Last night it was brought to my attention that a seller on Etsy was using one of my Day of the Dead girls for a domino pendant that they were selling. There was no mention of where the illustration came from and they certainly didn’t consult me before using it. This is not a witch hunt and although I have placed a screenshot of the Etsy listing on this post, I have taken the shop name off it. It’s difficult not to think that the seller would be selling my illustrations elsewhere and simply not putting them for sale on their Etsy store.
Unfortunately this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened to me and my designs. There is the minority that would choose to cheat and steal, taking my designs and using them to make a profit. This will not be tolerated. Which now begs the question, should I watermark my images?
It’s a tough call whether I should start to watermark my illustrations before putting them on the internet. I was (and still kind of am) against the watermarking of my images - I think that it ruins the overall look and feel of the image. Besides, I think if someone really did want to use one of my images there would be nothing to stop them from using Photoshop or creatively cropping the image.
The seller in question has since removed the item from their store but they have not replied to my emails. On a much more positive note, I am pleased that my illustrations are easily recognised and I have such loyal followers that don’t hesitate to get in touch with me when they smell something a little fishy! It really does warm my heart!
<3 Amanda
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