I am posting this because it brings up an interesting copyright issue. This pastel painting is one that I did last year, working from a photo that captured my interest. I loved the girls expression, and the colors in her costume were wonderful to paint. I did not have the photographer's permission to paint this, however...in fact, I don't even know who the photographer is. I just saw it in a magazine and painted it on a whim. I am sure that because of this, I cannot sell it; no matter...it hangs in my home, and I love looking at it.
Do any of you daily painters ever run into this? You see a photo that you did not take, and you do a painting based on it? I see photos all the time that I like, but rarely paint from them because I feel that deep down, it is wrong. But sometimes I will see derivative works in a gallery or artshow based on photos that the artist did not take. I just wonder what the ethics are. Comments, anyone?
