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Question: Is it illegal to copy off someone else's art!?
My art teacher said not to draw someone else's art because that stealing their creativity and their imagination, and he said "DO NOT DO THIS, IT IS ILLEGAL! DRAW FROM YOUR MIND, BE CREATIVE, USE YOUR IMAGINATION BECAUSE IT IS REALLY EASY" For example, you go onto yahoo image search and search dragons and you find this really awesome dragon that some grown up drew, so you take out your sketchbook and pencil and draw that same dragon that that person did!. Is that illegal!? because I always thought that it wasn't illegal UNLESS you sold it as your own!. He really made me feel sooo bad!. He made me feel like I wasn't an artist!. In my mind i was like " wow! I've been drawing dragons from the internet for a long time and I still can't think of my own dragon, I'm not an artist"Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
It is not illegal to copysomeone else's artwork!.

It IS unethical to do this and try to pass it off as your own work!.

You can copy it and use it for your own personal use, but it is NOT legal to sell it!. It would also be illegal for someone to charge you money to make a copy of it, for example, to make a poster of it!. But it is fine if YOU do the copying yourself and keep it on your walls!.

While, what you say your teacher told you is, technically incorrect, I'm pretty sure his point is that you should do your own work!. If it is an art class, he is trying to show you how to do what an artist does!. Simply copying another artists work only shows you what he does, not how to create something of your own!. Even professional artists know that not every work of art can be a masterpiece!. We train and practice our entire lives!. And you, as a student can't be expected to produce the quality of work a pro does, but you ARE expected to create it for yourself!.

Don't beat yourself up about what an artist is!. Let's just say that you will be MORE of an artist by creating your own work!.

For more information on what really is legal and illegal, check out the official US government copyright office website:

http://www!.copyright!.govWww@QuestionHome@Com

No it's not illegal to copy works of art, it's only illegal if you sell it without the artist permission!. also many great artist copied other artist works of art until they found their own style!. So, do everything you can until you find yours, and don't let anyone get in the way of you developing your own creativity!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it is illegal if it's someone famous and if u sell it of as u own!. It's okay to do what ur din as long as u dont make a profit!. and u are an artist!. it is hard to draw and copy dragons!. and if u want ideas to come up with ur own dragon!. u should look up several pictures and from each one choose a feature that u like then u put it all together and color it with ur favorite colors!. Make it look like ur personality!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Not if you make it your own!. If it is an exact copy than yes!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's illegal if you try to sell it as yours, if you put it on your website and imply it's yours, or if you pass it off as original art in class!.

What your teacher is TRYING to teach you is to draw your own things, in your own style, to learn how to do it!.

While using reference pictures to help when you're stuck can help you learn some things, it still always falls back on you learning how to do your own drawings, not someone else's!. Your teacher is right in both cases--don't copy because in this class you need to learn your own stuff, and don't take other people's art!.

You are an artist, but you'd not be considered one if all you do is only copy other people's things!. Be creative--do it yourself!.

If you like dragons, try this!.!.!.!.do a drawing of a fish and turn it into a dragon!. Then try an insect (no using pictures, do this all from your head) and make it into a dragon!. Then a cat or dog turned into a dragon!. You'll learn how to do different shapes and body types this way!. Use your imagination!.Www@QuestionHome@Com