Safe Stock Resources

Hiya Darlings,

So lately we've been discussing the importance of safe and reliable stock resources over at The-Stock-Directory. I'm sure a lot of my watchers, as artists, prefer to know that they are using valid stock in their artwork. Using copyrighted or otherwise invalid stock can result in having your art removed, or worse.

In response to this, I, and my fellow group members have been working on an effort to bring together those stock providers that we know, without a doubt, are legitimate stock resource providers. In an effort to prevent those who may falsely claim to be legitimate providers, I started another group called Safe-Stock-Resources. Only those who have been verified are accepted as members, and of course artists are welcomed and encouraged to watch the group.

The purpose of the group is to feature those stock providers who wish to offer safe and legitimate resources. It is not going to be a high-volume submissions group that will flood your inboxes. The majority of the stock submissions will remain at The-Stock-Directory.

We are hoping to start a movement that encourages stock providers to follow terms and guidelines regarding all things stock. We want to put a spotlight on those providers who are following the rules and providing fantastic stock for artists to use. It's all to easy for a great stock provider to get lost in the shuffle of all those damn anime "renders" or sparkling Justin Bieber/Selena Gomez junk being passed off as stock. We want to put the stock providers that deserve it into the forefront and give artists a safe place to go when looking for stock.

The guidelines for membership acceptance is fairly strict and thorough. The stock provider absolutely must follow dA terms and guidelines regarding their stock in all areas. This includes using legit stock for premades, cut-outs, and brushes. They must also be crediting the sources, even if it's their own, and be able to prove it if they use their own images. The group will not accept just anyone into the fold, but we will be willing to help guide and educate beginner stock artists on how to follow protocol.  I would like to see the Safe-Stock-Resources logo become a seal of approval and a guarantee. This group is a collaborative effort by the stock providers who genuinely care about the Resources & Stock community.

       

Learning Resources for Stock Artists

Premade Backgrounds and Group Submission ChangesToday we’re going to address the “Circle of Stock.” Cue Disney’s “The Lion King” theme song and call me Mufasa. Just like in the circle of life, what we do affects another group, and returns to affect us again. We have a responsibility to the artists that use our stock to provide legitimate and safe stock resources. As an administrator for a few art groups as well as stock groups, I have seen what happens to the artists who use invalid stock resources. They have had their art declined, or had to replace stock elements through no fault of their own.  This especially includes those who includes celebrity or otherwise copyrighted material, even if it was uploaded to the Resources and Stocks section of . It isn’t fair to the artists who use the “stock” and hurts the credibility of not only the stock provider who uploads it, but the stock community itself.
Premade backgrounds have always seemed to be flo How and Why To Credit Your Stock ProvidersHiya Darlings,
Today I am going to tackle a subject that all photo manipulation artists should pay attention to. (Yes, this means you!) It is my hope that this article will save you the headache and trouble of getting a submission declined, having to delete your work, or worse; be sued by someone because of it.
Why Properly Crediting Stock Is Important
All artists know that the secret to a great manip is finding stock that is just right for the theme you are trying to convey. On there are literally thousands of fantastic high quality images that are absolutely free. Some of these images are even created by and featuring professional models and photographers.  You could pay a lot of money for the rights to use the type of stock resources in your art that are found here free of charge. This is part of why   is unique and an amazing place for artists to frequent.  
You’ll find that a lot of art groups, including :iconmanip DD Feature, A Word About Pre-Cuts, and SkypeHiya Darlings,
So here is the promised feature of our group members who have received a DD so far this year! I’d like to say congratulations to everyone! For those who haven’t received one yet, don’t give up hope! Everyone submits some fantastic stock and I absolutely love seeing the daily submissions.  I’d also like to take a moment and welcome all of our new members!
Before we get to the feature I want to take a moment and talk about Pre-Cut Stocks. Like any stock, they should adhere to our group and rules. This means:
They must  be your own work, or have written permission from the photographer to create them from.
You absolutely, under no circumstances, ever take photos from GOOGLE IMAGE or other online retail, blogs, photography, or other websites to create pre-cut stock.  The same includes stock websites like sxc.hu. This also applies to ALL pre-made backgrounds or Photoshop/GIMP brushes!

Love,

- Cheryl