Message from Drawponies

Journal Entry: Mon Apr 20, 2015, 6:23 PM

Hello everyone, Neil Wacaster here, which some of you know as Drawponies. You may have heard the reports that I have traced screenshots from the show in my art and that I have been selling traced artwork at conventions.

While I have done hundreds of original art pieces, it is true that some of my art has been traced from the show - particularly for things that we wanted to get out quickly for viewers, such as comic strips. I have focused on selling original artwork at conventions, but there have been cases where artwork was traced. I sincerely apologize for doing this, and for hurting those who have watched me. I also wish to apologize to those who feel they have been cheated by me. I should have taken the time to create art completely from scratch, instead of taking an easy way out to fill a quota or get something done quickly. From now on, I will be doing original artwork no matter how long it takes.

Let me address the other points that people are making:

Deleting negative comments and banning people for criticism - My volunteer moderator team and I did not delete negative comments made in the last few days. Claims that we did are false.
Adapting to Night as traced work - Adapting to Night is an example of work that is created completely from scratch. Many of the characters, objects, and backgrounds used in the series are referenced from the show, but not traced or copied. As with all of the art on the page, when we use fandom created assets, it is clearly credited in the description.

Despite all this, I will still be going forward, and continue to create artwork for the fandom. None of the artwork that I will have at conventions will have show assets, and any work with traced assets will be discontinued entirely.

I know that many of my followers are angry. It was a foolish mistake, and I should never have traced pictures for my work. All I ask is for your forgiveness; if you do not wish to give any, I understand.

If you have any concerns about this issue, you are welcome to leave your opinions. Your frustration and opinions are heard and read, even if I don’t reply. Please direct your messages at me, rather than my friends, as I’m the one who did it.

I love drawing fanart for the brony community, and that isn’t going to change. I am truly sorry that I let you down, and I hope that you can forgive me.

1,161 Comments

Message from Drawponies by drawponies

Fox-Boy72 Featured By Owner 15 hours ago Student Digital Artist

I think what many people don't understand is that as long as the commissioner(s) or buyer(s) are happy with the final piece, and has paid, there is nothing to further talk about. If before the work is finished and paid for, the commissioner feels that it is not what they specifically asked for, then the commissioner and the commissioned must review and agree what to do next. I am not blaming those who have bought his work are responsible for not specifically asking for fully original work, but they did say they were happy with the final product. They should also expect a full or partial refund...

Perrydotto Featured By Owner 1 day ago Hobbyist General Artist

The issue is simple: You are using traced artwork to make money, entirely under false pretense, and driving other vendors at cons away because they can't compete with your output and merch. That's just downright despicable business practice, and hurts people who actually make their work entirely from scratch, without tracing or editing screenshots.

Stop selling traces, stop posting traces online without clearly labelling them as traces, and stop masking traces as original art.

Fundz64 Featured By Owner 1 day ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

meh, do what you want Neil- it's your life decision, not any of ours and most certainly not any of mine

If you like to trace cartoon horses, that's okay.
If you like to sell them for profit, can't say you're not allowed since a lot more people do it than they would confess about it. It's ironic in a sense since the same people who complain about your tracing gave you monetary support either from commissions or Patreon. If anything, they should complain about themselves for not thinking thoroughly of their decision. then again, most people in this fandom will blindly support anything just for the sake of it being pony-related. Again, nothing wrong with that. It's a decision of their own, but they should be complaining about their poor choices and not doing something to change it rather than follow a sheep heard of five second internet fame.

Art is generally meant to express yourself. Be it creativity, humor or ingeniousness in any other case.
The generic people who did support you and your artworks supported YOU, not your artwork. Fan art isn't worth much in the eyes of the economy market, even if you're doing it for a living.
If you're able to take a drawing and add your own original twist to it, you would have gotten my attention since I like to be inspired by creativity in any part of art. Alas, i'm neither impressed nor unimpressed but that's not what you, or anybody, should aim for when drawing.
You should be drawing because you like it. If others like that you like drawings, great! They are the kind of followers you want to have. Not the 'watchers' who only want you to draw what's trending or that's popular on the mainstream.
It's a shame this fandom is an easy target for melodramatic drama since the target audience is already being questioned for sanity indiscreetly. The fact a blog website called >HorseNews has to highlight all the bad points that occur in the fandom doesn't help the cause either.

Long and short of it: Only you know what path to take for your journey, Neil. Seeing that you have a decent crew to back you up on your projects, im pretty sure you know what consequences lie ahead for any action you make, be it positive or negative.

Beavernator Featured By Owner 2 days ago

All is fair in love and war.

FeanorKelsick Featured By Owner 3 days ago

Just keep doin what you do, move on, and it will be forgotten and forgiven, not a big deal, people like to make drama but those same people dont have great attention spans for it either. Live and learn!

ZzzShadows Featured By Owner 3 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

i don't know why people are getting so angry, you make art that makes me smile and laugh, and everyone makes mistakes, we're only human after all. Seriously, you did it to make deadlines and to get comics out faster, not because you had no talent, and it basically means you did all this for your fans, and i think that wasn't a bad thing to do, so i forgive you

Teyandee05 Featured By Owner 1 day ago

The problem is not the tracing but in selling that traced images on merchandise.

ZzzShadows Featured By Owner 1 day ago Hobbyist General Artist

yeah, someone else told me already, and i get it now

thanks for helping me understand the problem

LegendaryHyuuzo Featured By Owner 3 days ago

In my honest opinion, after read all the other comments and shits about you, I think I can say that you did, was not right.
Well, I don't care much because I don't know you or anything. But I can only recommend you to stop tracing art, and also, be prepared for the weeks of pissed people.
Because they will call you names, they will do they best to destroy you for what you did, they will show other peoples that forgive you how bad you are, and how you should not be forgiven.
I have nothing against you, because I know people make mistakes. Even if it's a big mistake like yours.
I hope you have a nice day.

heathrin18 Featured By Owner 3 days ago Writer

Everyone makes mistakes we are only human. What's important is how one learns from it. I was not really bothered by this situation in truth I am not an artist myself so I cannot relate to the subject matter. All I know is that I enjoy your work and while some elements maybe traced it wasn't completely so, and it was used mainly to get certain expressions just right by what I can tell. We all have moments of weakness and laziness, I will not put others on pedestals, you can't expect people to NEVER make mistakes or have some failures and regrets. If we only expect the best of people even on a moral level, we will only make ourselves disappointed in the end as we forget, "hey this guy messes up too".

E09378 Featured By Owner 3 days ago Student Traditional Artist

I'm having mixed feelings about this but I made up my mind and unwatch you.

SteelResolve Featured By Owner 3 days ago

A sensible decision.

byranuchiha Featured By Owner 4 days ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

And the fucks I give just keep on dropping. Wait, did I ever give one? Nope! Mostly because he's a generally respectful person (see BronyCAN2014), should I go again this year, I'll buy something, should he be there

PonsonbyBritt Featured By Owner Edited 4 days ago

I think there are a lot of people who need to get a goddamn sense of proportion. I'm dating a pro artist, and she always just laughs at these little controversies, because professional animators trace their work off of reference images ALL THE BLOODY TIME. They just don't use it as a crutch, and they add enough original material that it's not generally obvious. And they're not working among a bunch of bored, jumpy teenagers who need to create controversy to make their lives feel important.

As for the people trying to claim companies like Hasbro have some kind of moral high ground here in enforcing their alleged legal rights... they apparently have never seen the spec sheets companies like Hasbro and American Greetings give to their artists. They pretty much tell their artists, "Um... obviously we don't want to you rip off [say] Invader Zim... but could you draw this as much like Invader Zim as possible without getting us a threat our legal department can't handle?" If anyone seriously thinks this is an ethical issue in the slightest for the entities that own these characters, they're out of their minds.

This whole thing is idiotic. Don't apologize to these dumb kids.

DearPrincessCelestia Featured By Owner 3 days ago New member Professional Digital Artist

Couldnt agree more

When I made the art for the childrens book I published last year I traced my own art all the time to make the deadline xD (like poses/eyes etc and then changed the needed things so it looked like a new picture)

If someone made a big issue out of all the crap I have traced during the years, I would ask them to fuck off. I trace/copy poses all the time to learn new stuff - like deer, running dog poses etc - especially when making animated work for apps. After a few times of tracing you can do it yourself, but tracing is an awesome help in the beginning or when being busy.

Funny thing is that we all break the copyright laws xD just me having fluttershy as my avatar while selling adopts, or the adopt group having "MLP" in their group-names - that could be enough for a lawsuit. Luckily Hasbro doesnt care a fig about us random artist - only when it gets known everywhere as the Button-series.

BoneSatellite Featured By Owner 3 days ago

Quietrium Featured By Owner 3 days ago Student General Artist

^^THIS!

Manaphyxoxo Featured By Owner 4 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

This was on Facebook three minutes after it was posted, courtesy me.

Manaphyxoxo Featured By Owner 4 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

I'm glad to see that you apologized Neil, hopefully you'll be less busy and we can talk more lol!

iheartjapan789 Featured By Owner 4 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

I first heard about this from dennybutt's tumblr. From the time I started watching you, I never realized that some of your art has been traced.
How can I be mad at you? I was surprised at first, but as an understanding person, I forgive. I will continue to support you if your art is traced or not.

HaloPrime Featured By Owner Edited 4 days ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

I know people want to be angry at you for tracing, and sometimes it's for the right reasons (especially if you were profiting, even more especially monetarily via tracing), but I'd just want to encourage you to reevaluate your reasons for making art. I can understand why you would want to trace, especially for comics, but it always depreciates the quality of a piece when it's fairly obvious. You probably might just want to communicate a joke or a story with a character or more, but copy/pasting them in such a way is almost low-budget as well as an insult to the original artists. The best way to grow, to get your joke/story/message across, to be remembered, is to embrace your art style and grow with it. I know you have a unique art style. Don't concern yourself with being too proportionate to the show's representation of characters or by being a few pixels off anywhere. Just draw and convey the message as best as you can. If you choose to restrict yourself with tracing the same boring angles or structures of characters, you're gonna feel limited and it will show in the piece. So instead, try to improve your drawing and do things without training wheels. I mean you can always look at references to comprehend things with ease, but don't fall into the trap of tracing for good!

If you're selling any pieces of traced art, I would immediately stop selling them ASAP. If anything you're doing on Patreon was traced, try to make it up to both your Patreon supporters and your other viewers. Really commit to the fact that you're sorry and make sure you don't profit from plagiarism. Heck, even the stuff you trace that ISN'T monetized gives you some publicity, so you do kind of profit from tracing regardless. I'd abstain from it completely and really try to break that crutch. Grow as an artist and when you look back at your previous fallacies, you'll be glad you did.

dva4695 Featured By Owner 5 days ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

traced art or not, I'll continue to be a follower and a supporter.

ricardofr-200 Featured By Owner 5 days ago

Sometimes laziness may lead us to commit mistakes in life, I know because I've been really lazy when I was in college, never did a thing, even simple homeworks, and never graduate because I only wanted to do a real work... Well I started short peroid job but then I found my self at home doing nothing, I wanted money for my stuff and didn't have a cent.

particularly for things that we wanted to get out quickly for viewers

Well, I'm not calling you a lazy-man, I think you are also making too much stuff at time, fans are also need to learn to be pacient, and in my stand point, not being pacient is also a obvious sign of laziness too (and that is why I started my comment as so).

And again, sometimes we commit errors, but we need to make them to learn how to make better decisions and grow up with more maturity.

DearPrincessCelestia Featured By Owner 3 days ago New member Professional Digital Artist

its what all professional artist do

we trace all the freakkin time - both our own art, real-life poses etc. when being busy.

Im both an illustrator and copywriter and when I do either of those things I trace my own art/reuse phrases to ensure consistency and also to provide results quicker. I dont see any problems with him tracing from the show and making money of it. No amtter if he traces or not, its copyright infringement, so no need to make the distinction.

lonercs Featured By Owner 5 days ago

Much like GamerGate, the quick and easy solution is transparency and full disclosure. Tell us when you are tracing, and don't try to monetize your tracings!

While it seems obvious things were traced, other artist had content equally as good without tracing and many artist are better and never traced, like MadHatoua. Still, if we know what stuff is traced and you aren't trying to sell them off as genuine pieces, there wouldn't be a problem!

Crystal-Secret Featured By Owner 5 days ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

Guys as much as this guy did what was wrong, we are far far away from Equestria. My Little Ponys what did we do wrong here? For some, maybe. We have to stay true and strong to what we believe in, what we are meant for as Ponys. I pray to Celestia you can forgive him, I have. Yes, I am upset that he made a ton of monies on traced artwork while artists struggle and get no where with blood and sweat. But Celestia would forgive him, so are we. That's the whole point of this show. That's the whole point of this Community. That's the whole purpose behind Equestria, Harmony. I don't distress his punishment at all, nor do I believe he should go unpunished, him not being allowed to sell in venders is the crime payed. Now move on and let love fill your heart, and harmony will follow along with you.

TheGreatMC Featured By Owner 5 days ago

All those comments. All of them.

. . .And this is this 'toxic', 'unforgiving', 'trollish' deviantART that Tom Preston had to escape from.

xXHollowLittleSoulXx Featured By Owner 5 days ago Student Digital Artist

Honestly I don't really care. I mean, your comics are funny, I still love 'adapting to night'. At least not everything is traced....

Hobbes-Maxwell Featured By Owner 5 days ago Professional Digital Artist

Hey man, Just got wind of all of this, Don't let it get you down. I think your art is great, and am really very shocked by the sudden outpouring of rage.

I could tell your style was either borrowing poses or tracing from the start, but that's how vector art is made fro crying out loud. you took original assets and made creative content.

I sincerely hope to see to see you at future cons this year.

LingoDog198 Featured By Owner 5 days ago Student General Artist

good artists copy, great artists, STEAL!!!

-Pablo Picasso

grievousfan Featured By Owner 4 days ago Student General Artist

Obviously you've only ever used this quote in the literal sense. Picasso meant IDEAS. "Good artists copy IDEAS, great artists steal IDEAS".

Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Alice In Wonderland, Cinderella; these are all IDEAS. Yes, they were originally characters in old stories, but since then the original copyright has timed out and people (GREAT ARTISTS) have taken the ideas of these characters and put a new twist on them.

Sherlock is a high-functioning sociopath.
Robin Hood is a fox.
Alice is a hero fighting against an oppressive Red Queen to save Wonderland.
Cinderella works in a diner.

They didn't copy the original story word-for-word because it had been done before. These artists brought new ideas to the table, instead of just sticking to tradition and doing things exactly as they had always been done.

Now to bring this back around to DrawPonies; a trace is not bringing new ideas to the table. A trace is copying what others have done before you and hoping to whatever God you worship people will like seeing the same thing twice. And then attempting to profit off of other people's hard work, because "oh, y'know, that vector-trace took ALL NIGHT"? Yeah, no. If I'd wanted a screenshot on a poster, I would've taken a high res one off YouTube and printed it off myself.

LingoDog198 Featured By Owner 3 days ago Student General Artist

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"Say wha?"

grievousfan Featured By Owner 3 days ago Student General Artist

Why did I expect any different from your response?

LingoDog198 Featured By Owner 2 days ago Student General Artist

Chillax Ms. Grumpypants, Its a joke!

Of course I knew what Picasso meant. How do you think Disney makes all their money today, BY BEING ORIGINAL!? NO SIREE BOB! I just said that because I like being a smart-ass sometimes, but I ain't no dummy

. I ain't no smarty-pants neither.

.

Seriously though, what Drawponies did was wrong, but why stay stuck in the past when we can look towards the future. Wounds heal overtime but they can't heal if you don't let them you know.

"THAT...is very wise good sir."

"Thank you your highness."

"But still pretty lame."

grievousfan Featured By Owner 2 days ago Student General Artist

Sorry, I just wanted to drive the point home that selling traces for profit is called plagiarism, and is in fact illegal. And to "forgive and forget" is kinda stupid when there's no reason to believe he won't pull this shit again

LingoDog198 Featured By Owner 1 day ago Student General Artist

I guess, oh by the way, you just earned yourself a watcher.(I'm not gonna stalk you if that what you mean)

so uhhhh...DERP!

lonercs Featured By Owner 5 days ago

The great artists add something to improve what they steal. What he was doing was directly copying.

Mayiamaru Featured By Owner 5 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

I don't think that's what he meant ^_^"

ColgateFIM Featured By Owner 5 days ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

Once a tracer always a tracer

HeadHunter300 Featured By Owner Edited 5 days ago Student Traditional Artist

Ah I forgive you Neil, it anything that this awesome fandom tuaght me, is that we forgive and forget. The way I look at it, is that everyone make mistakes in life, to only move on and learn from our mistakes is the true way to be forgiven, so I forgive you Neil

Axis-of-Rotation Featured By Owner 5 days ago

Been off the net for a few days and just heard about this. Truth be told, I was wondering when the first Big Eyeroll of the year would transpire, and behold! It's come to pass. People never cease to surprise me regarding what they can talk themselves into believing they take seriously. Though of course you lack the luxury of being as dismissive as me. Suffice it to say I wish you luck drawponies, and I'm sure I'll see you in a week or two when this all blows over and people either begin to realize again what's important in life, or latch onto something else. Probably the new episode.
^.^

CMC--Scootaloo Featured By Owner 5 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

I'm happy it happened after the start of Season 5 and not before. Enough stuff right now to keep the masses occupied, 50% of the haters and hypocrites have probably forgotten it already after the next episode will have aired.
I'm sad, however, that it happened after "Bloom & Gloom". It's such an excellent and outstanding episode, even for this show, I hope no one has forgotten about it in all the rage and drama.

Does anyone still remember that we Scootaloo flying?

calvinthedestroyer Featured By Owner 5 days ago

I heard that some of the negative comments where copied from youtube. People can't even make their own criticism!

keep drawing Neil

CMC--Scootaloo Featured By Owner 5 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

>>>I heard that some of the negative comments where copied from youtube. People can't even make their own criticism!<<<

The funniest thing I've heard in this whole, senseless drama.

Thanks for giving me a laugh, I needed this after the last three days!
The original YouTube commenters should sue them now. :3

MotorRoach Featured By Owner 5 days ago

keep tracing Neil"

Fixed

VikingPoneSwordsgirl Featured By Owner Edited 5 days ago Hobbyist Writer

I don't mind tracing and bases usually when someone needs to gain skills but I still don't see why everyone is still so quick to defend Drawponies, because he has sold works which are traced or in other words, the intellectual property of other people. It's not a case of whether you personally like him or not, it's a case of "is using the intellectual property of others for your own profits a just thing to do" for the record before anyone white knights me I have nothing personally against the guy, I just you are being too easy on him for what he has admitted to.

SteelResolve Featured By Owner 5 days ago

Pretty sure you just defined fanart. Not sure if you know, but the law doesn't really say it's fine to draw ponies in your own style and sell those instead. Vectors, screenshots, they aren't separated as this is okay and this isn't.

FrenzyKnuckles Featured By Owner Edited 5 days ago Hobbyist Traditional Artist

You're forgiven. A lot of us actually started tracing and copying artwork from the shows and comics, myself included. As long as no laws were broken, I say it's an acceptable, but discouraged practice. Good for you, though, leaving it behind. We all have to evolve as an artist sooner or later and stop tracing. Good luck.
It's a fine day, full of opportunity!

Warriors77495 Featured By Owner Edited 6 days ago Hobbyist Artist

I forgive you. There's nothing wrong with tracing screenshots for fan art. If you sell it then that's pretty bad but when it's just some fan art for fun then it's perfectly fine. Most show vectors are trace-overs and no one cares. Using screenshot tracing for comics... Why is that such a bad thing? I don't find anything wrong with it. I don't do it but I know it's a way to get things out faster so you don't get crazy people screaming for the next one. "Many of the characters, objects, and backgrounds used in the series are referenced from the show, but not traced or copied" I've done this before, and one person accused me of tracing. people should look before they accuse.

alskylark Featured By Owner 5 days ago Hobbyist General Artist

Did nobody fill you in that he was making a fulltime job of selling that traced art? You said it yourself, it IS pretty bad. And he was doing it on a grand scale. 25 conventions last year no less, tens of thousands of dollars made out of selling traced art, whilst at the same time stealing costumers for other vendors (with actual original content and effort put into their art) at said cons due to his shady hard selling.
It's more than just tracing for online comics :/