Is it legal to sell a drawing done from a photograph?

Question

If someone drew a picture from a photo, could that drawing be then sold as original art? I see people selling drawings of cartoons, I'm sure that they have been copyrighted. Basically, I would like to sell some artwork that I have done (some drawn from photos) and was wondering if this is legal.

Answer 1

lt should be legal

Answer 2

If the drawing is your own and is drawn from your photograph and the drawing in that photograph is yours then you may sell it. Basically if the content you are duplicating is not yours then its illegal. Make sure everything you draw is your own work never copied in any way.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Yes yes yes yes yes... go sell away! It is original art.  You did it. Can I sell my painting of a mountain? Yes! whether it was photo'd or not. It is all my interperetation of the object, and my skill that defines the new art piece. Do it! Sell it!

Answer 4

Actually, I do not believe that this is legal at all.

Photographers are artists in their own respect. They own all rights to their photographs.

Some not as big a deal as others, ex, a photo of some trees and a sunset  gets used as a concept for a painting. Many things were changed, however the idea came from the photo, which is of the natural world. This would not be illegal.

However, if the photo is specific, angle, lighting, of a person place or thing, or anything from a photographers website or a magazine, and you make a direct copy of it, that is stealing art, which is and always should be illegal.

Any way, you would probably not like it if someone saw one of your abstract paintings, then they decided to re-draw it and sell it.. because that is stealing.

Best idea, take your own photos and use them for reference.. or use you imagination.

I have a couple paintings I did of animals from photos in National Geographic. They are displayed on my website with my other art that is for sale, however, those works are not for sale because I have respect for other artists, and would not want to reproduce their work without their permission.