Is it still my work?
Ozzie asked me to post my side of the collaboration we did at the beginning of the year. It's an Abnepos (avatar) of Arista, the forest goddess.
So, I have a question. I've been working on these animal character templates for a roleplaying book that's going to come out in March 2008. We're wrapping up the last of the work. The guy I'm working for has tweaked my work, and actually made improvements on the characters. Mostly fine detail; I'm not a detail person. He's also added texture and refined the fur. There is a notable difference between my pieces and his tweaks on them, and his do look better.
So can I post these improved pieces in my portfolio? As my own work or with a disclaimer like "collaboration with so and so" at the bottom? Cause on the one hand, I think his improvements make the pieces nicer to look at, but on the other, I'm afraid my "style" won't count for diddly if people see it was a collaboration piece.
So, I guess I really don't know what to do, but I didn't want to ignorantly wonder into the world of plagiarism without meaning to.
More posts, I say!
posted by Droemar at
Friday, November 30, 2007
3 Comments:
I'm glad you posted this. I thought everyone should see what a great job you did and the command you have over your style. As far as your portfolio situation goes, I say post the work you think is best even if it's a collaboration. Being part of a professional environment, there's no such thing as working in a vacuum--the finished pieces you do will be a joint effort, and there's always input/tweaks from creative directors, supervisors, clients, etc. That doesn't stop the piece from being your own. You can always put a disclaimer up, but remember that if you're trying to gain prospective employers and they see a disclaimer line they'll want to know what your part in it was. It sounds like you carried a bulk of the work, so you should post it. The work isn't unfairly representing you unless you feel the changes he did were so significant it doesn't look like something you could produce or like anything else in your book.
By
Ozzie, at 30 November, 2007
I think the point of a portfolio is to show potential clients what you're capable of, and what they can expect to get from you.
It's perfectly allowable (and legal) for you to put the "tweaked" piece in your portfolio, but you would need to note that it's a collaborative work. As Ozzie said, that will most likely prompt the question of how much you did on the piece, which would just warrant something like "Illustration by Laura, detail work by Other Dude." I've also seen a lot of people create a side-by-side comparison image using their original and the final together in order to illustrate their contribution.
If you couldn't post collaborative works, then comic book pencilers, inkers, and colorists would all have empty portfolios.
By
Major Sheep, at 06 December, 2007
All right then. Cool! I feel a lot better knowing that I neither blundered nor smewed. Thanks.
By
Droemar, at 08 December, 2007
Post a Comment
<< Home