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British sketch cover artist Gary Parkin - swipe or not?
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28 posts in this topic

Most of his "originals" are blatant copies of Alex Ross, Frank Miller, Art Adams and other famous covers. I don't see any acknowledgement to the original artist. I asked him why he's calling them original and not homages (I was being nice) but I received no reply. Does anybody here have any info about him? Here's his ebay site:

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/underglow_art/m.html?item=221574720308&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

Parkin:

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Sorry, having trouble loading pics here.

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A "swipe" usually has some trace of original style to it. These are just copied images. Not that there isn't a market for that sort of thing, but they should be acknowledged as such, though I doubt anyone buying these is under the illusion they are original concepts.

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Most of his "originals" are blatant copies of Alex Ross, Frank Miller, Art Adams and other famous covers. I don't see any acknowledgement to the original artist. I asked him why he's calling them original and not homages (I was being nice) but I received no reply. Does anybody here have any info about him? Here's his ebay site:

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/underglow_art/m.html?item=221574720308&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

Parkin:

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Ross:

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Sorry, having trouble loading pics here.

Yeah, those aren't homages. He's doing a 'direct lift' of famous artist's works.

He does use the word "reproduction" in some, not all, of his listings. But he neglects to mention any artist by name, giving credit where it's due. Typically using "after _______" on the piece.

Artist's reps should to be all the guy since he's obviously doing them commercially.

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I am not supporting him but I am sure most of us remember Dan Adkins. Adkins would project the works of others onto illustration board, interpret the lines in his own ink style, sometimes colour them with a coloured pencil and sell them, very successfully, as his own. We were always astounded at the low, low, deep discount prices, often five or ten bucks. I still own a Dan Adkins image of a spaceman on a cross. Boy, he could ink. It was a decade or more before I discovered that the image I bought for $10 was snatched right off the cover of an SF magazine (maybe Galaxy) created originally by (I believe) John Schoenherr.

 

He did these before things had gone into reprint a hundred times over. A comic from three years before was in the distant past. I loved the work of Dan Adkins. Many people just couldn't accept his swipes-- the people who sued him for instance.

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I was trying to learn more about this guy and learn his story. I've got my Mighty Avengers #1 with a Parkin Thor ink right here in front of me.

 

It's very obvioulsy a tracing of the film actor, but done extremely well and in a unique style of Parkin's, with little slashes and cross-hatching -type strokes. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it, liked how it looked, and bought it full well knowing how it was made, for what was probably $15 or less. Totally happy with the purchase.

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I was trying to learn more about this guy and learn his story. I've got my Mighty Avengers #1 with a Parkin Thor ink right here in front of me.

 

It's very obvioulsy a tracing of the film actor, but done extremely well and in a unique style of Parkin's, with little slashes and cross-hatching -type strokes. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it, liked how it looked, and bought it full well knowing how it was made, for what was probably $15 or less. Totally happy with the purchase.

 

 

1. Parkin doesnt have a "unique style", he has a method. That method is light boxing.

 

2. I guess light boxing the image of the actor is slightly better than stealing another artists work, though one could argue that if the image he used to light box the Thor was a professional photo from an actual photographer, many of those photographers own the rights to the image they took. And if someone is grabbing screen caps from movies, well the studios own those rights. Either way he has a history of lightboxing other artists work and not attributing it (a'la "after Kirby" or "after Ross" and even then those are usually done when someone is trying to replicate a style vs just trying to make a cheap knock off of the image...

 

3. You say obviously a tracing. You dont know everyone, and to someone else they might think this is an original composition from the artist. The best thing to do is for an artist to be up front about his method. Plenty of artists use body model reference, but the legit ones create original body model references (I've seen plenty of pictures of artists doing the pose they're trying to sketch, taking a photo of it, and then using it as reference, which is cool, cause its all original).

 

4. You say you bought it "full well knowing how it was made"... how? Did the artist tell you?

 

5. I get that when somethings cheap ($15), then it seems like stealing, misrepresentation and so on seem like nit-picky things, but there are plenty of artists out there refining their craft, trying to break into the hobby and creating original content that better deserve even $1 from you rather than another tracing mis-representer...

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11 hours ago, kav said:

 

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Wasn’t sure if I wanted to reopen this thread or start another. Was wondering what folks thought about this one. Stated to be done by Gary Parkin. Original or “borrowed”?

 

5195CB00-1809-47DC-81C3-AEBB27D74103.jpeg

Edited by rogue14
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I don't find it to be well drawn either.

What is the "blob" at the bottom supposed to be? My assumption is Spider-man's leg but the line work creates a ridge at the top so it suggests it is something Spider-man is holding that has a thickness to it. 

 

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god the more I look at that picture the worse it is... 

 

First up this horribleness

Capture.PNG.87000bfe69a7c12f0e5fac582bbd06f1.PNG

 

The stan lee lift is so bad that it misses all of the nuance of stan. Its just "generic old uncle" thanks to the lack of effort or skill. There first page of google images for "Stan Lee" all look like possible lift sources, but it's hard to tell because he's left out so much detail and nuance. 

 

I think the Spiderman is lifted from a Civil War still and it's one of the images of Spidey holding Caps Shield so the "artist" had to draw the arm. But he also had to shorten the arm, AND move it behind Spidey's head so there was enough room for Mickey Mouse to fit in. Try standing with your elbow all the way behind your head. Its not possible. (the movie shot isnt the exact one I think he lifted from, but it's one around this scene).

 

Capture.PNG.f12c2562ea92700b2171b2d264b3f0fd.PNGCapture.PNG.bcded902d623da456433ca85b0942ba0.PNG

 

Also whats the black thing behind them, are they emerging from a cave? 

 

Edited by miraclemet
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Mickey's hand is just so wrong. How do you draw a cartoon hand that badly? And why put Spider-Man's leg (assuming that's what that formless lump is) there. It adds nothing, and really, the whole composition is just off. What's the weird shape around cosplay Stan? 

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you can always tell when someone who has never drawn from life - or studied basic anatomy - copies an image, especially one that is not ultra high-res.  if the source image contains shadows or pixelation which hide the actual features, the person doing the work doesn't know what the shadows actually mean, resulting in something like "Stan's" right ear in that pic.

Either Stan had a shadow career as a wrestler, or this guy has never actually looked at an ear while attempting to draw one.  Spidey's hand is the same way.  Copying what one sees in a picture, rather than repeatedly attempting to illustrate from a live subject

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