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  • posted a message on Thank you all. And my personal thoughts on card alterations.
    First off, thank you. In the immediate, for your overwhelming response to my copyright infringement thread, which finally got things moving. In alwaystime, thank you for being an amazing group of fun, smart, supportive people. I love Magic even more for the community than the game itself. And I'm right up there with the best of them, when it comes to spending way too much time playing.

    There were some questions raised in the thread about alterations that I didn't get a chance to answer before trolls killed it. Legality, ethics, copyright. So here are my thoughts. Some objective, some opinion.

    I've seen mixed feelings about the validity of an alterist as an artist. Just my personal opinion on them: I'm a fan. I buy their work. I think the alterist deserves credit as an artist, a craftsman, and most of all as a student of art. After all, they're honoring a piece of work they admire by attempting to extrapolate more onto it. I see it as an active form of study. The alterist is examining the unique way the original card artist approaches composition, texture, color scheme, etc. Then applying what they've learned. That's being an artist.

    Should they sign their work? I think so. The part they altered is their work. And some alters are quite creative and skilled. I find it an appropriate courtesy to also leave the original artist's name, and a company's copyright info if applicable.

    Can they sell their work? Now we get into the legal stuff.

    Hand-painted alters. These, by most legal definitions, are usually kosher to create and sell. As the owner of the card, what happens to it is up to you. If you paint on it, it is now a canvas for your original work. And as a physical, original, and unique work of art, it actually falls under free speech. Which is protected, and (typically) not subject to copyright law. So while there are some things that'll still get you in trouble on that front, this is pretty open to whatever you want to do.

    However, if you scan it, any reproductions would be subject to much sticky copyright law.

    And to complicate things, even "reproducing" the art online, as in posting it, is a befuddled headache of grey area.

    Printed alters of original work. These can be okay. But the big caveat is that it must be 100% your work. Not derived or modified from another artist's work. And nothing copyrighted or trademarked. So, your own character, drawn yourself, or by someone you contracted, bearing no copyrighted markings or logos, is probably okay. But download a Baneslayer Angel and giver her devil wings - that's derivative, and infringing on Wizard's property. Paint your very own Phage the Untouchable, print it out on a bunch of cards and throw it up on eBay, that's still a no-no. It's your work, but Wizard's character. (Fan art is not exempt from copyright. But it's a common misconception.) And you'd technically even be in trouble if they had a mana symbol tattooed on their head. Because those are registered trademarks.

    Now, before we start arguing fair-use and parody: This is all just basic guidelines. Alters using copyrighted characters or trademarks could fall under fair-use and/or parody. But they're a little tricky in reality, and so you should either know the definitions and precedence well, or just stay on the safe side of things.

    Hand-painted, then scanned and printed alters. Usually not okay. Unless you've literally used the card as a canvas, and covered everything with original work. Otherwise, what remains is still copyrighted.

    Digitally altered and printed. I've kind of covered above. It's derivative, and therefore not kosher.

    So there are some of my thoughts on altering cards. I encourage folks to try putting the brush to some cards for themselves. It's fun, it makes your deck more interesting and unique.

    TTFN,

    Steve Argyle
    Posted in: Artwork
  • posted a message on WARNING. MVP Games selling bootleg altered cards.
    Hi everyone, Steve Argyle here. I'm an MtG artist.

    Just want to let people know that the folks at MVP Games are selling stolen artwork. Their eBay store has a series of 109 printed foil alters, all claiming to be a limited edition of 200, and hugely marking up the price. (That's potentially 21,800 bootleg cards.) This may sound familiar to some of you. Wizard's shut down a company making these earlier this summer. It seems they've wised up enough to not use official Wizard's artwork anymore, but instead steal from the little guys. They've removed the artists names and signatures, and any copyright information on the original images.

    When I contacted them, I wanted to let them know that they may be being scammed by a supplier. They assured me that they had the rights to all work used. I assured them that I'm the artist, and I had not issued rights. They replied with: So what? You can't stop us. And if you try anything, we'll sue you for harassment.

    They have been issued a Cease and Desist, which they are now in violation of.

    Legally, the outcome I can expect is that eBay will take down the specific listings infringing on my work. That's about all. In the meantime, they're abusing the artists who bring a bit of life to this great game, and the players who are trying to support and enjoy it.

    I've contacted the artist's whose work I recognize. (So far, every one of them has said they did not give any sort of permission.) But since all the credits have been removed, it's hard to track everyone down. If you recognize a piece, please let the artist know.

    Thanks,

    Steve
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Thanks to everyone who came out and supported GP Vegas!
    Quote from Adryan
    The first Liliana is AWESOME!!!! wanna sell it?


    Sorry, almost all of what I brought sold the first day of the GP, including the Sorin Liliana.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Thanks to everyone who came out and supported GP Vegas!
    Quote from Foam-dome
    Minion 123, reporting in!

    I had a blast talking to you and Kat, as usual. The story about The Phantom Menace, in particular, was really fascinating. If it's possible, I think that a blog post about it would be a wonderful read. I have to thank you profusely for the swag, and I will ensure that Minion 55 gets his kit.

    EDIT: For those of you interested in joining the Ascended Minion Project, all you have to do is follow the instructions in the link I posted above.


    Yeah, it completely changed how I think about George Lucas. And of course, Obi-Wan. I wonder how much trouble I'd get in posting that story...
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Thanks to everyone who came out and supported GP Vegas!
    Quote from Umezete
    Gotta say its cool to have a mtg artist so involved with the community with your binder candy, commitment to visiting as many events you can, and the fact your a member of the mtg community.

    Also you are basically the face of jund now: deathrite shaman, lili, and bloodbraid? Next thing we'll see is you got commissioned for new goyf art for ftv 20:P.


    Since Modern Masters just got a new goyf, my guess is we probably won't see one for FTV:20. Man, I'm bummed I missed out being in Modern Masters. (Had to send my assignments back on account of a broken drawing hand. Frown )

    But I've been back for a while, and you'll be seeing my stuff popping up again soon. Smile
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Thanks to everyone who came out and supported GP Vegas!
    Quote from parinoid
    Any way to tempt you to trek down to oz? Grin


    If they do a GP, or some other biggish MtG event there, and I get invited, then absolutely!
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Thanks to everyone who came out and supported GP Vegas!
    Yes there is. For one, I've got binder candy at (almost) every event, so if you're making it out to anything else, I'll have it there.

    Or, I periodically send out free swag to members of the Ascended Minion Project. Binder candy is one of those things. Smile
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Thanks to everyone who came out and supported GP Vegas!
    GP Vegas was amazing. This weekend was like being clobbered senseless by a giant sack-wielding Santa. But you get to keep all the presents your skull dented!

    Thank you all so much for coming out and supporting me, Kat, and my art.

    Thank you to all of you who endured a grueling line-march to get some signatures and doodles. You honor me. Apologies for the wait, and to anyone who couldn't play the line-ride game for hours.

    For those of you who missed it, here are a few things folks seemed to enjoy as they meandered by my table.






    There are always more alters and such on my Tumblr page.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on FREE steve argyle!!!!!
    Whoa, whoa. It's not nearly as big of a deal as all that. I wasn't ordered to take anything down.

    I chatted with some folks at Wizards, (just bouncing ideas around about my upcoming assignments, there was no fire and brimstone,) it came up that they'd noticed it, and they were a little nervous about the impact stuff like this may have on their future plans for the storyline.

    Basically, if a current Magic artist starts putting out unofficial stuff that has a narrative, it's potentially seen as quasi-canon. And I'd just put forth a fairly dramatic statement about two of their biggest characters.

    You're right, I should have known better.

    So, since it hadn't been up all that long in the first place, I just thought I'd quietly retract it. I don't want to make somebody else's job harder.

    I'm surprised, and more than a little flattered, that people even noticed or cared that it disappeared.

    You guys rock.

    -------

    Now, the card alterations coming down is completely separate. It happened at the same time, but that's just because I was already cleaning house. I'd been meaning to tidy up there for a bit.

    Here's the thing. As acrylic paint on a piece of card-stock, they're original works, and protected under free speech. Doesn't even need to be satire. So the card itself can depict Mickey Mouse eating babies, and while it might piss people off, it's legal.

    But, as posted images, not so much. Any copy, printed or digital, is subject to copyright law. They've been getting enough attention that, even though I've been posting them purely for the enjoyment of the players, they could potentially be seen as a form of guerrilla marketing. Those same pieces, as an advertising ploy for my site, services, or artwork, would be infringing on copyright.

    (You'll notice that it wasn't Magic stuff that came down, it was Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, etc. that I took down.)

    While "fan-art" legality is mostly ignored, as a working artist, I've got to be a bit more careful.

    So I'm just covering my own fuzzy buttocks there.

    Again, thank you all for supporting my art. It means the world to me that I'm more than a tiny bit of print at the bottom left of your cards.
    Posted in: Submit News
  • posted a message on [360][Unpowered] Theogony's Cube
    Quote from Theogony_IX
    I personally think more artists should take alters home with them. It's not a bad business move purely from a reputation standpoint. Quality work keeps people interested.


    That's definitely part of why I take them home. I started seeing stuff posted, sometimes here, sometimes on eBay, of the alters I'd done for folks who asked for "just something fast. Whatever can be done on the spot that's free."

    And I cringe when I see them. They're done fast, sloppy, and I'm usually not at my best, partially because of the long event; and I was also mildly annoyed when I showed people my alters, tell them that it'll cost X dollars, and they're not interested in that, they just wanted something free so they can sell or trade it at a higher value.

    I really don't want that stuff to be what people think of my work. So now, I'll only take commissions if I can do them right. I still try to keep them affordable, they're not masterpieces or anything; but I figure that if I wouldn't post them, I shouldn't be doing them in the first place.
    Posted in: Cube Lists
  • posted a message on [DKA] Ultra Pro Products (new art)
    Quote from skorchdnite
    So, the second piece is really interesting me. Sorin of course is a vampire, and we can tell by the third piece's eyes that she is most definitely a vamp (also, refer to the clothing style, it matches up a lot from the bits we've seen on the mothership. It fits the clothing that these vamps like to wear), but if we look at the second piece, she's not quite wearing the style of clothing that vamps wear, and though we can't see her eyes to either confirm or deny that she's a vamp, she just doesn't have the mannerism of one. Her clothing's definitely not gothic-lolita inspired, it seems much more ...medieval commoner-ish (obviously tailored to draw a lot of attention from the male audience)

    In looking at the second piece, think of what immediately comes to mind in looking at it. For me it's more "this kind of reminds me of that one girl I dated. She was kind of wild". It gives off a mood of wildness, wildness that could easily be unleashed. Looking at the colors of the art, the background's saturated with green, while the girl's clothing is red as well as a light being cast upon her.

    Now think of the people of Innistrad. Innistrad's a cold plane, so they make sure that they dress warmly, and with the great deal of religious influence, who (other than vampires) dresses like that? Also, who would feel a link to wild things greatly enough to be able to play around with a rather large snake confidently? The psychology of this art seems to say that this girl goes against the norms. She's a rebel, she's outside of society, and she's close to nature.

    I believe that this second piece is a depiction of the werewolf legend that we're pretty much guaranteed for this set. From the Planeswalker's guide to Gavony- "The forest has become particularly dangerous now that the infamous werewolf Skaharra and her Leeraug cohorts have moved to the area." I believe this art is indeed of Skaharra.

    /howlsatmoon


    I think I love you.

    (Not a confirmation. I honestly don't know who this is. I just did my best with what the description called for, and crossed my fingers that it ends up a cool card.)

    Also, It's easier to talk about the art when you can see the whole thing.


    P.S. feel free to add the image to the top of the thread.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [360][Unpowered] Theogony's Cube
    Since every artist is different, and there's not really a standard for alters, it's hard to say what to expect when asking for alters/sketches.

    For me, I prefer to not have to scribble something out frantically while there are dozens of people waiting. I don't feel like they turn out up to snuff, (even when we are talking goofy alts, like cookie monster or 80's cartoons.) Plus everyone has to wait in line longer, fewer people can get things, etc.

    So instead, I like to just jot down an address, put the cards away, and do them at a less maddening pace when I get back from the event. Plus, since I started doing that, I can scan them and throw them up on my Tumblr/Facebook/Twitter for folks to see.

    I don't think that a lot of other artists do it this way. I know most of them would rather not have extra stuff to worry about when they get back from an event. I can't blame them. I took home months worth of fan commissions from Gen Con this year. (GPs are usually a week or two, so don't panic that you won't see your cards again for months.)
    Posted in: Cube Lists
  • posted a message on [[Official]] What is the most pimp card/deck you've seen or owned? (SEE RULES!)
    Most Artists have a 5 to 10 card limit (usually 4 to 5 if you want quick alters, 10-12 if you just want sigs). The ones that do big stacks usually charge and keep them over night.

    If the line is long, expect the numbers to be lower (4 to 8, 1 to 2 playsets).


    Yep. And the fact that we're snobby divas is only part of it.

    We're pretty much there all day to sign cards anyway. So 10 cards each from 10 people doesn't mean any more work to us than 100 from 1 person. But it makes a difference to everybody else. A lot of our draconian rules and limits are to keep the line from coming to an abrupt, irritable halt, and turning otherwise happy players into seething knots of crabbyness.

    Most of us have a limit "per trip through the line." We're happy to sign everything in your binder, we just don't want everyone else to have to wait while we do it.

    The same is true of special requests. Card alterations, playmat sketches, binder sketches, all that stuff takes extra time. And you've got to multiply that by everybody who's coming to see you.

    The most important thing to remember is, we're all different. Just because one artist does things a particular way, doesn't mean that the next guy will. There really isn't a "standard" for artists.

    For example, this last GP, me and Chippy sat next to each other, and we do things quite differently. Chippy doesn't like to do silly or funny alters that goof on the artwork. He likes to enhance and add to the work that's there, maintaining the feeling of the original work. He does quick alterations, and if he charges, it's just a couple bucks.

    I, on the other hand, do mostly goofy card alters, turning Chandra Ablaze into Bob Ross and whatnot. And I like to take the time to make them nice looking, even if they are silly. So I don't do them on the spot, instead I do them either overnight at the event, or take them home to work on them, mailing them out as I finish them. So I charge, and take a limited number.

    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on [ISD] Liliana of the Veil - High-Res Artwork x2
    I'm actually quite happy with how she turned out.

    To everyone talking about the piece, both positive and negative, thank you. I'm in this for the players, and I'm always looking for ways to improve.

    I knew going into it that I could not please everybody. Alexi Briclot, Kekai Kotaki, Terese Nieslon, Brad Rigney: all Gods of art that are tough acts to follow.

    On the scar-tattoos: So, they show up when she casts. As you can see from some of the sketches, we'd considered going with a much darker, grittier Liliana. With stark lighting, her runes glowing from out of the cast shadow covering most of her body, and bleeding from her tattoos. In card form, she appears almost always with rune scars and ashen skin, but in the comic, and storyline, she appears as a beautiful young temptress. We felt that it was time to show her "sexy" persona in card form.

    I have to say I agree on the fur cloak. I left it out of my first one, but it's in the other artwork she'll be appearing in. So, it's there to keep her outfit consistent, though compositionally it doesn't quite work.

    The camera tilt -whether it's working or not- was intended to add a sense of unease. Yeah, she's supposed to be sexy, but also dangerous. I wanted the viewer to feel that "something's not right." Like she's coming for you, smiling, but you're the victim strapped to a sacrificial alter, just woken up by the clacking of her heels.

    There is no artwork I've done so far that I am completely satisfied with. But I am pleased with this, and the response at Comic Con was very positive. (Not that folks are really going to come up to me afterward and say "Wtf? I liked you better when you made my Big Macs, you sell out!")

    Anyhow, I'll keep on working at it.

    Thanks again, everybody! Even if it's mixed review, I gotta say it's awesome to have a dozen pages of chatter about my work. Love to hear what people think!
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [FtV:L] Kresh and Progenitus + Sharuum, Kiki-Jiki, and Rafiq
    Quote from ryanthng
    Please please please do more men art Smile if those female angels get to fly around in nothing more than bra and panties, the men in Magic art ought to suffer the same indignity


    Hmm... Male angels in bras and panties. That would definitely something new for Magic. :p
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
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