Yes! Imagine working hard all week at your job, and then someone comes along and takes your paycheck because it was easy to obtain and they wanted it. We all have bills to pay, artists included.
Amen!! Sometimes I feel like I’ve been non-stop talking about this for so long, and I’m tired. We all learn about this issue in our own time, but there’s so much information out there now about this that it’s frustrating people still aren’t hearing it. The really sad part is that diamond painting now has such a terrible reputation that it’s hard to even sign new, amazing artists. We are literally losing the opportunity to have ANY quality art to diamond paint because of the behavior of these companies and people who continue to claim it’s not their problem.
I am totally with you on this, I have no interest in buying from companies that don't pay the artists. I am not a professional artist but I love to draw and paint and the amount that goes into even a small piece, I hate the idea of artists putting in so much time and effort and creativity and then just being stolen from, I find it a disgusting practice and I love how much you stand by your principles on this and voice your stance
When I started diamondpainting, I didn't know about the copyright thing and I bought a couple that aren't licensed. I'm not throwing them away, but DAC has my heart and my wallet now because of their quality in rendering and drills. It makes this hobby that much more enjoyable.
I was the same, but now I have 4 that I go to craft ease, Rowe diamonds, diymoon and DAC (the last are normally only birthday or chrstmas). Not only are you paying the artists but but Man the quality of canvas and drills are soo much better! ❤❤❤❤
That's all good if you can afford them,I was brought the breast cancer ribbon one because I was going through breast cancer at the time but no way could I afford to buy more because I lost my job from the cancer and with all the meds costing a fortune so I do go through fansells,gbfke,newhomey and I usually get the occasional diamond dotz ones in the sales which I love
@@michelledrake9764 I do hope you're doing great Michelle! Also, I do diamond dotz if I can get a coupon. Or go with amazon after an image search to see that the artwork isn't being stolen. I understand, trust me. DAC isn't and never will be in my budget. That's the price of groceries for me lol, but we can still have fun, take care of our mental well being and find things that are copyright free! Take care, and enjoy this wonderful hobby!
Thank you so much! Hopefully coming from someone with a platform it will get through to some people. Sadly, there are a lot in the community with the “it’s not my problem, that’s the artists issue”. It’s disheartening that’s the attitude.
My stepmother is a photographer who continues to have problems with copyright infringement. I am also an admirer of Jeremiah Morelli, a Diymoon Shop licensed artist who almost stopped creating because so much of his work was being stolen. I let him know when I see his images on a DP site (so we can tell them to take it down). The frustration and disappointment in his messages saddens me. Thank you for supporting the artists!
Thank you for saying how you feel and making a great decision in my opinion. I only buy from places I know are license art work. I want to make sure the artist gets paid. Bless you ♥️
i would love to buy a DAC painting, but it’s not at all budget friendly. The artist 100% deserves credit, but as a teenager with a hobby, I’m not able to buy these high quality diamond paintings. Especially when my family doesn’t exactly have the budget for 70 dollar diamond paintings, it’s sad but I can’t do anything about it.
Well, you know where I stand on this topic, since I talk about it often, and I just did a rant wip and chat about this situation. I could not agree more, and I truly think that everyone in our community can make this change to ensure artists get compensated for their hard earned work. Thank you for this video, and for the amazing list of companies that offer licensed diamond paintings. I appreciate you. 💜
I think that poor lady who requested might feel a bit attack. I don’t think she meant no harm. I actually felt bad for her. We all agree on buying licence artwork is the right thing to do. But saying sorry to her in a half ass way was rude.
Thankyou for speaking out for artists and letting people know how serious its is. You have a big following and very well known in this community so many people will get to know what's going on out there with these companies that steal art.Its very unfortunate that this is happening.I like to add the hard working artists put in the hrs even days of their time making beautiful art and for a dodgy company to come along lazily steal art as they cant be bothered to pay for a decent artist must be so disheartening. Thankyou for listing websites to help those who aren't sure
I’ve contacted an artist and asked to use a couple of pictures. He was very nice and didn’t even charge me to use them. And I did offer to pay more than once.
That’s awesome. I was shocked on how nice and helpful Andreas was to talk to. I offered many times to pay and he refused every time. I have 2 of the 4 of his releases and wanted to complete my set. I love his work. I was not willing to pay $300 for one painting. They may not be on the same type of canvas but that’s ok with me. That is a really good idea about sending the artist a completed picture.
My sister is an artist and warn her about this all the time. I totally agree with paying the artist, some people need to lead with empathy. Like what if this was someone you know who could barely get by because no one is paying/giving credit to them for their hard work.
Not everyone can afford all the big name diamond painting companies and I would never buy a licensed product but it wouldn't stop me buying from them, fansells and gbfke have really beautiful paintings and the quality is fantastic , I've done some amazing paintingswith them,, I've done a mixture of top end paintings and they are lovely to do but I'm not able to work because of cancer and that's how I discovered diamond painting but I couldn't afford the expensive ones but discovered fansells and all the other ones life them and they are so much better than the ones on Ali express who I don't shop with anymore Also as we are talking about licensing I noticed that the Disney ones that mandy manzano does are named differently so I'm assuming she doesn't have a license from Disney? Just curious
@@horsesavvy8 her interpretation is downright copying these much loved Disney characters the only thing she hasn't done is name them by there real names, everything is identical to the Disney characters
Just off the title- yes. All of the yes. Support the artist, not someone who steals work. Of course you didnt know and i know exactly what brand it is. I’m so glad you realized it is not licensed. Thank you for the PSA!
Artist recognition, them being paid, etc and quality is big for me. If I am going to spend money on Diamond Painting both should be the top criteria. I thought about a mystery diamond painting, but after more thought I would rather chose something with the two criterias above and that would not only have the person I am doing it for love it or it give me that sparkle feeling. This is coming from a digital artist and fear that happening to me. Good for you Rachel. God Bless.
Thank you so much for this video. Artists should get paid and get recognition for their work. They legally and morally have the right to decide who can reproduce and sell their artwork. As consumers it is our responsibility to educate ourselves and purchase from companies who follow ethical and legal practices. Purchasing stolen artwork is no different from purchasing other stolen goods. There is no justification or excuse in purchasing stolen artwork. Being on a budget is not an excuse. No one has a right to other people's work as a diamond painting.
Bottom line, it’s just not justifiable to steal. & buying stolen artwork is stealing. I’m so grateful to have found your channel in the early days of my Diamond painting addiction so I was aware of this issue before I started really buying Diamond paintings. So thank you for the video, because it’s so worth taking about so that more people can be made aware.
Hey Rachel! I just wanted to say how much I appreciate this video! I have a friend named Carlo Marchiori and he’s terrified of people ripping his artwork, and your huge platform is great for spreading this message! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Is there a reason Paint With Diamonds isn’t on this list? They always have the artist listed with the diamond paining on the site, so I thought they were legit! If not, I can start looking elsewhere.
@@pandasgrl Paint with Diamonds does have some licensed art, but also sells unlicensed art. They also put out a job listing to hire an artist to replicate Mandie Manzano's style for their own use.
@@pandasgrl I would not recommend buying from PWD. They do not license all their diamond paintings, the quality and customer service is poor, and it's true, they posted an ad looking for an artist who could draw *just like* Mandie Manzano. It's shocking and I want nothing to do with them.
Thank you so, so much for this video. I have just recently started diamond painting within the past few months and I have learned a lot from you. Now that I know about licensing, I definitely will NOT buy anything that is not licensed. Back then, I didn’t know any different, but now is a different story and thank you again for spreading the word.
I agree..I am no longer looking at ANY stores that sell stolen artwork as when I first started DP I had no idea what was licensed or not. Now I recognize the Artists. That list of recommended Sites REALLY helps!!! Thank you for bringing this to our attention!💜💎💜
Great video Rachel. Couldn't agree more and thanks for using your platform to bring this - once again - to the attention of everyone. It's still needed - unfortunately. Greetings from France
100% agree with everything you said. Thank you for this video. I've seen stolen at and absolutely refuse to purchase from a non reputable company ever.
I completely agree. It's nothing worse than seeing someone else get credit for your work. Im not an artist but I know how that feels on other aspects of life and it's not fair!
THANK YOU! I learned many years ago doing cross stitch how devastating to the artists it is when unscrupulous companies and people start stealing their artwork! Many of the designers just quit as it was to costly to fight which in and of itself is wrong! The only way we stop these companies is by NOT buying from them PERIOD!!!!! And I am going to address the other elephant in the room! Almost all disney, star wars, marvel, DC, video game themes and most movies diamond art kits with rare exception are illegally copied as well! Royal diamond art and USA diamond art also sell licensed art work.
This is so good to know! Thank you for this information! I’m new to this community and actually bought a mystery painting unbeknownst to me at the time to check if the art work was stolen. Now I know and can move forward being more conscious of where I purchase them from!
Thank you for making a list of good companies. I have stayed with dac because I could not find a company that payed artist. My husband does not share is art because of thrives.
Man any hobby that isn't free and deals with art pieces has to deal with this. I deal with it in the bjd hobby with counterfeit dolls. There are just people out there who do not care. They'll use any excuse to justify art theft. I wanted to try diamond painting but I'm glad I stumbled across this video! I don't really need another hobby where I have to fight with cheap people over ip theft. I'll stick to watching great channels like this one.
Thanks for the PSA Rachel!! I started with the smaller, cheaper diamond painting before trying DAC, you get what you pay for in the cheap ones, Im on a budget but i save and every other month or so i can get a good quality licensed picture i can enjoy doing! Thanks for the list, it will be helpful for all who strive to use only the licensed pictures.
I appreciate your moral standing, I made a mistake with my first diamond paintings as I was unaware of the stolen art but now my latest purchases I’ve been careful with my choices. Thank you Rachel , stay safe love and hugs xx
I am an artist and totally agree that we should be paid for our original art, however, in the diamond painting world I see many pieces that look like copies of other artists work. Mandie Manzano comes to mind. There are many really great original pieces of artwork also, but there are "artists" and then there are true artists. So, I guess I have my own little rant. People rave about artists like Mandie Manzano and others that have pieces that are licensed but are just copies, in my opinion, with different names and itty bitty changes. Also, for the low income crafter who needs an outlet(especially those dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues) the companies with licensed work is and will be out of their range. So, I get your rant. Let's just give some grace here to those who truly need a craft they can love and afford. And you may not have meant this as a guilt trip, but I am certain some of your viewers took it that way. Just my take. I am still your faithful and rigorously honest subscriber. Also, I have my own original art pieces rendered into customs, so no worries about finding dps for me.
Oh wow! Thank you, since I have started watching you and Stitcherista I have gone away from Allie express and started looking for stores that are licensed diamond paints. This list is great 👍
I have literally just started my Diamond painting journey, but I only purchase from licensed companies. I agree......artists should get paid for their work!!!!! I super appreciate the lists of companies that sell licensed artwork, as it allows us to branch out and try new places! All while doing it the right way!!! Bravo, Rachel!! This is so important!!!!
Never, ever apologize for doing the right thing!! The sad reality is there are those that would rather buy multiple cheap quality paintings of stolen artwork than spend money for a quality, licensed painting. Thanks to your work, the work of Mrs Crochet and Coffee, and others, I’m very aware of the issue of stolen artwork and will only purchase from those that sell licensed art. Artists rely on this for a living. They deserve to be paid. I’ll get down off my soapbox now.... ❤️❤️
Integrity is of upmost importance to you and me and I applaud you for your position. Triple thumbs up, Rachel, I will continue to be your loyal follower.
Thank you for the PSA (I do agree, and I'm a very new diamond painter). I really appreciate that you've done the footwork to make it easier for me to know who is ok to buy from.
Absolutely agree! And this goes for all accessories as well... so many stolen images sold as cover minders, release papers, etc. Our artists need our respect.
I joined this hobby because I was told it was an inexpensive soothing hobby. Hardly lol, I enjoy the act of diamond painting itself but for a quality licensed piece of art, it's not cheap. And if you are getting it cheap that's a sign its stolen. It may mean I'm only doing a few pieces a year, but at least I know the artists are getting reimbursed. The only thing I wish is that people are more transparent on their videos so that people know what they are getting into with the hobby (cost, shipping, framing, etc).
100% with you Rachel. I only purchase from stores with licensed artists. I believe that even if your not purchasing stolen artwork from those stores, by puchasing anything, you are still supporting a store that sells stolen artwork. The overall enjoyment of dping is so much more fun when you have quality as well.
Rachael, you go girl!! I am 100% behind you! Recently I went to a dp store that I have purchased from in the past without concern. I was shocked to see well known artists work on their site. I wrote to them and questioned where they got those particular artwork & told them it was licensed. I had asked another YT creator about it. She contacted the company & they pulled the dp’s down. They finally replied to me & said they removed those dp’s. I went back a couple days later to look around & noticed other artists work that was stolen, and those too were taken down. I truly hope this company now understands the value of selling only licensed art work. Keep up the good work & good fight! If anyone disagrees I suggest you check your moral compass. Thanks Rachael, God bless you! (Sorry for this longwinded comment!) ♥️
I appreciate your view & the frustrations you feel. The DP world is a minefield & your channel has really helped me with that, helping me find the good from the bad. So Thankyou 🤗
You have said it over and over again. You want quality over quantity. And yes these artist needs paid before they die. People need income and yes they need to be paid. I was fortunate enough to buy and Diamond arts painting. I let it sit until someone I knew was recovering from open heart surgery and I gave it to them as a gift as I found solace in this when I was recovering from my own open heart surgery at 46. Mine was a cheap on I found on a website and then I seen one of several videos from you about this very subject and bought one from Diamond Art. One of the best gifts you can buy. Quality, surprise and good food made someone's day a little brighter. Thank you Rachel and never wavier on this.
I had started DPing from Amazon diamond art kits for pennies. They were affordable. I still have a ton of them. But since I found you and the great community we have here. I have mostly bought from companies who license. the smaller cheaper ones are nice but the quality of the DACs etc are way above and beyond. I agree with your stand. Thank you for saying what needs to be said. Nobody is obligated to follow suit but paying the artist for their work is the right thing to do.
Just wanted to let everyone know that a new seller is licensing artworks: Oraloa ! I doubted so I contacted one of the artists (Elena dudina) and she just answered me that she really sold those artworks to Oraloa ! I don't know yet about quality but people in groups say it's really good ! Have fun !
Great and its great to see more companies are respecting the artists hard work. Love the list of reputable companies that respect the hard work of others
Totally agree! Luckily, I bought my first ever diamond painting from DAC and it was so good that I just continued to buy from them, but I didn’t know anything about licensing at the time and could have easily (unknowingly) bought stolen artwork. I think it’s great that you’re taking a stand and spreading awareness. Love your videos!
Yes! Thank you! Totally agree artists should be paid for their work if they stop making art we can’t do diamond paintings! Do pay the artists! Thank you again
You go girl! I refuse to support THOSE companies also, in fact have tossed any of the cheapo kits I purchased from them when I first started and didn't have all the info. Thank you so much for all you do!
Yes artists should be recognised for their work. But when you live overseas like I do and have to pay a fortune in shipping and also convert US dollars, to my currency, it also becomes expensive for something that I do for relaxing and that of a crafty hobby when paying $100 plus, when that money can be used for more essential things such as food or medicines. Guilting people who can't afford high end prices, shouldn't be what craft is about.
Hi there. I live overseas too! It's a sad fact that international shipping is just something we have to deal with. Thankfully there are a LOT of stores all over the globe making diamond paintings now that legally license their work. I am not guilting anyone here, I am asking people to shop with some caution and appreciation for the artist.
@@RachelRaeCraft the costs to where you are from the US are a lot cheaper -it's not only for the postage either but the item as well, and we don't get a lot of the stores over here in Australia with the licenced artwork that you and other diamond painters love to buy. I'd love to buy the Randy dragon artwork diamond painting but just can't afford them.
Hi Rachel. Could you possibly do a video on how to check to see if a diamond painting is being ripped off? I only do DAC paintings because I don’t know how to check. I love your videos and your integrity , and would appreciate your help. Thank you, and stay safe.
Hi friends! I’m looking for recommendations for small Diamond painting stores to support! I know DIY Moon shop but I’m looking for more “smaller” businesses to support so tell me all of your favorites please
Thank you so much for making this video! I started diamond painting in March of 2020. I had no idea that these places stole artwork. I was heartbroken to know I accidentally supported that. Now I only buy from legit companies, DAC especially! So thank you, without your videos I would have never known this was an issue.
I didn't know about this issue untill recently, as I had to take a step back from diamond painting for a while.. so thank you for talking about it. I find it interesting though the paintings that I have that were stolen I have had to buy them again frome DAC or other places with licensed art because the quality of the first ones was so bad. I will be much more careful and smart about where I am shopping from now on! And again thank you for doing this.
I totally agree that we should pay the artists. I checked out some of the links but these companies are so much more expensive. Does the artist really receive that much?
Thank you! I found out about this issue after I had already purchased a few cheap diamond paintings. I won't be doing that anymore. You have every right to be upset because I am too!
Good for you! It needed to be said. That’s why I stick mostly w diamond dotz dac and have a couple from treasure studios art bc I know they are doing the right thing. 👏👏👏👏
I agree 100 percent ..unfortunately i am on a Very low limited income ....retired widowed and can not always pay for premium kits which i do when every time i can...i am sure i am not the only one....i wish i could afford to only buy licensed work
I was a member of Easywhim where I would get a box every month with 3 DPs in it plus a few other crafs I don't know if they have permission from the artist or not so I canceled my box I was paying $365.00 every 6 months
I found a bootleg of Medusa the Dollmaker on Etsy and sent her a link. She reported it and the item was removed. Took me all of 4 minutes to google her email address and it's protected her work and my future enjoyment. It is SO easy to get caught out because the scammers have no shame. You fight so hard for artist's rights. Thank you!
I really get where you are going with your video and agree with you, but some people cannot afford DAC or any of those nice shops their shipping to my country is the price of 1 of their painting. So that is why I always bought cheap one's. Enjoy your day. I also do net buy from people who I know sell ddp's I have seen on DAC site or creators DAC unboxing videos
I understand that and that's another reason why I'm collecting store links from all over to help people find places to shop at different price points but still getting licensed work.
Thank you so much for creating this list Rachel! I’m still new at diamond painting (working on my 4th one now) and I only want to buy licensed artwork, and thank goodness that’s all I’ve bought since starting out earlier this year. Love your channel! You’re one of the first ones I found when I got interested in the hobby! 💞💖
Thank you Rachel, I completely agree with you. Unfortunately the same thing is happening with cross stitch. I recently reported a stolen image and in fact whole kit which was about half the price. The designer thanked me and the kit disappeared from the fake site.I think we all need to be vigilant about intellectual property otherwise we will loose these beautiful designs as artists will remove them and our craft will be the sad loser.
Completely agree with you!!! Years ago I didn’t understand the importance to pay or give credit to the author of something until found that a teacher was using my book as hers in her classes (when I have classes in university I created a book for each assignment so the exercise and examples would be focus in the specialty were I have the class)... when I discovered I was so angry!!! All her students thought that was her book! I talk with the principal of the university... how a teacher of university do plagiarism? And the teacher just said... I didn’t know that you did the book... and I was like... the book was created by magic or what? Of course she knew that was mine!!! In that moment I understood why is important to give the credit to the author or anything!!!
I totally get this as it happens in other artistic areas as well. I'm a musician -- singing, conducting, and composing. After I retired from IT, I went back to college and finished my undergrad degree in music and went on for a masters. I write mostly choral music -- I was the composer in residence for a group in Seattle, WA, and wrote a number of pieces for them. I self-publish, and sell my compositions online via a choral music website. I don't charge much for my work as it's usually high schools, colleges, and community choruses that purchase them and they're always strapped for cash. It has worked out well for all concerned -- one of my pieces has sold > 100 times and I always keep track of who has purchased my stuff -- plus I ask for a recording or video of the performance if possible. Imagine my surprise when I visited RU-vid to look for a particular recording of one of my pieces and found a video recording by a college choir who I DID NOT sell to. Never heard of them, but there they were, performing my piece. Did a nice job, too. So I emailed (non-accusatory) the music director to ask about how they came to record that particular piece. Turns out a student had brought it to them, a student who had sung it in high school (a legitimate situation -- the school had purchased the piece from me), and told the college director that it was "public domain." College director didn't think to check, and so -- there it was. He was VERY apologetic, and said he'd be more careful in the future about sourcing music. So it happens all over -- in the scrapbooking world, too, there's a lot of "piracy" going on with designs. You just have to be careful. Your list of legit companies that sell licensed DPs is very helpful. I've ordered a lot from Diamond Dotz and DAC, and I'll be checking out some of the others on your list. Keep up the good fight ...
Amen, sister!! For all the joy, fun, and friendships diamond painting has brought into my life, the very least I can do is to buy lisceneced art only, so that the bringer of all the joy, fun, and friendships, the artist, is shown some much deserved respect and appreciation, and gets paid. Does that mean I buy less diamond paintings? Yes, but my conscious is clear, and I won't do it any other way.
I did not know about licensed art work when I first started 3 years ago... But I got the just of it about 5 months in and NEVER bought from allieexpress again. Yes they are cheap but the artist deserves to get a commission for the art work. I buy from Diamond Art Club. Thank you for the list of other places I can look into now. ☺️ Thank you.
I love mystery paintings . I have done 4 so far . all licensed artwork companies .Only 1 was a disappointment. A friend liked it though , so I gave it to her .If you do a square mystery, you don’t get the white showing through. it’s not for everyone, but I love seeing the picture appear as I go along 🥰💎