Copyrighting Your Art Images

© by Carl (CAKUart); all rights reserved

For some artists, copyrighting their art images is of major importance. I can appreciate why artists may want to protect the identity of their art and images by having a "© copyright 2009" watermark. 

But are we just wasting time and energy on something that cannot be completely protected?

I can tell you first  hand that I have been at fault in the past with concerning myself with a copyright watermark on my painting images. 

Then one day I was doing some research and accidentally discovered a few of my own art images on other websites. 

I've even had an artist blatantly copy one of my paintings and pitch it off as his own.

Gosh... what a dirt bag! (But hey, perhaps my art is that good others want to claim it as their own).

It was then  that I began to realise that we artists will never be able to stop the thieves.

Thieves will always be one step ahead, because dishonestly requires more work than that of an honest person. 

If you need some reassurance about the whole copyrighting your artwork images issue, just remember that nobody can ever really copy what you do. You are the artist and the owner of your work. 

The fact is... your art images are simply too small to be copied and printed into re-productions.

Additionally, image thieves won't see any real challenge with you having a copyright watermark on your art images. If they are savvy with Photoshop they can remove the watermark quite easily. 

My point is, don't waste your time and energy with worrying about watermarking your images. 

One of the reasons why I do not use a copyright water mark on my painting images is because art needs to be in full view on the internet without obstruction. It's harder to sell art via an image, and so the last thing you want is a copyright logo spoiling your artwork. 

Just focus on producing quality artwork and focus on your target buyer. Provide images of your work that they can appreciate without any obstruction. 

Remember your prospective buyer wants to be able to see your art clearly in order to appreciate it properly. 

So here a few things to remember when posting images on your website:

• Keep your images files sizes small (100KB or less is a good size) as this will assist in your images downloading quicker for your viewer.
   

• Ensure that your images are clear. 
   

• Use an International copyright law disclaimer at the bottom of your web pages.
   

• Know how to photograph your art successfully to ensure your prospective buyer can appreciate your art properly online.
   

If you are still worried about having your artwork images copied then all I can suggest is don't post your art on the internet.

This of course will limit your global exposure considerably. So consider the alternative and simply avoid worrying about thieves stealing your ideas.

Focus on your target market. 

Focus on producing great work and your own personal success as an artist.

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