Chapter 4 – Ethics of reference consent and cultural respect

Chapter 4: Ethics of Reference, Consent & Cultural Respect

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Ethics of Reference, Consent & Cultural Respect that Show Thinking

For Costume Concept Artists in Concepting and Production
(Portfolio, Careers & Ethics – Targeted portfolios, communication, contracts)

1. Why Ethics Belongs in a Costume Concept Portfolio

Costume concept art is never made in a vacuum. Every design you create is built on references—from historical garments and museum photos, to street fashion, cosplay shoots, scan data, and fan selfies. It also draws on cultures, some of which are your own, and some of which are not. In a professional pipeline, those references are tied to real people, communities, and legal agreements.

Studios don’t just care about whether you can paint silk or design armor. Increasingly, they’re asking:

“Can this artist handle cultural material with respect and nuance?”
“Will they respect consent, likeness rights, and NDAs?”
“Will their choices cause PR, legal, or community harm?”

Your portfolio is often the only window they have into your ethical judgment. The way you choose references, talk about them, and credit people and cultures becomes part of your professional identity.

This article explores the ethics of reference, consent, and cultural respect for both concepting-side and production-side costume concept artists. It focuses on how your ethical thinking can—and should—show up in your portfolio, communication, and contract decisions.

This is not legal advice; it’s a framework for ethical practice and professional reputation.

2. Reference Is a Relationship, Not Just a Folder

We often treat reference as “images on my hard drive,” but ethically, reference is a relationship:

Between you and photographers who created images.
Between you and models and scan subjects whose bodies are captured.
Between you and cultures whose clothing, symbols, and rituals you draw from.
Between you and clients who trust you with internal assets and NDAs.

2.1 Types of Reference You Might Use

As a costume concept artist, your reference toolbox may include:

Historical / ethnographic images: museum collections, archives, documentaries.
Fashion and editorial photography: magazines, lookbooks, runway photos.
Street / candid photography: your own photos, or others’ social media.
Cosplay and fan photos: events, conventions, online communities.
3D scans and photogrammetry: studio scans or commercial libraries.
Stock image sites: licensed photography and model sets.
Personal fieldwork: travel photos, sketchbooks, interviews.
In‑house reference libraries: built by your studio under specific contracts.

Each type comes with different expectations, permissions, and risks. Ethics is about respecting those differences.

3. Consent: People in Your References

Consent is not just a legal checkbox; it’s about respecting people whose bodies and identities you use as raw material.

3.1 Using Other People’s Photos and Scans

If you are using reference that features identifiable people—especially for close likenesses, scans, or paintovers—consider:

Did this person agree for their image to be used this way?
Was the photo or scan created under a specific license or contract?
Are there restrictions on how and where it can be used (e.g., commercial vs non‑commercial)?

Best practices:

Prefer licensed stock or studio‑provided reference for close likeness work.
Avoid using random social media photos as paintover bases without permission.
When in doubt, treat someone’s selfie or cosplay photo as not free to use.

If you take your own reference photos of friends or collaborators:

Get clear verbal consent at minimum, and preferably written consent (even a simple signed model release template).
Explain where the images may be used (portfolio, social media, client work).
Be clear if the photos might be used as scan input, not just drawing ref.

3.2 Likeness in Costume Design

Likeness becomes especially delicate when:

You base a character’s face or body closely on a specific real person.
You use a real person’s unique scars, tattoos, or other identifiers.
You echo their signature style or online persona.

For personal projects, avoid turning real individuals into characters without their consent—especially if themes are dark, violent, or sexualized. For professional work, follow studio policies on likeness rights and model releases.

Ethically, ask: “If this person saw the final design, would they feel respected, exploited, or unsafe?”

3.3 Reference in Production Pipelines (Scans & Wardrobe)

On the production side, you may work with:

Scan data of actors or models.
Wardrobe fittings photos.
Behind‑the‑scenes images from shoots.

These usually exist under tight NDAs and contracts. Even if you have access internally, you may not have permission to:

Share them in your personal portfolio.
Show them on social media.
Use them later in unrelated work.

When you show process in your portfolio, sanitize it:

Crop or blur faces if not essential.
Use simplified diagrams or redraws rather than direct scan screenshots, if allowed.
Focus on your design decisions, not on revealing someone’s unedited body.

4. Cultural Respect: Beyond “Cool Outfit” Mining

Costume design is deeply tied to culture: religion, history, climate, class, politics, trauma, joy. When you pull from cultures not your own, there’s potential for appropriation, stereotyping, and harm.

4.1 Appropriation vs Appreciation

Cultural appropriation is not just using cultural elements—it’s using them in ways that:

Strip them of context and meaning.
Exoticize or stereotype the people they belong to.
Profit from them without acknowledgment or benefit for the community.
Present them inaccurately or disrespectfully.

Cultural appreciation seeks to:

Study and understand context: Who wears this, when, why, and how?
Acknowledge sources where appropriate.
Avoid sacred, restricted, or trauma‑laden elements unless the story truly needs them—handled with great care and consultation.
Collaborate with, or at least listen to, people from that culture.

In your portfolio, appreciation can show up through:

Thoughtful case notes about your research process.
Avoiding reduction of cultures to one color palette, one silhouette, or generic stereotypes.
Focusing not just on visuals but on function, climate, and lived experience.

4.2 Research as a Sign of Respect

When designing a costume inspired by a culture (especially if it’s not your own):

Use multiple sources: academic texts, documentaries, interviews, and clothing patterns—not just Pinterest.
Pay attention to who is writing: is it a member of that community or an outsider?
Look at contemporary as well as historical expressions of the culture.

In your project description, you can show ethical thinking like this:

“Costume inspired by 18th‑century garments from X region. I referenced museum collections and writing from local historians and avoided sacred ceremonial elements reserved for specific rituals. Modern streetwear influences come from contemporary designers from that culture.”

This signals to studios that you understand the difference between “cool pattern I found” and lived culture.

4.3 Sacred Symbols, Trauma, and Sensationalism

Be especially cautious with:

Religious garments (vestments, hijab, turbans, ritual robes).
Sacred symbols and objects (totems, masks, amulets, headdresses).
Clothing tied to trauma (slavery, genocide, forced assimilation, war crimes).

Ask:

“Does this specific element need to be in this design?”
“Is the story equipped to handle this respectfully?”
“Am I using this symbol for cheap shock or aesthetic flavor?”

Sometimes the ethical choice is simply to leave it out or to consult with people from that culture before proceeding.

5. Targeted Portfolios: How Ethics Shows Up for Recruiters

You might wonder, “Will recruiters actually notice any of this?” Increasingly, yes.

5.1 Ethical Signals Recruiters and Leads Look For

Recruiters, art directors, and narrative leads may notice:

Whether your “global fashion” board is actually just a collage of stereotyped images.
Whether your designs flatten whole cultures into costume tropes.
Whether your notes acknowledge research and context.
Whether your portfolio language treats people and cultures as props or as subjects with agency.

A targeted portfolio that highlights culturally rich costumes is stronger when:

You show depth of study (“inspired by,” “based on historical garment X,” “avoided sacred motifs”).
You show range within a culture (different classes, roles, regions, modern vs traditional) instead of a single “ethnic skin.”

5.2 Choosing What Not to Show

Ethical curation sometimes means leaving out pieces that:

You’re no longer proud of, ethically.
Were created under unclear or exploitative conditions (e.g., tracing unaware people’s photos).
Rely heavily on stereotypes or appropriation.

You can quietly retire work that no longer aligns with your values. If you must show it (e.g., a shipped game everyone knows you worked on), consider adding context:

“Earlier work (2018) created under a different internal style brief. If I revisited this today, I’d invest more in consulting with people from this culture and rethinking the role of X symbol.”

Handled humbly, this can actually demonstrate growth, not weakness.

6. Communicating Your Ethics in Case Notes & Callouts

Your art might be subtle, but your writing can make your ethical thinking visible to recruiters.

6.1 Case Notes That Reveal Respectful Process

Instead of generic captions, use 2–4 sentences to:

Name your inspiration sources (at a high level).
Mention research methods you used.
Note what you intentionally avoided or adjusted.

Example (concepting‑side):

“Costumes for a fantasy city guard inspired by historical uniforms from Region X. I researched national archives and local textile traditions to inform patterns and color hierarchies. I avoided sacred ceremonial garments and instead focused on everyday working uniforms, updated for a fantasy setting.”

Example (production‑side):

“Working from studio‑provided reference photography and scan data (used with model consent under NDA), I designed armor that respects the actor’s movement and avoids collision-heavy elements. Callouts focus on weight distribution, seam placement, and material choices grounded in real-world textiles from Region Y.”

6.2 Callouts that Acknowledge Culture and People

Callouts are short, but they can still show respect:

“Pattern inspired by traditional motif from X region; simplified and rotated to avoid copying exact ceremonial designs.”
“Headwrap silhouette references contemporary fashion from Y city rather than historical stereotypes.”
“Color hierarchy echoes real-world rank insignia but avoids specific national flags.”

These aren’t essays, but they show intentional distance from appropriation and misrepresentation.

7. Contracts, Licenses & NDAs: The Legal Side of Ethics

Ethical practice is strongly linked to how you handle contracts and licenses. Even if you’re not a lawyer, you should understand the basics of what you are agreeing to.

7.1 Reference Libraries and Licensing

Studio reference libraries and commercial asset packs usually come with terms of use:

Some can be used only on specific projects.
Some cannot be shared outside the studio or included in your portfolio.
Some have restrictions on redistribution, resale, or derivative products.

Ethical behavior means:

Not smuggling studio internal references into personal use.
Not uploading licensed assets into public AI datasets or “resource packs.”
Not sharing private scan data or behind‑the‑scenes photos without permission.

If you want to show process in your portfolio, create sanitized diagrams or redraw simplified versions instead of posting raw asset screenshots.

7.2 NDAs and Cultural/People‑Centered Work

When working under NDAs:

Do not describe unannounced cultural settings, factions, or real-world partnerships in detail.
Avoid revealing that a studio is working with a particular community or consultant if that information is not public.
Limit portfolio notes to released or generic information: “unannounced historical fantasy project,” “internal consultation with cultural experts,” etc.

Breaking NDAs doesn’t just risk your job; it can betray communities who trusted the studio with their stories.

7.3 Likeness, Image Rights, and Moral Rights

Depending on region and contract, people may have:

Likeness rights: control over how their face/body is used commercially.
Moral rights: concerns over distortions, offensive uses, or reputational harm.

As a costume artist, you usually don’t negotiate these directly, but you can still:

Avoid uncomfortable caricatures or demeaning uses of a model’s likeness.
Flag potential issues to producers or leads if a design feels like it crosses a line.
Support studio practices that honor models’ and communities’ concerns.

Ethical leadership often means raising a gentle concern early rather than staying silent.

8. Concepting vs Production: Different Angles on Ethical Practice

Both sides of the pipeline face ethical decisions, but in slightly different ways.

8.1 Concepting-Side: Origin and Representation

Concepting-side artists are often at the origin of ideas and visual motifs. Ethical questions include:

“Which cultures am I drawing from, and why?”
“Am I flattening a culture into a mono‑look for ‘visual flavor’?”
“Could this design be read as mockery, fetishization, or stereotype?”

In your portfolio:

Show that you explore multiple directions, including less exoticized options.
Use case notes to explain why certain motifs or garments were chosen—and which you avoided.
When possible, acknowledge consultation or feedback from people of that culture.

8.2 Production-Side: Implementation, Safety, and Respect

Production-side costume artists deal more with how designs manifest in-game or on-screen:

Are body types and faces treated with respect, or forced into a single “ideal” mold?
Are specific cultural garments implemented with care (correct layers, fabrics, behaviors)?
Are camera angles and animation choices sexualizing or demeaning certain groups?

You may not control everything, but you can:

Use callouts to suggest non‑exploitative camera framing or cloth behavior.
Note where variation in fit and body type could be added without breaking the pipeline.
Flag when an implementation choice undermines the respectful intent of the design.

In your portfolio, share production pages that show you thinking about body, movement, and dignity, not just silhouette and detail.

9. Repairing and Growing: When You’ve Made Mistakes

Almost every artist has older work that, in hindsight, feels ethically off—too derivative, appropriative, or careless. Growth is part of the job.

9.1 Quiet Retirement vs Public Reflection

You have options:

Quiet retirement: simply remove or archive work that no longer represents who you are.
Contextualized reflection: keep a piece in a learning section with a note about what you’d do differently now.

Example:

“Older piece (2017) drawing loosely from Culture Z without enough research. Today I would approach this by studying primary sources and consulting with people from that culture to avoid flattening it into generic ‘tribal’ aesthetics.”

You don’t need to write a manifesto; a short, honest note can show maturity.

9.2 Re‑Design as Practice

You can also redesign problematic pieces as an exercise:

Re‑approach the brief with better research and cultural collaboration.
Document your process in case notes that highlight what you changed and why.
Show the “before” only in workshops, blog posts, or teaching contexts, not as your main portfolio hook.

This not only improves your ethics, it also improves your design.

10. Practical Checklist: Ethics of Reference, Consent & Cultural Respect

Use this checklist when building or reviewing your costume portfolio.

10.1 Reference & Consent

I understand the source and license of my key references and scans.
I avoid using random people’s photos (selfies, cosplay, street shots) as paintovers without permission.
When I photograph or scan people myself, I:
- Explain how the images may be used.
- Get clear consent, ideally in writing.
In my portfolio, I do not show raw scan data or behind‑the‑scenes photos that are under NDA.

10.2 Cultural Respect

When drawing from a culture (especially not my own), I:
- Research beyond surface images (text, interviews, documentaries, patterns).
- Avoid sacred, restricted, or trauma‑laden elements unless the story and team are truly equipped to handle them.
- Consider how people from that culture might feel seeing the design.
My “world cultures” designs show variety and nuance, not stereotypes.
I am willing to revise or retire older work that doesn’t meet my current ethical bar.

10.3 Targeted Portfolios & Communication

In projects that showcase cultural or people‑based work, my case notes briefly mention research and intent.
I avoid vague phrases like “inspired by tribal designs” and instead name cultures respectfully when appropriate.
Where relevant, I mention collaboration or consultation with people from the represented culture.

10.4 Contracts & NDAs

I read and respect portfolio and NDA clauses in my contracts.
I do not reveal unannounced settings, partnerships, or tools in my portfolio notes.
I never treat studio reference libraries or scans as my personal asset pool.

If you can answer “yes” to most of these, your portfolio is not only showing great costumes—it’s showing that you are a thoughtful, trustworthy professional who understands that design power comes with responsibility.

And in the long term, those ethical habits can matter just as much as your rendering skills when studios decide who they want representing their worlds and working with their communities.