Pixel Joint Forum: A copyright question

Message

   Hello guys, 

I have an indie game project involving crafting stuff, 

And I'm starting to learn how to turn an image into pixel art. 

Question is : is "conversion" enough to avoid copyrights problems ? Is this considered new art ? 

See the example below : it's pixel art but when you think about it I didn't change the original concept art, so is this a problem ? 

My project is going well but this issue really worries me. 

Author	Message
achmoye Seaman Joined: 06 August 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Topic: A copyright question Posted: 18 August 2018 at 7:06am
	Hello guys, I have an indie game project involving crafting stuff, And I'm starting to learn how to turn an image into pixel art. Question is : is "conversion" enough to avoid copyrights problems ? Is this considered new art ? See the example below : it's pixel art but when you think about it I didn't change the original concept art, so is this a problem ? My project is going well but this issue really worries me.
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eishiya Commander Joined: 04 August 2022 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1109	Posted: 18 August 2018 at 9:55am
	I'd say this specific case is substantially different enough from the original to no longer be a copyright problem, because the details are quite different, and the overall shape is generic. However, that doesn't mean all your conversions would be fine. In addition, you're depriving yourself of opportunities to learn by doing this. Do stuff like this as studies, don't do it to produce finished artwork.
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achmoye Seaman Joined: 06 August 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Posted: 18 August 2018 at 4:04pm
	Thanks ! The problem is I don't really know how to draw except form pixel art technique ; it's hard not to draw over something. But I'll try to see a lot of concept arts and get inspired x)
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eishiya Commander Joined: 04 August 2022 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1109	Posted: 18 August 2018 at 5:40pm
	I highly recommend taking the time to learn to draw. Learning the cross-medium fundamentals will help you create original work, and even to copy better. It might seem daunting, but it's well worth it, and you could tackle one thing at a time. I recommend starting with drawing 3D forms (cubes, pyramids, cylinders, etc), as these form the basis for almost everything else you'll ever draw, and don't rely on much other knowledge.
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PixelMart Midshipman Joined: 03 August 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 18	Posted: 22 August 2018 at 3:47am
	Copyright is a theme with a lot of different cases. if you draw a sprite of a little boy with blond hair, a green hat, shirt and skirt. with sword and a shield and draw it all by yourself going to save a princess and you call it "the legend of princess" you could still have some copyright issues even if your sprite style is totally different of the original. a little mice with gloves and red pants won't be a better idea ----------------------- but some random stuff like a sword (unless the form is too iconic and special) or an armor or helmet I think this would go well. once I played with an idea to use some finished sprites and just change some colors and some details (whats why Mortal Kombat had such many ninja characters in different colors) but that would be too much evil cheating and tracing and i won't be able to totally customize every movement and give the player sprite the personality it should have just by the idle and moving animations
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