes this is an alt account, I asked a mod. Secondly, most of the screenshots and overlays were found by others, as well as accounts of what happened in the past, and where able permission was given to be posted here. Thirdly, I'm posting here rather than art_theft because a few images involved were commissions or trades, and there are some prints being sold.

Recently I was browsing Nova's gallery and came across this image, "Stripey Sepia": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3cd4sx In the comments there was talk about what the references for the image were, where Nova originally linked to two, then a third one that matched the image exactly was found. At the bottom of the page the original photographer came in and said she was in violation of the image license: http://comments.deviantart.com/1/202166673/1932032583 then (I assume) the description was changed and credit given.

This made me curious, and I picked another image, this chameleon "Gramici": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d3565di There is no mention of any photo reference in the description, but not long later I found this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkobold/2737503891/in/photostream/ which is CC licensed, but requires attribution, Share Alike, and Noncommercial use (Nova's is being sold as a print).

I then found another image, so PMed a few of the people who made comments on other submissions. Not all are around anymore but I got in reply a bunch of screenshots, overlays, and so forth that I'll link in the proof section. There were a few notes with some info, like which originally had sources or not, but I'm not reposting since I can't contact the people involved. Some are edited for easier reading.

I would like to point out that this isn't about artists needing to cite every single reference used. The images here are often copies at least, and not sourced from many areas. Some images may be old and 'in the past' but it still seems relevant for people to know.

PROOF: Putting this last because there's a lot of links.

Some deviations now have credit, but are posted for other reasons. Warning, the overlays are gifs, at full size where possible to see detail, so pretty large.


Artwork, "Gramici": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d3565di
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkobold/2737503891/in/photostream/
Overlay: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/cham.gif

Artwork, "Star Eyes": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=72#/d2h8i64 (did not originally have credit/link)
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abennett96/2791265518/ (license requires to Share Alike)
Overlay 1: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/lioness_body.gif
Overlay 2: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/lioness_face.gif

Artwork, "Stripey Sepia": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3cd4sx
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53936799@N05/5531959391/in/photostream/
Overlay: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/tiger.gif
Relevant comments about forgetting the reference image, in order: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/440/tigerscreenshot.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/stripeysepiabynovawuff1.png/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/88/stripeysepiabynovawuff1.png/ http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/285/deviantartcommentonstri.png

Artwork, "Hyacinth Macaws": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=96#/djpi87
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samsayer88/4314745272/in/photostream/ (not original)
A bit hesitant to include this one since there's no original source of the photo, and it could well be a stock, so readers can decide

Artwork, "Wuff Calender Detail": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=168#/d14q6na
Photo: http://pourleplaisir72.p.o.pic.centerblog.net/33ix9jpq.jpg (not original)

Artwork, "Werewolf Calender 2009": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=192#/d1nrs2y
Detail shot: http://novawuff.deviantart.com/art/Daddy-s-Girl-Detail-Shot-100597681
WIP: http://novawuff.deviantart.com/art/Werewolf-cal-WIP-the-ARM-95537341
Photo: http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/2558/wolf32big.jpg (Photo belongs to Bryan Sears, I couldn't find it online)
--There was apparently an issue with this one where Bryan Sears had not given permission for his photo to be used as such. There's credit now. Added because the photo itself isn't linked, and because you can overlay pretty much perfectly-there's referencing/grid method, and then there's hairs matching. Decide for yourself?
Overlay: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/were.gif

Artwork, "Supernova": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=48#/d2p8eoh
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sometimesong/4211687172/
--Posting because this is apparently just a reference (not originally cited) yet hairs match up? Screenshots say originally didn't have permission, does now.
Overlay: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/nova_.gif

Artwork, "Fuzzy Glow": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d3akxws
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fwp/445783953/in/set-72157612243671164 (requires attribution, no derivative works)
Overlay: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/snow_leopard.gif (I did the overlay for this one, it didn't require resizing. I really don't see how you can claim to have grid referenced this one)

Artwork, "Don't Tell Me 'Truth Hurts' ": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?catpath=scraps#/d3lewhi
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_roe/4915822681/ (requires attribution)
Overlay: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48739155/artists_beware/owl.gif

Artwork, "Feuer": http://novawuff.deviantart.com/art/Feuer-193934347 (under paintings, not photomanipulations?)
Uncredited dog photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/87776777@N00/2408377825/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/87776777@N00/2316947037/in/set-72157601367913520 (both require attribution and to Share Alike)

Misc, may or may not be relevant:

Responding to people finding image sources by calling them "reference Nazis": http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/8929/deviantartcommentonfoot.jpg
As seen here, still available: http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=48#/d2t3kf3
Claiming to always ask permission for photos, which was proven otherwise at the time: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/511/heathermeusernovawufffo.png/
I think this was meant to show permission could not have been originally asked since Nova joined Flickr after images were finished and posted: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/810/flickrnovawuff127938134.jpg/
Screenshot of Nova saying she grid references: http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/9146/sprofile1279537427577gr.jpg

I was also sent two deleted deviations that overlay, some messages from photographers saying permission was not given, and a few large comment strings discussing the issues, but I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to post them because the deviations are deleted or now things are sorted so left them out.

Edit: Made this public, didn't realise it wasn't. Adding a few more screenshots.

Two (edited) notes claiming to have found other sources (I do not have the sources):
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/42/note1l.jpg/ and http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2283/note2l.jpg
In the second note, the first link they are looking for was http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=168#/d16gpxt and the lion cub the second refers to is this one: http://novawuff.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=48#/d2s7b4g and the leg is apparently this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/566105541/

A deleted deviation and original photo:
Artwork: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/831/sgallery1279642212950.jpg/
Photo: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/443/jasmineflickrphotosharilp.jpg/

Edit 2: Another contacted photographer: http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5146/flickrmessage1320807425.jpg
Who was referring to this: http://novawuff.deviantart.com/art/Complimentary-Colors-169807647
Which originally linked to a photo on her site (still in description), but actual photo is here (note licenses): http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2151755552/

And a comment thread from when this all started, with a deviation that was deleted (I still have the art/photo). I'm still hesitant here since the commissioner could have been scamming, but they specifically mention she said the photo was CC until proven otherwise. I've cut out non-relevant/repeated things.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/193/11111gg.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/171/22222cw.jpg/


Update: Got messaged, the original photographer/owner of the image used for "Stripey Sepia" replied to a message sent in November, and says that permission for said image was never given and his request for removal was ignored.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/545/fli.png/

This goes against what Nova claimed in a comment thread below (That they were okay with it, and didn't ignore him):

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/192/33143969.png/

And said the same on DA: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/stripeysepiabynovawuff1d.png/