Star Noble: Art Advice Columnist for Fine Art Registry®

Copycat

This month, in response to a reader's question, Star passionately addresses the subject of one artist copying another's style. As an artist and collector, she knows both sides of the coin...

COPYCAT! ... A word I remember being tossed around between friends and frienimee's alike when I was a child. We all knew what it meant and it wasn't anything that was misconstrued as something "good". You were called out for imitating someone else. A copycat plain and simple is someone who imitates or follows another: a copycat version of a successful product; a copycat crime...you get the idea.

I had an artist contact me recently to point out (call out) another person who was, and still is attempting to copy this artist's every creative move. As an artist, this has happened to me in past and I know that as I sit here writing, it's happening to artists all over the world. For those of you who are the "COPYCAT" artist (and you know who you are)... a word of advice. STOP! I understand that you see the artist's work that you copy is selling and that you want in, but to do it on the coat tails of another artist's hard work is just not right. And the artist that you’re copying BTW... is NOT flattered! Oh, and let's not forget about the fact that it's illegal. Can you say copyright infringement?

An artist who sells their work and begins to turn a profit is an artist who has put a lot of hard work into building their brand... their style and marketing it. The copycat has no scruples and without regard acts out of pure greed to cash in on the back of the artist they copy.

Look copycats, as an art collector I want ORIGINALITY. I have yet to meet another art collector that doesn't feel the same. Do you think we can't tell that you are copying another artist's work? As a collector, I have no interest in the work of someone who copies another artist. The artist that is "known" for the style you're copying is the artist's work I want to own. That's whose work you invest in. The knock-off or lame attempt that is made to copy another artist's work is known for just that. Lame. Why would you want to start a business and base your reputation on something illegal such as copyright infringement? I have only one answer to that question. GREED.

If you're not creative enough to come up with your own style, and are unable to put your creative stamp on what you do then you have no business being an artist and don't even try and kid yourself that you are. It's one thing to be inspired by an artist's work and quite another to copy, attempt to SELL and worse yet... call the work your own. Get real people. Success rarely happens overnight.

So copycats, let the work of other artists be your inspiration. Period. Work (yes it does take work) from that point to develop your own style. Find your own voice and vision. Trust me, it will eventually happen. Some artists spend their whole life trying or just get a late start (Grandma Moses). Many artists never realize success during their lifetime only to become famous after they have dearly departed (Van Gogh). So be patient and wait for it. If you think it's okay to start copying or you fall under the category of someone who stoops so low by continuing to copy another artist's work, you will forever be known as a bottom feeder of the art world... a COPYCAT.

- Star Noble

Back to Ask Star

back to top