Urasora Traced
- Author: Artefact
- Categories: H, Manga, News
- Date: Sep 2, 2009 09:52 JST
- Tags: 2ch, Aoi Nishimata, Artists, Comparison, Illustration, Image Gallery, Photoshop, Tony Taka
Illustrator Urasora has been the subject of an investigation by 2ch, which found him guilty of egregious tracing. Rather than face 2ch’s wrath, he opted to retire from the business…
The images which led to the fiasco:
He regretfully explains his actions (in typically overblown Japanese style):
Maybe you know, but the things I have done have become an issue in a number of places. I searched for images online and traced what I found when drawing small objects in my pictures. I realise now this was a gross violation of copyright. I even made excuses. In truth, this was all utterly inexcusable.
I have been harshly criticised, and I solemnly accept the criticisms made. Henceforth, I will take the liberty of refraining from further work. I am afraid I will have to refuse any offers of commercial work, though I will have to finish such work as is outstanding. After that, I will take an indefinite break. I beg your forgiveness for all the trouble I caused.
I am deeply, deeply, repentant.
Urasora
In case you were scratching your head, nobody on 2ch has heard of him either (save the ones who obsessively dissected his illustrations in order to have something to hound him with).
He has done illustration work for a number of low profile light novels, eroge and similar, so it is fair to call him a low level illustrator.
He also reports closing his Pixiv account, although since Pixiv is already full of (often very beautifully) traced photographs, to say nothing of huge numbers of copyrighted characters used in an unauthorised fashion, it is unlikely anyone there cares.
The strong reaction both from the artist and the more aggressive elements of 2ch has sparked much debate, with nobody able to agree on the level of “tracing” or “reference” allowable.
Many consider the reaction of both Urasora and 2ch to be overblown, pointing out that using photographs, with or without explicit permission, is part of the industry and of the process of learning how to illustrate, and that expecting artists to use live subjects or bought photographs would drastically increase the costs involved and be quite unworkable.
It is also easy to see why some might find fault with the notion that making a drawing of a photograph constitutes copyright infringement, though clearly the ethical implications of tracing another drawn work are rather more hazy.
Whatever Urasora’s reaction, it is clear there are some much more prominent artists who will not be retiring over something like this any time soon…
Aoi Nishimata seems to have traced a sweet little bird in this illustration, which shifted tonnes of overpriced rice to otaku desperate to put it in their rooms. Certainly easier than hunting one down in the field.
Even Tony is evidently not above tracing – though possibly he should do this more often, considering how well he draws feet…
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thats a shame.. his art was pretty good.. hope he at least maintains his pixiv =\
Not his art.
No seriously, even the best artists use photoreference off the internet. Or their desks. Or from pictures taken of random things they find on a walk through a park. That he took from various sources and arranged them into his compositions sounds like just about everything they teach students to do in art classes. College-level even.
The only difference is that in art class the source material is brought into class for the students to copy and alter, while he got his off the internet because actually going out to get all that stuff costs time and money that not everybody has--especially if you're not being funded by wealthy backers like major studios are.
This guy basically combined stuff they teach you in graphic arts (except tracing over the source material instead of copy-pasting source material whole hog--or collaging it) with his own linework and CG'ing. These are all photographs that he used as sources, not artwork in and of themselves. Frankly, artists around the world, and in all industries, are expected to use photoreferences.
Hell, Urasora's pics have more of his own personal artwork mixed in with the tracing and photoshop than anything Andy Warhol's ever done. Said celebrity figure got paid millions for his art-that-wasn't-his-own and he didn't even make any of it himself! He got his assistants to do everything. The entire art world knew this and ate it up anyway--to Warhol's amusement. Urasora is practically a gentleman in comparison.
The only way this could be at all iffy is if said photos were copyrighted--and there's plenty of free stock photos for artists to use online. Heck, you can Google'em.
Frankly, I think 2ch ought to worry less about tracing among their own and more about tracing and copyright infringement in the world's art culture at large. This? This is like complaining about a lawyer being unprofessional because he's trying to weasel his way around the law for his client. It might not be pretty, but it's part of the job.
i agree with you, there are definitely worse cases out there, but what pisses me off in his works is that he completely traced things, you might not believe it but i'm an artist myself and i use references every time i can, but they are just that, references, they are supposed to be guide lines for your work, while his works looks like collages with some filters on
he shouldn't quit for that though
Actually... the problem here is that it is tracing in particular, not photo referencing.
'Photo referencing' implies that he adapted trhe drawing entirely into his own style, creating the lineart entirely himself, rather than doing something a five-year old can.
It's never a problem if he goes out and takes the photo himself... or specifically searches out stock photos. Those are there specifically FOR this.
The reason there are 'stock' photo sources on places like DeviantArt is because photography is, in itself, considered art. This means that what you see here is just as bad as, let say, tracing from a manga.
This wouldn't be a problem, were he not getting PAID to do this. He's making money from drawings which can be considered partly somone else's.
I'm of the opinion that he should continue working like he does... but use only stock photos for what he's paid for. That would completely negate the issues.
every anime fan is a so called "artist"
I like these illustrations.
Everything might as well be derivative of something.
That's a shame.
You know, I have over TB of graphic reference in a form of photos and mag scans that I use for illustration reference. You know, it's actually impossible to make a complex illustration without any reference at all.
Though I take my reference photos myself, sometimes I just take ones from the internets - for example, how do I know how to draw an Effel Tower without reference if I'm not living in Paris?
Such an overreaction is stupid.
Well he's more original than Andy Warhol by orders of magnitude. I don't see what the big deal is.
So true...I know lots of so-called artists nowadays who do this. Even Disney does it. So get over it. Art is always a copy of somekind of reality, that's why people do sketching of live models and such at ART SCHOOL. Are people at 2chan just plain stupid or something?
^Logic phail. Don't you dare compare Teh Great Warhol with that plagiarist.
Don't buy into the art establishment's cultural marketing, Warhol was a massive troll. With a lot of assistants.
This guy's just doing what they tell you to do in art school--using source references. In some cases poorly but in some cases well. At worst, he's not doing anything your everyday graphic arts student wouldn't do given his resources.
Warhol was a massive troll. With a lot of assistants.
I don't know this illustrator and honestly don't give a fuck.
I however, want to say this: Warhol is a piece of shit. The great Warhol? That man is a pile of shit.
I agree... Warhol had some interesting ideas, but the prints themselves can hardly be considered his artwork.
His ideas... but not his artwork.
Warhol might be an "idea guy" but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a great artist.
On the same note, George Lucas is definitely a successful "idea guy" but don't let him direct. Or write.
i dont like you
He can at least draw people, I think that's the only real thing you need to know how to draw anyways.
In the manga industry, a lot of objects and backgrounds are traced or draw from observing pictures of real locations. So there's nothing wrong with tracing there.
The only implication I can find troubling is when a designer traces objects, since he or she is supposed to be using their own skill and imagination for that, not to mention the fact that in their field that's not about designing practical or functional designs in real life (which could permit that, aside from patents and copyright), there aren't that much background or objects to design anyways. The illustrator here wasn't designing anything anyways, so I don't see it as a problem at all.
The problem is not the tracing, it's that the tracings are of someone else's photographs. There are 'stock' photo sources around for a reason.
This is bullshit. Who cares if he traced a baby doll and pictures of real life? What a waste of time and effort.
Collage and juxtaposition. Remix art. Derivative, but still as much art as a mishmash video of news clips.
2ch sure can outrank interpol investigators....
You sure those two entities are mutually exclusive?
Who knows...
Agreed!
How the heck they manage to find out all those "reference material"
Leet skill...
+1
+2
wasted effort... the best investigators out there, wasting time solving copyright infringement...
interpol should hire these guys
don't really see what the big deal is. especially if he's "low level". Let him trace things he finds on the internet, if he ever gets any good, he'll start coming up with things on his own. until then, he does decent work for other people, and we all get things to look at
The problem is the instances where he was getting paid for it and he is tracing. It would be more acceptable if he was eyeballing it or if he was tracing for practice OR if he was taking his OWN reference shots and tracing those. But he ripped these from the internet AND traced them.
He isn't getting paid to trace pictures from the internet.
I understand, being an artist myself, you need reference for everything. And I get upset when Sankaku has articles attacking artists for using famous locals for their reference backgrounds. This is completely different though.
what makes them think he traced it ? Maybe he is just good at drawing and doing it by eye. I'm like this.
Everyone uses reference shots, Marvel even pulled a alternate cover from x-men becouse it looked too much like that of a female magazine.
Reminds me of the anonymous from 4chan managing to hunt down and get some guy arrested who wanted to shoot people at a school just from one photograph.
It's impressive, really, what the people of the internet are capable of if they work together like that :V
so....what's so bad about copyright infringement in the first place anyways?
That's one good artist, put out to shame because of 2ch.
Though, they have a point that the Artist is really doing a crime here.
Nevertheless, one good artist, gone.
No, no it's not a crime to reference something. If you could only draw what was in front of you, think of how much limited the work would be!
The only solution is to open up a 3D program and do your own reference with 3D models you've purchased the rights to use ...
Tracing exactly = cheating.
Being able to draw/paint something picture perfect by just looking at it = true art.
Theres a big difference.
Not that anyone can tell the difference...
What about KyoAni?
KyoAni... That Haruhi-On! Case??
Yes. Yes, there is.
Although, we're talking about a public view here. It's rather, a majority's vote on whether the suspect is guilty or not.
Trace on!
^heh... XD
And that's the problem, even if you draw it with 100% accuracy, no one would believe you and still accuse you of being plagiarist
The hell?
I don't know whether or not to be surprised at the fact 2chan made such a big deal of a person tracing or the that they got all the original sources for the items in the images...
Because it's the same guy, stirring up shit for free publicity.
The degree of success in locating matching images is indeed "interesting."
2ch needs to stfu up and croak already under the hands of their Singaporean masters.
2ch is full of assholes. Heh, the internet at it's finest. =P
Blame 4chan :P
Blame Japan.
I blame you....
Blame me... no, wait...
ZOMG .... Chrouya just traced Icy-nee-san's and turned him/her pink!
Icy-nee-san Are You Gonna Stand For This Imposter?!
^Heh I've always wanted to see these 2 avatars right next to each other lolz
Oh and about the article, it's unavoidable, I mean you need to learn how to draw certain things somewhere. It's better than using another person's drawing as reference to learn.