Twenty years ago, I never would have encouraged the use of the © symbol, but the Internet has changed the dynamics. Related: Pointers on Wall Labels for Your Exhibition (Using the © symbol isn’t accepted in gallery and museum labels.) When the image is online or in print, add your copyright notification. The credit line includes your name, title of the piece, medium/technique, dimensions (if online or in print), and credit to your photographer. Wouldn’t you be pissed off if someone showed your art and didn’t give you credit? Here’s the thing: Before someone else can give you credit, you have to claim the credit for yourself, and many artists are not doing this.Ī credit line is what you include alongside your art whenever and wherever it is shown. Then there are the situations that require more than your name. Even if you use a business name, your name should have a prominent place. In the signature that closes out a personal email to anyone but your nearest and dearest.Please use email with your professional name in it. This has become easier with the advent of template sites like WordPress, FASO, SquareSpace, and Wix, but you still have to remember to include it in the first place. At the top of every page on your website or blog.Next, make sure your name appears in the following places. For example:įirst Name + Maiden Name + Last Name Crediting Your Art is Your Responsibility If you want to be known in the history books, pick a single format for your name and use it consistently. But you aren't properly crediting your art if your name isn't visible. Your brain is filling in the blanks because you’re too close to see what isn’t there. I visit a website, social media page, or open an email where the artist’s full name is nowhere to be found! I can’t make this up. If I came across this once, I’d only be amused. Here’s a little challenge: If you think you have all of your bases covered, I invite you to use the checklist below to do a quick review. I would never show my art without credit. You may be thinking, Of course I do this. I'm talking about giving yourself credit whenever and wherever you show your art. Whether or not you choose to do this is up to you. I'm not talking about officially registering for copyright. It's not unusual for artists to be concerned about protecting their copyright, but what I can't seem to reconcile is when artists aren't taking precautionary steps to claim copyright in the first place. ©Michael Joyal, Never Give Candy To Strangers.
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