Disclaimer

You'll see many images while wandering this site, on the layouts, the backgrounds, userlookups, etc. Maybe you'll see an image you recognize. Weren't you just at an artwork site the other day and you saw that exact image? What's it doing here then? If it's copyrighted work by that artist, should I be hosting it on an image? Before you immediately jump down my throat and start tossing the "stolen" word around, read this section.

I get images for these layouts from many places. The main source is from Paint Shop Pro tubes. What this means is this. I go to hundreds of paint shop pro tube sites, some freeware, some I have paid memberships with. You search through the pages of tube pictures, and download those you like. There is very seldom an artist mentioned, there is very seldom any information other than the image itself in tube form. If there were an artist mentioned, I would contact the artist before considering using it and seek their permission. Since there is no artist, there is noone to credit. Until someone informs me otherwise, I have no way of knowing if there even is an original artist lurking in cyberspace somewhere.

At one point someone threw an allegation in my face about my "stealing the work and taking credit for it". That couldn't have been further from the truth. Nowhere do I take credit for those images. I take credit for designing the layouts, for putting them together, for hosting them and designing them. NOT for the image the layout may be centered around. I have my own artwork to be proud of, I don't need to take credit from someone else who deserves credit themself. Yes, I demand a link back when someone uses these images, because I designed the layouts they're being used on, and I host the images. The money to keep them on my server comes out of my pocket. I have never and will never take credit for work that isn't my own.

So what can be done about this? Plenty, actually. You can contact me and let me know who the artist is, and where to find their work. I would then contact the artist, let them know where I found the tubes (because if they have their work copyrighted, then the person who made the tube is in violation for redistributing the images), and either remove the images or credit the artist, whichever route they wished to pursue.

I don't support any type of theft, online or off. I've been drawing and painting my own artwork for years, and sympathize completely with artists who's work is being used improperly, or redistributed improperly. Many artists generate an income from their work, and artwork illegally distributed costs them a portion of their income.

So, the end result is this. Emailing me or posting in my comments to start the stone throwing will accomplish nothing. If you really are acting in the best interest of original artists, then the best course to follow is to contact me, politely, and let me know who to contact, which artists work are found here, etc. That's the only route that will yield a positive result. Until someone does, I can't credit an artist I don't know exists.

If you're an artist, and you've seen one of your pieces here, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can remedy the issue to your satisfaction!