AdorkaStock FAQ

The questions that I commonly get about me/the stock/life in general. If you have additional questions, just ask!
^{This was updated in July 2023}

  CONTENT WARNING!!!
AdorkaStock images may contain depictions of themes people may find uncomfortable or harmful. These include but are not limited to: physical violence to self and others, emotional pain, captivity, use of weapons, use of alcohol and other mind altering substances, and implied images of death or dying. If any of these themes might be trouble to you, please take care while browsing the gallery. Folders are available which might help limit your exposure to these themes. ♥

  What are stock/resources? How do I use them?
FAQ #217: What are "Stock and Resources" and can I use them in my submissions?

  What is AdorkaStock?
AdorkaStock (formerly SenshiStock) is a pose reference collection run by and mainly modeled by SarahForde full of non nude pictures of people.  These pictures are made as a drawing and art creation resource. They can be used for anatomy help, pose reference, help with drawing perspective, and much more! They have a CC BY 3.0 license but attribution is waived if you are using them purely as reference and none of the original photo is in the final work. 

  Can I use your photos?
Yes, but please read the Rules. I promise, they are really easy to follow!

  What is the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License?
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) is a Creative Commons copyright license.  It means you can share (copy, distribute and transmit), modify and make commercial use of the work as long as you attribute the work with a credit back to this account.  There's a few more details, so check out that page.  It does not mean that the stock is not under copyright or that the stock does not belong to anyone.  This is frequently referred to as "Unrestricted Stock" but it still DOES have requirements for use. There is now a 4.0 license that allows international use. I have not officially adopted this license but I do allow international use for personal and commercial work as outlined in my rules. If you are just looking at my poses and drawing from them (or even if you are tracing some or parts of the photos) then attribution (credit to me) is optional. Credit is ALWAYS required when you repost the original images or if you use the images in the final art piece (like a photo manipulation). 

  So that means I can I post art I've made with your stock as a print/outside DA/on my web site/for a contest/in my portfolio/on a poster/in an art show/in my book/on a tee shirt/etc.?
Yes!  CC BY 3.0 includes a commercial license. Please link to AdorkaStock.com or my tag on socials if you've used the stock in a manipulation or if you repost the images anywhere in whole or in part.  If you've used my images solely for pose reference then credit is greatly appreciated, but not required.  You aren't required to show me the work made with the pose reference. You must show me the work when the photo is directly used or re-posted. This means if you use my pose in a video tutorial or on a site that hosts references that's okay but you have to tell me and credit me!

  Do you look at all the art made using your stock?
I don't always have the time or ability to look through all linked art and I've stopped looking at all the DA notifications for mentions (sorry, there's just so many aaaah). I don't use DA as much as I used to as my new gallery is hosted on AdorkaStock.com and I get tagged A LOT on socials. So I will maybe or probably see your art but I can't really promise I will for sure. I always appreciate seeing it though! 

  Do you have [insert specific pose here]?
Sometimes I'm able to find something quickly because I know my gallery better than anyone, but I often cannot take the time to find a specific pose you need.  I will likely direct you to a folder or suggest a search, so it's best to start there if you haven't already.  The gallery folders are defined and explained here ->   they should help you narrow it down. There is also a search button in my gallery near the top right, it looks like a little magnifying glass and when you click it, a text place opens up to search. DA search can be kinda hit or miss so you can also do a Google search with 'AdorkaStock' and some keywords and that might find it, too. 

If you cannot find what you need in my gallery, you can also check the providers I have listed in my Pose Ref Stock & Resources You Need To Know list (though this is a little out of date and needs an update). Sometimes, it's also worth it to collect lots of references that are CLOSE to what you need but not exact. You can study those references to help you create the pose you want. For more help with that technique, check out this tutorial.

If you still cannot find what you need, feel free to leave me a message as a suggestion. See next bullet point.

  Do you take pose requests?
I take "suggestions."  If you have a suggestion just let me know in a note or comment and if I think it's something I can do, I will add them to the list linked from the main page.  There are no guarantees for pose suggestions. 

Some tips when suggesting poses: being specific is helpful. Saying, "do more action poses!" is not as helpful as, "Could you do a pose where it looks like you're leaping from one building to another with your hands as fists?" Also, I'm not familiar with every story that's out there, so asking me to do poses "like so-and-so character from this story" isn't as helpful as linking me to an example of that character's movements or typing out what kind of poses they do, i.e., 'crawling low to the ground on your toes with a knife in your hand.'

  Can you/will you do more of [this type of stock]?
See above. Also I have probably over 50GB of unposted images in archives so there's likely more coming. 

  I need a very specific pose like, RIGHT NOW. Can you help?
I have a studio set up in my house and I do take commissions. If you need a pose ASAP, check out my pose commissions on Ko-Fi. Pose commissions are $15/pose and I take a few versions of it for you. Also, my Patrons get direct requests so if you think you might regularly need stuff, consider becoming a Patron.

  Can I use your stock to make pixel doll bases, blanks, or drawn references for others to use?
Yes you can!!  Exclusive bases, public bases, whatever you want!  I always appreciate being credited/tagged for these things but again, not required. 

  Can I trace/draw over/grid reference your stock?
There's no restrictions on person-made art creation methods while using my stock. You can make your art by any method you deem appropriate to obtain the look you desire. I do not want my poses used in AI sample sets or used to make computed generated images with the currently available technology. 

  Why do you have 'No Critique Desired' on all your deviations?  Don't you want helpful feedback?
Please visit Critique Not Desired. Yes, this applies to every image for every possibly reason.

  Why are you wearing just a bodysuit?  Why AREN'T you wearing the bodysuit anymore?
This stock is intended mainly to be for reference when creating works from scratch.  It is important to me that as much of the form is made clear as is possible.  I chose a bodysuit hoping it would show contour well while remaining somewhat modest.  This allows the stock to be seen by deviants of all ages because no mature content marking is required.  In some later shoots, I've started wearing many other types of form fitting clothing. I usually grab whatever's clean and immediately available. 

  Will you do some with costumes? Will you do nude stock?
Probably not and no.  There are tons of AMAZING stock artists on DA that work with stunning costumes or nude models.  As per my mission of providing pose reference to a wide audience, my goals with this account are not along those lines.  However, I will occasionally post "Surprise" stock which will deviate from my usual format.  None of the surprise stock will ever be nude.

  Will you put your hair down?
I don't really have much these days but hair is usually kept up and back to not hide the figure. 

  Can you do different lighting?
Probably not. I am working on trying to have even lighting that clearly shows all aspects of the form, though I'm still learning.  If you want different lighting, draw it and consider it a challenge, or seek additional resources for the work you want to make.  There are some shoots where I try harder than others with lighting - the quality of the stock is not going to be consistent, especially when I have guest photographers who actually know what they are doing, and some of my poses are from years and years ago. Quality should be more consistent in the most recent photos because I have a studio now, but again - I am still posting images from like 2012. 

  Why are you wearing nylons in some pics but not in others?  Can you not wear nylons?  Can you wear nylons?
The older stock will always have nylons; the newer stock is likely without them.  I wear them when I feel like it.

  Why are you wearing heels in some pics but not in others?  Can you not wear heels?  Can you wear different shoes?
I try to vary my footwear, but if you find a pose that is just what you need but the shoes are wrong, try to find another resource that can help you figure it out how the feet should look. Check out the Fancy Foot Book! 

  Who are all the people? / Which one is you?
Me, SarahForde, is the main person in the gallery and I run the account. I'm the main and most common model; I have lots of moles and freckles.  Sailor Meguin (meguin) and Sailor Hedor are my friends from college who are also big Sailor Moon fans.  Tuxedo AJ was Meguin's boyfriend, but they are just friends now. Tuxedo Jay (not on DA) is a good friend of mine. Tuxedo Dan and Sailor Epona (not on DA) are two of my best friends. Tuxedo Dan's images are no longer available on AdokaStock  because the rights to distribute them have been revoked; sorry for the inconvenience! Moonlight Dan (not to be confused with Tuxedo Dan) is kidchrome, my brother in law and an awesome painter. I have done a few collab shoots with NyxNaiaStock, she is the girl with the paw print tattoos on her leg. In Nov 2012, I did a collab shoot with jademacalla. These images will be noticeably better in quality than my own because he's so fantastically talented. ;D  Some of the photos from my Kickstarter book project will occasionally appear. Moonlight Dan and Tuxedo AJ returned for this shoot with four new models: JesJes (a friend from high school), Queen Kat (professional model), Prince Karl (professional model), and Princess Linnie (professional model). Princess Rowena is a mommy friend of mine. The male model with the huge chest tattoo is Tuxedo Dave, another friend from high school, and the tall guy in the all white shirt and shorts is my good friend Pat. Harley Mask is the big buff guy, he's a friend. Princess Tim is my cousin. King Chaos is the playground ninja in jeans who appears for some clothed stuff. QTZephyr did a shoot with me in some tan leggings and a white tank top. My new martial arts models are Prince Avery (taller) and Prince Garreth. Sailor SA is @studio-adhd. Princess AP is (believe it or not) an old Sailor Moon message board friend (hehehe). Prince Tico is my Latino model. Princess Starlight and Prince Nova are my trans model (Starlight is very tol, Nova is smol). Queen Amethyst is a friend of a friend who kindly offered to model for me. There are more people I have to put here, I will try to update this later. 

  Why are some of your images no longer in the gallery? What if I still have those images saved on my computer?
I know that it's annoying to see images are gone from the gallery, but some images have been removed because the models have rescinded their rights to distribution. I have to respect the wishes of the models and no longer make those stock images available in the account. If you have stored images saved on your computer, you can still use them for pose reference but do not use them for any art in which the photographic representation of that person is actually in the artwork (photo manipulations, etc.). Doing so would be a violation of that model's rights and could result in legal trouble for you and me. This is a problem due to not getting model release forms early on in the creation of this account. All models now have releases and this should not occur again in the future as the rights for the images belong to me. 

  Will you watch me?  Will you be my friend?
Sure, I will be your friend.    But sorry, I only watch select stock providers and clubs or groups to which I belong. 

  Has anyone told you that you look kind of like Carrie Fisher?
Yes, and thank you. I miss space mom. 

  Is there any other way to access AdorkaStock other than through DA?
Yes! You can support me on Patreon and receive some great stock early access incentives. I sell a Handy Hand Book made with Null-Entity, and a collab pose card deck made with POSEmuse, and another perspective pose deck. I also have some collab enamel pins made with Aimee Cozza.  Get all the details about those and order them Ko-fi.  My newest themed packs will be also be available on Ko-fi. If you join Patreon at $2.50+ you will get most of those themed packs in advance. Check socials and AdorkaStock.com for regular updates, and access my web sketch app, AdorkaStock Sketch for randomly rotated, timed practice. 

I have one older POD book available, too. You can get that here.

  Who are the kitties!? MOAR KITTIES!
There are three kitties that appear in the stock photos.  The older images have lots of pictures of Java.  Java was a calico tiger my husband and I adopted from downtown when we lived in our old apartment.  She was a street cat and she had a lot of health issues. We gave her a loving home until she was 3.  At that time, she was diagnosed with FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) and she ran to the rainbow bridge. 

The other two kitties are the cute little Pekoe who passed in 2023 and my big handsome Earl Grey. I also have a new orange tuxedo kitten named Cherry who may show up on the new site. 

This is the best thing that's ever happened to me! Where have you been all my life?! Where can I find more stock like this?
I'm so happy the stock is helpful to you! I have collected a list of other places on DA where you can find pose reference type stock The list includes a note for when the stock is nude in case you'd like to avoid nudity. I haven't updated this list in a while... I will try to remember to do that soon D:  I have a group on Twitter called ArtPoseFam which is a bunch of resource accounts there. 

Is that a tattoo on your chest?
Yes! I got a tattoo in January 2012. You can see a full view of it here. It is the Ginzuishou, or 'Silver Crystal', from Sailormoon.  I added onto it in 2018 and 2019 so photos taken later will show more work done.

Why are there black bands around your wrists and ankles in some of the photos?
I started using the black bands around the limbs after :devjrunesael: suggested it as a helpful way to show perspective on poses that had foreshortening. I've also added lines to the bodysuits to help with that, however in many of my recent shoots I have switched to a two piece outfit which has no lines.  The cross contour of the bust and waist line can also be useful. I have two fancy full body grid suits that I sometimes wear.