Question

[Blind Mellon Chitlin]

Hello, I'm new to this business and in hopes some of you can answer a simple question for me. If I pull up a google image anddo a drawing of a photograph in it, am I free to publish it and sell it?

Thanks,Mike

[RainySea]

Google images just searches the entire web for any images that are online. . . for example it pulls up images from my personal web page if I type in the right words for it to find them. But on the bottom of my website (and many websites) it indicates that they are copyright with all rights reserved. However, when you see them on google images after a search, you don't see that warning unless you go to the actual site that google is pulling them from and then you will see where they are from and who they belong to.

[Greg Long]

No you can't is the short answer. You can use the images as general references within works, much like using collected images from magazines etc. as references or for ideas but copying them is copyright/Intellectual property infringement.

[RobinZ]

We have a great reference library here and you can use all of them to sell from: http://www.wetcanvas.com/RefLib/
One caution, though, is that anyone can use them, you need to be prepared that the image you painted very well may be in someone else's online portfolio, especiallly if you don't change it substantially.

Also, I have used photos I found online legally and morally by contacting the photographer and asking for their permission.