Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Public Domain Works For Your Art



Peter Rabbit and all of Beatrix Potter's books are in the Public Domain.  Some newer versions may contain copyrighted material.


If you are looking for public domain pictures, quotes, text or ideas, you may have a really hard time finding any of these things on the internet.  Most people don't want to tell you this information because they want to use it themselves.
   




That's because public domain works can be used freely in a variety of ways.  You can quote it, copy it, alter it, trace it, color it, make it into a cartoon, poster, t-shirt, or anything else you can think of, and you can sell it.  Because public domain works are not owned by anyone, they can be used commercially without having to pay a licensing fee or get permission from anyone. 

Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures In Wonderland IS in the public domain.  You can use the original art, text and ideas.  You can make up your own Alice in Wonderland or any type of spin-off.  You can NOT, however, use Disney's version in any way - unless you want your pants sued off!

 A lot of people don't realize that Jane Austen's books are all in the public domain.  That means you can quote, use, and spoof Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and all the others.
This wonderful painting is by Jessie Wilcox Smith
Jessie Wilcox Smith and many other wonderful artists are in the public domain.  I'll post more of her work in the future!

Feel free to save any of these pictures (please save it to your computer and upload first).  I love to use public domain work myself.  I like to alter it and make it my own.  It's inspiring and so much fun!

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