Credit where credit's due

So as a newbie I trawl the net at lift photos into an inspiration file which I then often use when practicing. Sometimes I'll try to replicate something exactly, other times I'll get a few similar pics and paint my own version. And I've been hopeless about keeping artist info with the pics. Also I'll watch you tube and try stuff from there. So what is the etiquette about acknoweledging artists? Like at the moment my best seller for boys is a monster mask I imitated from who knows where..I'm thinking it was in this forum some place.. I just have monster written on my board and this is the one I do..if I take a photo of one I painted and use it on a menu board or photo book is that wrong?

And what about avatars or facebook profile pics (personal viewed by friends only I don't have a business page) cause yesterday I did a you tube tutorial of Becstar Anthony's tiger which was the same except colour and was so stoked I put it on facebook (with a comment below that it was from her you tube tute but you only see that if you click on the photo).

I do create a lot of my own stuff but I have a mega inspiration folder and as I newbie I admit I still lift a lot of ideas but I do need some good portfolio pics as I've been cold calling and have been asked for photos of my work to be sent through with the pricing... so is it my work if I painted it or only if I painted it and created it???

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This is my version of the monster..does anyone own this monster???

It is your work if you painted it. You can only claim it as your "original" design if you created it and indeed is an original design (which is not so easy to do).

There are few "originators" and many "imitators".

As a newbie -- I too have a mega "inspiration" folder -- which I use for personal practice. I would never print or publish anyone else's photos for menu boards, or anywhere else where it would infer that it is my work. But -- once I paint a design and photograph my results, I can use it.

That being said -- when I was at Face Paint University, Gina Niemi taught us some awesome new designs that she had just created... so I like to refer to these designs as "Gina Niemi originals" and give her credit.

Regarding keeping track, I try to organize my photos in folders that include the artist's name, or many times I just change the file name to include the artist's name or web site-- for example " Face Painter name/website -- green dragon"

Hope this helps

Yep... what she said!

You can paint anything you want, take a pic and post to your board... completely fair game. It won't be a complete reproduction anyway. It fairly represents the work you can do, cause you did it. People get their knickers in a twist when others post photos that don't belong to them.

Same applies to avatars and FB. If you've done something you are proud of, go for it! You will find, as you learn and grow, your most pride will come from your original work.

As long as you painted it, it is fine. Just don't claim it as an "orginal idea" of yours... that's annoying to the painters that did come up with it.

I also have an inspiration folder & I've been doing this for 5 yrs. I hope I'm always inspired! Once you paint the pic, take the picture of it, it's yours. I also find the more I paint a design the more of me goes into it. It changes & morphs & finally becomes my own design. Now days it's hard to come up with an original, because face it... it's already been done(except what's in our tag game
Never print someone else's work & use it in a book, display board, on a website, etc. This is where painters get mad.

I also would never copy someones design for entering into a contest.

It's a great idea to have an inspiration folder, and I've found it handy many times when I've been asked to do something I've never done before, but have seen done well by someone else. There aren't really that many "original" designs out there these days anyway, particularly tigers or butterflies.

If YOU painted it, you can call it yours. I like to say "inspired by ___" if it's a copy of someone else's design. I save photos of work I love and rename the picture with the artist's name so I'll know whose it was.

I do find it a bit strange with step-by-step or videos of other peoples designs - maybe unless they clearly say or write who made it - but just to copy is how most learn. I find a lot of inspiration in other peoples work when I make new designs, but find it more fun to make my own variations to it.