CharactersByChaos

In an effort to grow my social media following, I am temporarily reducing my social media footprint.

What does this mean?

I am NOT deleting my accounts!!

I will stop posting art and updates here for the time being.

Please follow me on Twitter (SketchesByChaos), if you have not already, for future art and updates!

My account is still here, but please do not message me.

Use Twitter or Discord for the fastest response.

I may comment on friends' artworks here, or add favorites, but that's about it.

In conclusion: LEAVING but NOT DELETING

I'll be back...

Friendly reminder that you own FULL RIGHTS to YOUR ARTWORK and images, and no one else has permission to use it without your consent.

Giving someone else permission to use your artwork in a commercial or public space should be compensated with pay under a licensing agreement. NEVER a single, one-time-only fee.*

So that chat DM asking if some rando can use your "image" for a flashy client that they won't tell you more about, but will pay well, AND give you credit for, while they recreate your artwork themselves? Obvious scam. Report and block.

If an alleged client likes your artwork so much, ask them to contact you directly... so you can work out a licensing agreement without the middle man (and potentially make more money for yourself). That way, if your art no longer fits the client's needs, they can return it to you, the artist, no hard feelings. Alternately, if they REALLY like your artwork, now you can ask for more money to display it for longer.

If someone is reaching out to you, because "I want to use your image for a project," that screams that they either don't know what the heck they're doing OR are an actual art thief and will make money off of your intellectual property. Just do not fall prey to these scams.

*With some exception I will not be going into here.

Hi y'all, if you're receiving random chat requests with the other person asking you if they can use your artwork for inspiration for some big project, promising to credit and pay you...

DON'T DO IT.

[Caption: [redacted user] Hi how are you doing today? I'm thinking of using one of your picture as inspiration muse for art working I'll be working on. You'll be getting paid and credited

Me: What picture?*

*Because I have a couple hundred pictures displayed on this account.]

If the bad grammar and syntax of "inspiration muse for art working I'll be working on" didn't tip you off already, this is an OBVIOUS SCAM!

This is further backed up by an almost identical request I got earlier this month!

[Caption: August 7, 2023.

Suspended/Deactivated user camzdob: Hey, ❤️ I would like to use your gallery picture to make such an amazing mural out of it! If you don't mind one of your pictures could be my inspiring muse for an art project i'm working on for a client. You will totally get paid for it as well as a bonus also get credits

Me: No. Do not use my artwork. If your client likes my artwork, please have them reach out to me directly.]

The Hook

Let's look at the similarities between these messages to figure out what the scammer might be after:

• Wants to use one of my "images" as "inspiration muse" for art

• I will be paid for use of my image

• "As a BONUS" I will also get credit for use of my image

On the surface this might seem exciting to someone without experience. Someone likes your artwork enough to pay you to use it, AND they're going to put your name on it for credit! What more could a young artist want for recognition?!

Don't be fooled by the pretty words. Look at what information they're presenting you, or not sharing with you.

If someone is "inspired" by your artwork, they should just make their art; it's derivative, not an exact copy of your art (and if it is an exact copy, they're delusional and don't know the meaning of the word). Also, calling artwork "images" is really sus. Note that they say I will be paid for the use of my "image," but don't tell me how much I'll potentially get paid or what that use will be. This is either a money laundering scam or there is no money to be made or promised. It could also be an underhanded NFT or AI data set scheme. Credit should always be given to an artist when their art is reposted, shared, referenced, or copied, otherwise it's plagiarism and theft.

The Red Flags

Before considering any random requests for rights to use your artwork, ask yourself (and the person asking for the rights) these questions:

1. Where will my artwork be displayed?

2. What will my artwork be used for?

3. How will my artwork be displayed?

4. How long does the requester need to use my artwork to meet their goal or milestone?

5. Do they have a budget? What are they prepared to pay for the rights to use my image?

6. What rights do they want to my image?

7. Who is their client? What company do they represent?

Any legitimate offer will be able to answer all of these. Five is the only one that might trip up even a legitimate offer, as there's always a budget, they just might not be able to disclose it to you.

For six, most large companies will request all rights in any medium or media ever made and yet to be invented. DO NOT GIVE UP THOSE RIGHTS.

For seven, try to get the name of a business or individual business owner that you can look up and verify on your own. Do not be satisfied with the name of a big, faceless corporation like D!sney, for example. From experience, I know that as soon as you learn the name of someone that works there, they suddenly don't exist and don't work there anymore. Furthermore, verify if the name they gave you is not just a name of someone that works at that company, but someone who actually works in a position where they could hire you.

I once had a scammer claiming to be a "John Smith" While it turned out that this was indeed the name of someone who worked at the company, they were the vice president of a branch of the business that had absolutely nothing to do with hiring or job requisitions. Generally, the VP of a large company will not reach out or handle the screening of potential freelancers or future employees. The exception being if it's a very small business or the VP will have direct contact with the position.

Regarding the aforementioned scamming situation with the VP, I reached out to the customer service support line, and they were able to verify that this particular person did not have the power to hire me. They also verified that unless the email came from an address that matches the URL of the official website or customer support and inquiries email address, it is most likely a scam email. The customer support representative also verified that any legit offer from them (and other businesses) would be conducted in-person, via phone call, or video call (such as Zoom), and email.

Know Your Rights to Keep Your Rights

DO NOT give approval of ANY KIND to these types of requests. The last thing you want is to lose the rights to your artwork, original character design, a prop concept, or something else that's incredibly personal and important to you. Or worse, you say yes, because the scammer is interested in a piece you feel is a throwaway; it doesn't matter. You're going to have no claim to the artwork, idea, or profits if it becomes something hugely popular if you give up your rights to the artwork. Nothing is certain, so hold onto your rights.

If the offer is indeed legitimate, and all the other answers to the questions above satisfy you, only give up the rights for what the client needs now. So if they want to use your artwork on paper plates, only give them the rights to print your artwork on paper plates and sell said printed paper plates while you earn a royalty for each one made or sold. If they want to put the artwork on coordinating napkins, they need another contract.

Only provide the rights for a finite period of time. Afterwards, the contract can be renewed or renegotiated. Continuing with the paper plates example, say your artwork features mermaids. Mermaids are insanely popular right now during summer. But in six months when it's the dead of winter? Not so much. When summer rolls back around, maybe mermaids aren't popular anymore, so the company sees a dip in sales of the paper plates with your artwork on them. They might decide not to sell them anymore. If you do not have an expiration date for their rights to use your artwork, then there is no opportunity to come back and renegotiate your contract if your plate sales do incredibly well (and you can ask for more money), or if they don't do so well and the company wants to pull them from production.

TL;DR

If you're being contacted via DeviantArt chat for licensing of your artwork, it's probably a scam.

Unless the person messaging you has a legitimate, verifiable business offer, refuse to give away any rights or permissions for use of your artwork or "images."

In general, you will be given a phone call or emailed with legitimate offers from verifiable business email addresses (i.e. the @[url] matches whatever the official website is).

TW for Pedophilia, Grooming, Sexual Situations involving a Minor, and Scam Alert!!

Please block users under the following handles:

Melle

Instagram:

• konakoaart

• wishfulowl

• matcharaiin

• matcha.raiin

• wintercrowtarot

• sunnymoondream

Deviant Art:

• CalliaDH

• StariZen

• Starimo

• Crystal-Zen

• KonaKoa

Twitter:

• KonaKoaArt

• radiojackstar

Mimi

Instagram:

• HattiBroski

• windcharmer13

Deviant Art:

• Windcharmer-13

• MimiSkitty

• sassyvanny

• Nepitty

• Mimi-Sprinkles

• Gwizdo

• EvilSugar

• ScarletCutie

• Mimi--Skitty

• MimiXP

Twitter:

• KittenSlug

• thathattithing (currently active)

• SpectraNym

Both are well-known scammers who cite their mental health to make excuses.

Melle has been accused of the following:

• Art theft

• OC stealing

• Racism

• Transphobia

• Fat phobia

• Catfishing as a native Hawaiian to get sympathy commissions

• White washing characters

She has made a career of hopping from fandom to fandom when people catch on to her scams.

Mimi has done the following (CW/TW for pedophilia, sexual situations involving a minor):

• Drawn NSFW sexual content of her underage OCs with canon, underage characters (no attempt was made to age up the characters)

• Despite pushing 40, she claims to be 15-year-old "Hatti"

• Uses the alias of Hatti to flirt and RP with minors

• Shared sexual content of her OC and a canon minor

• When called out for sharing this content, she blamed her autism and said she was just acting "in character."

Please block them all, if you have not already!!

MosciskiHolden is selling stolen artwork from MULTIPLE ARTISTS on RedBubble. PLEASE REPORT YOUR OWN WORK and pass this on to other artists who have not yet been notified.

Stolen artists include:

• EthemyArt (notified)

• Blookarot (notified)

• SugarGun (notified)

• BananaSpice & WeirdWyvern (notified)

• moca.illustrations (IG) (notified)

• Some official-looking renders that are definitely not licensed.

Here's a help article from RedBubble on how to get stolen content taken down or just report a concern.

PLEASE SHARE THIS JOURNAL ENTRY WITH YOUR WATCHERS TO HELP FIND THE OTHER ARTISTS!!

UPDATE!!

StrosinAnnabel is another account selling stolen designs. Most of them are from Heylin Restart (WeirdWyvern & BananaSpice).

KreigerDameon is another account selling stolen designs from the same artists listed above.