hey all! i'm working on my first ever cw. as far as i know, there aren't any rocking horse shoes on-site, and i wanna change that! ^_^ i'm pretty happy with how they're coming along but would like some input from others before submitting them for approval. my main concerns are 1) the lighting, especially on the black part of the shoes and 2) the platform height. i feel like the shoes could be taller, but i'm worried about reducing the whitespace at the bottom of the HA frame any more. 3) just generally matching the site's art style, since i'm new at this! but i'm open to any and all suggestions, please let me know what you think and if anything else looks off!

cw draft and inspo

aaand i'm very interested in creating more lolita CWs in the future, but it'd be great to get some clarification in advance about what is and isn't allowed. the official cw rules give very clear instructions about "tribute items," but seem to mostly be referring to cws based on fictional media. has any distinction been made before about where irl designer fashion falls under these rules? part of my reason for asking is this line of cws - they're gorgeous and were clearly designed after ista mori's nameless poem

my assumption is that that one is fine to replicate since that particular dress doesn't have a print... so by that logic, using other examples of designs that are iconic and easily recognizable, directly copying btssb's baby doll jumperskirt without altering the design would be acceptable, but if i were to copy angelic pretty's honey cake, i would have to change at least four things design-wise. please also lmk if this is a question that would be better to ask staff directly haha. i just didn't wanna bug them with a ticket if someone else might be able to clarify!

pics of all 3 dresses for anyone who doesn't wanna click links

Ista Mori Nameless Poem

BTSSB Baby Doll

Angelic Pretty Honey Cake

I really like these! I think you've got the shape down pretty well and the art itself looks good. I would thin out the outside lineart just a little bit (it should be a bit thinner than the HA's outer lineart, since the HA you're using to draw on is an older version that what is currently used on site). I would also change the color of the wood to be a bit more brown, but that's my personal taste so you can ignore that. :P

I don't think copying fashion is EXACTLY considered a tribute, and there are many many many many clothing CWs on site that directly reference an actual real world item similar to the Lolita Smock you referenced above. Generally, I think as long as you're not using trademarks/logos that can be copyrighted, it's okay to make CWs of the item. The best practice is to always link to a reference image or images of the clothing you're making into a CW in the Submission Notes box when you submit your new CW. Staff will be able to review your reference image in comparison to your CW and tell you if you need to make any changes to make your CW more unique from the reference.

I hope that makes sense! I can't wait to see your future items. :)

thanks so much for the thought-out feedback, it's super helpful! ^_^ i didn't realize that the HA outline i was using was outdated, but i definitely notice it now that you mention it. i just pulled the base from the official intro to CWs guide. do you know where i might find an updated version of the large avatar bases?

i can see what you mean about the wood color, too. the yellowish color would probably look oversaturated compared to most items on the site. i changed it to a more tan color and like it better that way, ty!

that's also really good to know!! i guess my concern is mostly that copying a dress print would not be considered "100% original artwork." the point about using a reference image and going off feedback from staff about potential denials makes total sense.

thank you again!

You're welcome! Sorry it took a while for anyone to see your post, this forum is kinda dead for some reason even though the regular CW forum is super active haha. Unfortunately, there it's an updated base for artists to use, though they have been requested here if you want to add your support. ^_^

I think the color looks fine! Ultimately you should choose the colors that you like best and think will match best with the items you want to use the shoes with. The great thing about the new CW system is that submitting recolors is easy and relatively inexpensive, so if you want different colors in the future, or have interest from other buyers for additional colors, that's not a problem.

It's a bit of a gray area, but as long as you're up front with your references with staff you're probably okay! Translating fabric patterns and such to a CW usually means the pattern gets altered in some respect, anyway. But the person managing the CW queue () has a long history of managing CW submissions and usually gives very helpful denial feedback.

oh that's nothing to apologize for! i'm in no rush, just grateful to have gotten a response ^_^ i did post in your thread just now, ty for the link!

that's a good point. i haven't yet experimented with layering it on top of outfits yet, so i'll have to see how the colors look with other items. also a good point, i would love to make recolors in the future if people are interested!

sounds good, ty very much again!

You're welcome! Good luck!