Screenshot References

I had a great idea for a blog post before I fell asleep last night…woke up today and I had no idea what it was.  So you’re getting this instead because I’m lazy and I need to do some homework.

I think that using screenshots/illustrations, etc. for references when drawing TLK fanart is fine.  I started out drawing canon that way, and I’m pretty sure lots of others did too.  Fanart requires at least a basic knowledge of how the characters are drawn in the source material. Artists also use references in the real world…you’re not going to properly know how to draw an elephant unless you’ve seen at least a picture of one.

A “reference”, though, means that you should not just copy that image.  Look at how the artist constructed Nala’s pose, or what Mufasa’s mane looks like from that angle, and then draw your own version of that.  It’s also nice if you mention when you use screenshots as reference because otherwise you can get people snarling at you for being a thief, which is never fun.  You might think that you’ve modified the original enough or that the pic is obscure enough that no one will recognize the source, but believe me, people like me with TLKOCD can usually pick out a referenced piece.  It’s become easier ever since I started helping out with art thieves on DeviantArt by identifying the source pictures that were stolen from… not that hard if you have a decent visual memory.

But if you use references properly and give credit where it’s due, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking at a screenshot once in a while. =)

Knockoff…Who’s There?

Recently I’ve been in a kerfluffle over a pair of 1995 German audio plays set in the Lion King universe, which I am pretty positive are not published by Disney, but instead knockoffs capitalizing on the brand. Read the comments on “SkepticalKopaIsSkeptical” to get the scoop.

Why do I even bother worrying about whether these obscure radio plays are canon (Disney-published Lion King stuff)?  Well, mainly because these plays contain part of the story of Kopa, and also introduce new characters to the universe.  New characters are important to fanartists because, well, we draw them.  Also interesting to me because I have been compiling a list of subcanon TLK characters.  The Kopa thing is an issue because I have my own “fanon”, or a set of fan theories about TLK that I use to dictate my canon and subcanon artwork.

I’m what some would call a canon “purist”, in that I try vehemently to keep canon and subcanon separate from fan theories, and keep true to TLK canon a majority of the time.   This gets me into heated discussions (read: cybershouting matches) sometimes with people who believe their fanon is the One True Story, like on YouTube last week.  YouTube comments drive me crazy sometimes.  Anyway, my decision to be a purist means that it is important for me to know exactly what is part of the canon/subcanon, and what is not.  I call this obsession “TLKOCD” and yes, it is weird.  It’s related to being a know-it-all, I think.

My TLKOCD leads me to investigate canon merchandise of all kinds, from books to plush.  And sometimes I find knockoffs, rarely, but sometimes.  For example this LK-esque plush cub made by Goffa:

which was discovered by a fellow TLKFAA artist.  All in all, I really don’t have any particular beef with knockoffs, but I do see them as being on essentially the same level as fanfiction or fanart.  The two audio plays are great stories (to read them go to that comments link I embedded above), but they aren’t official merchandise, much like this cute bandanna’ed Goffa cub.  They are similar to great fanwork…just, they’re exploiting TLK and sold to earn money off fellow fans.  So, not so great.  Hats off to the entrepreneur who bothered to make what is a pretty good quality product, but it’s stealing, in the same way that someone could steal a character I’d written, write a short story about him/her, and sell it to a publication to earn cash.  Do not want.