CREATIVE
Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
A: I’m a self-taught, freelance illustrator from Budapest, Hungary.
Q: What art technique do you use, and what motivated you to use that technique?
A: Mainly I digitally draw on my drawing tablet as if it was a pencil or ink because it makes working faster, in the end the artwork has to be digital anyway so I can save time.
copyright © Balάzs Solti
Q: When did you decide you wanted to be a creative illustrator? And has the internet become a good or bad aspect to life as an artist?
A: As a little child, 4-5 years old, I wanted to be an artist, but during my studies I forgot about this. When I grew up I got back to my roots. Thanks to the internet now I can make a living as an artist. whithout the internet it would have been very difficult. So In my opinion the internet is a very good thing if you are an artist. Artworks are available to more people.
Q: What do you dislike about the world of photography?
A: Snobs and artworks lacking good taste.
Q: What is the toughest thing about being a photographer?
A: Find the balance between work and private life.
Q: What’s your message to the World?
A: Be happy!
copyright © Balάzs Solti
INFRINGEMENT
Q: What was your first case of a piece of art being infringed upon?
A: Someone sold phone cases with my design on Amazon.com
Q: How did you feel about someone stealing your artwork and making money from your hard work?
A: It was very frustrating to not being able have it removed from Amazon, it took me 3 rounds of emails to have all the necessary info to have it removed.
Q: Do you feel it’s a necessary part of the market, to allow for free advertising?
A: There are some cases like charity. For charity I have allowed the usage of my art. Through free advertising more people can have access to your art and may become new fans.
copyright © Balάzs Solti
Q: What would you say to the infringers if you had the chance?
A: Don’t do it! 🙂
Q: How do you think this situation could be resolved?
A: Stricter rules and punishment.
Q: Have you ever been approached about infringement you have caused, or sent an email?
A: Yes. Someone thought that their design inspired me too much in my own work but of course it was not true. I hadn’t had any chance to see their work and they couldn’t have inspired me. When they think you copied their work it is more frustrating than when your work being copied.
COPYRIGHT
Q: What is your view on copyright?
A: I can only repeat myself, Sticter rules and punishment.
Q: Have you ever innocently, or without knowledge of copyrighted laws used other’s material for your own work?
A: When I knew less about copyright I used subjects from pop cultural icons, but I try to be careful and I never use them deliberately.
copyright © Balάzs Solti
Q: How do you protect your own work against copyright theft?
A: I use all the legal possiblities when someone uses my copyrighted material.
Q: Do you think companies on the web do enough to protect artist’s work?
A: No, they don’t! Because for most companies the profit is the most important thing.
Q: What do you think about Creative Commons and Public Domain?
A: This is a difficult question, both can be good and bad things.
Q: What do you think of artists that abuse the feature of CC and PD? And copyright “free” aspect of the internet?
A: This a sad thing and most people think that the internet is a copyright free place.
copyright © Balάzs Solti
