Noooooo this is not a call-out journals or anything lol
Just a matter in general. Including my rants - just because it's in my Japanese's nature to be picky about respect and manner and shat like that lol.
I wanted to express my opinions about it, so it's not something I expect people to agree.
(Though, if you are completely against it, I rather don't want to know about it. Please keep it to yourself.)

It came to my attention that some people think that if you give credits, you can take other artists' work and edit over it. (If you get a permission, that's totally great - but in most cases, people don't.)

When I mean "other people's work", I don't mean by screenshots from any "official works" that exists (like anime screenshots, comic pages, etc). I'm specifically pointing out works that are done by an individual (just like us).

It's really sad and annoying to see when you find someone using an illustration from random websites and drawing their stuff over... ruining the original work. In most cases, the illustration include figure(s) and a splendid background - I dunno, some people want the background only so they draw their own characters "over" the existing figure.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm personally is really against people doing that - especially if I recognize the original work is done by someone I greatly admire, I take things a little too personally. :/

Well I dunno... I guess from the moment you post something on the Internet these kind of shit happens, but it wouldn't happen if the person don't take it in the first place right? A little common sense and moral will avoid troubles (and your own reputations).

And I guess there are people who have complete different thoughts from me, and doesn't know what's the issue here, so I'm going to try summarizing using my crappy example:

Let's say, for an example, you're growing tomatos in your garden. You've spent ages working on trying to grow better tomatos - experiments after experiments, time after time, effort after effort, and so on. One day you're able to reach this point that your tomatos are great - you're confident and happy about it after spending lots of time on it. But then some random stranger decides to steal your tomatos for whatever personal reasons they have. They've taken it, used it in their own cooking, and served them out as their "own".

This whole issue is something like this: you've taken someone else's hard work and used them in your own.
Obviously, the "taker" it won't know or understand all the troubles and effort that the creator has spent - if they did, they wouldn't have the heart to steal them in the first place; they're too eager to do their own "cooking" and get compliments out of it. What would you do if someone asks "where did you get the ingredients?" - "I got it from [insert name (aka link)]" - "Did you buy it (aka permission)?" - "No." - "Then how did you get it?" - "I found it"

"Finding" mean it's NOT yours. Internet is not a "finders keepers" world. Therefore, crediting means nothing - it doesn't change the fact that you've taken and using "someone's hard work".


"Takers" should also know, that there will always be someone that will, let me repeat, WILL, recognize the original work you've used. It's a small and big world.

If you like the background that someone drew, just reference it and draw it yourself... or at least TRY. If you're a deviant who draw your own stuff and hoping to improve, try it out.
... if you're drawing stuff but not looking out to improve, then I can't understand why you're even here on dA...


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Now that the serious shit is out (XD), I'm going to write a little tip that will distinguish what is "free to use" and "what is not"  on Japanese sites (like pixiv).

Pixiv, as some of you guys know, have lots of free stuff. There are lots of generous artists who make them, and distribute them out for free.

I know it's extremely hard for non-Japanese speakers to read Japanese, but there are some terms that will tell you if the material is free to use or not. Here are some tags that are commonly used on pixiv that indicates "Free materials":

"フリー素材" (Meaning: "Free Material")
"使ってもいいのよ" (Meaning: "You can use")
"加工自由" (Meaning: "Free to edit")

If the page have more than one of these terms, that's great! Most of the time, if any of these three terms are in the "tag" area, it's free stuff. Sometimes, in the description area there are rules for those who wants to use it: I suggest that you use google translator or if you're using Chrome, use that automatic translation feature - the translations might suck, but it should give you some ideas about it. Better to try to read it rather than not reading it at all Sometimes they want people to link them to your works that you used their materials - it's best if you do, because obviously want to see how it turned out like

Then again, don't automatically think if you find a landscape illustration, that's free to use.... if it doesn't have any of these tags, don't you dare take it. It's someone else's hard work, don't try to cheat off from it.

Oh, btw, don't use these tag phrases on Google search or anything (it's limited to Pixiv).

I hope this last part helps some people.