Hey Crew!

Welcome back! It is strange to be here on a Tuesday, but there is no rest for the wicked! What do you guys think of the new changes that are coming? I’m going to need your help to keep me on target, because your Captain tends to flow like a stream sometimes and forgets where she is going. I’m counting on you guys!

What is Fan-Art?

artwork based on popular works of fiction (such as books, movies, etc.) that is created by fans

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fanart

How does Fan-Art Help with Breaking into the Industry?

When you make fan-art you are paying homage something/someone you like and admire. With that you can share the love with all the other fans and build connections. It can show a great number of people what skills you have. It can help you grow your audience and clients much faster.

What are the Art World’s Thoughts on Fan-Art?

In the art world, fan-art is a double edged sword. On one hand, it is a great way to reach a lot of people quickly. On the other hand, it is a legal nightmare. Like you hear of artists receiving Cease and Desist Orders from large companies telling them to stop selling the fan-art on their copyrighted characters. Take the TinkerBell piece that I did recently, if I chose to sell prints or the original Disney could slap me with fines and other legal action. In turn that can destroy an artist. At the same time, holders of the original copyright love to see the love that their fans show to their creations. Fan-art can bring people from all walks of life together, you just can’t profit from it without consent from the OG creators.

There is that grey area. You’ll see small artists selling their fan-art, thinking that the OG creators are not paying attention. Take for example my TinkerBell piece, if I sold like 100 prints of it and profit like $500, I might seem to be under the radar. But say I make other pieces of TinkerBell and then other pieces of other Disney own characters and think I can profit from them as easily as before. Now I have like 20 different characters and am making bank on prints and other merch. I can bet Disney is already in court suing me for copyright infringement and want all of the profit. I would be destroyed. Morel of the story, even if you think they aren’t watching you, they are and they are just waiting for you to get greedy.

Why should I be Creating Fan-Art?

I want to make something very clear:

I AM NEVER GOING TO PROFIT OFF OF MY FAN-ART!

The only exception to this is if companies/artists/creators ask me to work with them. I also want you to know there are things in the public domain, like Alice in Wonderland, that are fair game.

I want to grow as an artist. I also want to connect with people. So if I show you what I like and able to start a conversation with you and other people who enjoy the same things, why shouldn’t I take that chance? In this world of social media and trending topics, if you want to reach a large audience you got to give the people what they want.

I hope this all makes more sense to you guys. If you still have questions, please ask. I’m excited for next Tuesday! This first Fan-Art is going to be super cute! And you’ll learn of a super obsession of mine. Are you ready? Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for Part 2 of the Tokidoki Zodiacs! Too cute!!!!! Remember to stay safe and to stay sane.

Until next time,

Suzanna 🌙