Live and Learn

I've had a little self-imposed absence from my blog for the past couple of days that was partly due to the fact that I was away and partly due to the fact that I felt weird.

And a little stupid.

I have recently discovered that some of the textures I've been using have varying stipulations on them regarding their use and I'd like to warn you about some of them. I've directed so many people over to Deviantart and while some of the textures are available to share, others have stringent guidelines attached to them, of which I was blissfully and ignorantly unaware. It makes me feel pretty stupid but I'm going to look at it in a different light. I'm actually grateful to the rather snide couple of comments that a deviant member left on two of my posts recently. But it could have been worse. I could have had someone try to sue me for copyright infringement.

It makes me wonder sometimes at the amount of people who read this blog and how someone so disassociated with it would actually see a texture I used that they had created.

I immediately complied to this person's rules because it was the right thing to do. And then I went and tried to find as many as I could that I had downloaded so that I could read their individual rules.

When I discovered textures, I also discovered a tutorial that described the basics of how to use them. It had a direct link to Deviantart, a website that it has about a million textures available for download. But if you check further on down each deviant screen, you'll see that their download rules come with certain stipulations which range from "these are completely free. If you like, you can link back to this page" and the more complicated "you have permission to use this image in your DA digital art and prints as long as it is altered in some way (such as using it as a drawing reference, digital art collage, backgrounds, texture etc.)" to "use of this image requires consent from owner and cannot be posted off [Deviant]-site".

I'm pretty much of a rule follower. I really don't enjoy being dishonest and it goes against my nature to break the law. Unless it's for a very, very good reason.

I'm being more careful now and just wanted this to be a lesson to others. Although sites may offer downloads of textures and brushes for you to use, please be advised that each choice is by a different artist. And each artist has their own set of rules. I have rules for my site that stipulate that none of my photographs can be used by other people without my consent. They are copyrighted by me. I've seen them on other people's blogs, but only in a promotions purpose, e.g. pimping one of my contests. And that's ok with me.

I'm just sharing what I'm learning.

Peace,

 

Time Machine: A Year Ago Today.

 

The texture on the barn in the photo above was one of two free samples I found on Michelle Black's site.