Advice requested! Tracing in Deviant Art contest!

[thatgoatdude.livejournal.com]

So. I entered a contest on a deviantart.com which was based around the Fullmetal Alchemist character, Hohenheim. The first place contest winner was determined, but it was a three way tie between second and third place. I was one of the three.

Here are the two entries I was competing with:

1. Entry 1
2. Entry 2

Anyway, I soon got a post on facebook from the admin of the group who was hosting the contest. She said that someone evidently reported that one of the contestants had cheated by tracing the image! That person was disqualified without any doubts or hesitation.

Me and some friends were goofing off when I told them that one of the entries had traced artwork. So, jokingly, I started to examine entry 2 for any tracing as well. It turns out... It was also influence to copying. I had used an image in my artwork for reference for how the character looked, and I thought it looked suspiciously like the reference used in my image. Well it turns out, entry 2 had traced the very reference I used. 

My Reference
Entry 2

Here's a direct comparison I made:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7499135362_4f39af2dc9_b.jpg

Anyway! I decided to report this... I was already confirmed third place, which was basically a single prize artist so I was happy since third and second place were the same prize and first place had already been determined. I was happy with being third! But I wasn't happy that this artist was cheating someone else out of a prize which otherwise could be given to someone who had a completely original work.

So. I did. And this was the conversation I had between the admin in charge, (I also included the original facebook post that told me there was cheating going on in the first place.)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/7504269712_4ec070aec5_k.jpg

The admin ultimately decided to ask the entry artist if he traced...to which he replied that he only used it as reference... Tell me--if someone was going to ask a cheater if they cheated--what would he say if a prize and his reputation was on the line? 

Anyway... I'm not sure what to do... I'm just confused and feeling strange about the entire thing... Any advice would be helpful. Thank you!

Comments

[iinkwell.livejournal.com]

Oh lord where to begin on this.
Firstly, yes it is wrong, yes it is obvious (though the same case could be made for the first one because it's blatantly copying the shows style which I find suspect to begin with). Should they be punished/worked with on this? Absolutely.

ON THE OTHER HAND. For YOU to talk down to an admin like that, and be so aggressive with it, instead of just quietly providing proof and saying 'here guys I noticed this'. There was no reason to act high and mighty, try and intimidate them into disqualifying the artist outright, and trying to backseat moderate. All you needed to do was point it out.

[conigliomannaro.livejournal.com]

This. Your attitude was waaay out of line, and even though what you had to say was technically correct, you did come off like you were throwing a tantrum and trying to shove away competition. I suggest trying to keep your cool a little more, from now on.

Reply

[thatgoatdude.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the advice! Though I'm not sure how I could incorporate it now. I'll keep it in mind for later. No harshness intended. I wasn't sure what to do, so I was being pretty brash. ^^;

[genkigami.livejournal.com]

This. The admin was way more professional about this than yu, OP. You were throwing a completely inappropriate fit. It may be spiteful of me, but if I were in the admin's shoes I would've disqualified both the tracer and you for being disrespectful and throwing threats.

Next time

[thatgoatdude.livejournal.com]

Next time I shall! I was getting pretty upset...and it was wrong. I just couldn't understand why the admin wasn't acknowledging it was a traced piece of artwork. Of course, it was still wrong of me to act that way! And I shall refrain from doing so a second time in case something like this happens. I already said sorry for my actions. ^^ THANK YOU for taking the time to read it and give me feedback! :D It means a lot!

[grandioze.livejournal.com]

Wow that's some... really blatant tracing. @.@ The difference in quality between Hohenheim and the kid is laughably obvious. They couldn't even keep the lines the same width, oh man.

I don't think that there's much you can do about it, though. I mean, DA doesn't give a crap about tracing, so reporting it to DA won't do anything. BUT looking at this from an admin's point of view, it is a little odd that BOTH of the people who placed the same as you have been disqualified due to tracing. Maybe the admin thinks that you're just trying to snag a higher place (or both places) for yourself? Or maybe the artist who traced is a friend of the admin? Either way, there really isn't anything that you can do about it if the admin isn't listening to you.

[thatgoatdude.livejournal.com]

I was already guaranteed the second place after the first person was disqualified for tracing. So I wasn't going to get any higher since first place had been announced already and had been completely original artwork. I was annoyed that third place cheating someone else out of a prize. Of course... It didn't work out in the end. I actually am planning on donating my prize to another artist anyway.

Thank you for all your feedback! ^^ I really appreciate it.

[grandioze.livejournal.com]

Oh wait, it looks like it might have solved itself:
http://fmabrotherhood.deviantart.com/journal/Hohenheim-Contest-Winners-312947108

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

The family one looks more than just tracing when it comes to Dad's head =T...The inking is horribly inconsistent also which would raise alarm bells.

I don't really agree though with how you spoke/wrote to the admin.

Of course

[thatgoatdude.livejournal.com]

I don't agree either. The heat of the moment can stir me to so some really harsh things. I said sorry a little while back. I know it was wrong.

[linksage.livejournal.com]

To me it seems totally obvious. The quality of the father's head in comparison to the other characters is a dead give a away. :/