Art is unique, art is original. Or at least, that's how it's supposed to be, right?
Lately on WattPad, I've been seeing people who completely copy a well-known artist's style, Riverspirit456 and GinjaNinjaOwO especially. I'm sorry, but it immensely disappoints me to see this. Sure, I've been compared to artists before, such as Finchwing and Niftysenpai, but my style is still original; to put it simply, I don't make carbon copies of artists' work. Like I saw a drawing that was a literal copy of one of Riverspirit456's pieces, just different characters. Same exact style. Sorry to be harsh, but miming someone doesn't get you anywhere in terms of personal improvement. There's absolutely nothing wrong with having inspirations, not at all! But mimicking is a little too much. For me personally it's quite sad to see that people don't try to use their own talent and creativity to make a style or scene. And the fact that those kinds of "artists" have been piling up on this website/mobile app slightly makes me want to turn away from this community.
Ps: I'm not talking about people who use artists as style inspiration so they can find their own. I'm trying to talk about the artists who literally make an exact copy of an artist's drawing, just make it with different characters, and don't give the original artist any credit. I 100% respect and support people who look at other artists and start with a similar style to their's to create their own. That was the way I was with people like Finchwing and various people on deviantART until I found a style I was comfortable with and had my own flare.
Thank you for reading this little rant, and I'd love to hear y'all's opinions on this subject. Also, I'm not at all trying to point fingers at anyone. I'm simply stating my opinion of what I've observed. I apologize with extreme sincerity if I offend anyone in any way.
