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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to print an artist's work at home?

296 replies

zatarontoast · 02/10/2020 11:49

Asking as I really don't know if this is appropriate or not. I follow an artist on Instagram who does oil paintings and I really wanted one so enquired about the price. At £500 for a small size it is way beyond my budget or what I could justify in spending. But... I still want one. She doesn't do prints, so I was thinking I could print one off at home for my own use. I don't know much about these things so don't know if this is considering stealing or is just a no-no in general? My rationale is that she isn't losing by me doing this as I wasn't going to buy it anyway.

OP posts:
KrakowDawn · 02/10/2020 12:31

I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm!

keeprocking · 02/10/2020 12:32

I've done it, morally wrong I know, but I did once copy and enlarge a small painting off a calendar for my mother.

How many people scan school photos of their children then have prints made? Unfortunately modern technology has made it too easy to do wrong.

I'm surprised that the artist hasn't had prints made, very few people can afford original artwork except those abominations on the fridge, maybe contact the artist and suggest it.

KarmaStar · 02/10/2020 12:33

As you're asking,yes I'd say yabu.
But nobody will know.
Do you mean if enough posters say Yabu you won't do it?😁

emilyfrost · 02/10/2020 12:35

YABU. You may “want one”, but if you can’t afford to spend £500 on one then you can’t have one.

That’s life. You can’t go around stealing what you want just because you can’t afford it.

SoupDragon · 02/10/2020 12:38

Do you honestly believe they will say yeah go ahead?

🤦🏻‍♀️ Of course I don't 😂 I thought that, when phrased like that, it becomes obvious that it is clearly wrong.

catgirl1976 · 02/10/2020 12:39

Erm...I've taken pictures of quite a few famous works of art of the internet and had them put onto canvas but I think Klimt etc is a bit different from a live, new artist.

On the other hand would she ever know and you're not likely to devalue her work by doing this and its not like you would have bought it otherwise.

Do agree with PP you will struggle with the resolution and its a shame she does't do prints as you would clearly have bought one which would have been win / win.

GCAcademic · 02/10/2020 12:39

Surely it's not going to be sufficiently high resolution for printing. It will look shit.

SantaClaritaDiet · 02/10/2020 12:42

How many people scan school photos of their children then have prints made? Unfortunately modern technology has made it too easy to do wrong.

at least a digital version is usually also available to purchase, so the business does try to cover all angles.

You can’t go around stealing what you want just because you can’t afford it.
that's the issue here. The OP (and most people ) wouldn't ever consider stealing the actual painting, or the only digital copy that exist. Making an (illegal) copy of something you wouldn't purchase anyway and stick to your private home is not seen as stealing in the same way.

Afibtomyboy · 02/10/2020 12:43

You wanted an original oil painting

And now you’ll be happy with a print out?! Grin

Original poster
zatarontoast · 02/10/2020 12:43

Thank you for all of your replies. I was wanting the legal stance so now I know it is illegal I won't do it. That's a good idea about asking her for an image. She has no watermark on her IG pictures.
Can I ask what is the stance then about printing anything off the Internet for personal use? Dd had an art homework recently and was told to print stuff off using Google images, these must be photos that professionals have taken and the same principle applies?

OP posts:
LadyLoungeALot · 02/10/2020 12:45

@SantaClaritaDiet

How many people scan school photos of their children then have prints made? Unfortunately modern technology has made it too easy to do wrong.

at least a digital version is usually also available to purchase, so the business does try to cover all angles.

You can’t go around stealing what you want just because you can’t afford it.
that's the issue here. The OP (and most people ) wouldn't ever consider stealing the actual painting, or the only digital copy that exist. Making an (illegal) copy of something you wouldn't purchase anyway and stick to your private home is not seen as stealing in the same way.

Same with pirate DVDs? "I wouldn't have brought the film at full price" But they did- at £5 for a bootleg, so they obviously did want to watch it, just enough to not wait for it to be on ITV in 2 years time.
pontiouspilates · 02/10/2020 12:45

Please don't do this. The work is copyright of the Artist. Essentially you would be stealing. If you ask the artist, they may get a print made for you or even offer you a discount or payment terms.

Dugsbollox · 02/10/2020 12:47

It will look shite, and it's stealing. But if you're happy knowing that every time you look at it, carry on. I'd rather save up for a long time and know I had something worth it to me.

Original poster
zatarontoast · 02/10/2020 12:47

Just to clarify though for those asking, I'm not an appreciatior of art so don't care if it's an oil painting or done with Sharpies, so the resolution or medium wouldn't bother me. The picture is an abstract line drawing of a particular place in the homeland of my parents, so the place means something to me and I really like the colours she has used Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
zatarontoast · 02/10/2020 12:48

But there's no way I like it enough to spend a lot of money on it. She isn't a known artist so I really didn't think it would be so expensive, but appreciate after the replies that it is probably more to do with the time.

OP posts:
Dugsbollox · 02/10/2020 12:49

@zatarontoast

But there's no way I like it enough to spend a lot of money on it. She isn't a known artist so I really didn't think it would be so expensive, but appreciate after the replies that it is probably more to do with the time.
Time, skill, materials, and having something unique. It all costs. If you ask her if she'd consider selling prints that's the right thing to do.
BrazenlyDefying · 02/10/2020 12:51

You can't afford it.

It's exactly the same as counterfeiting anything else. Cheap and nasty.

SantaClaritaDiet · 02/10/2020 12:55

LadyLoungeALot
I am not encouraging or condoning it! Just looking at the reasoning behind it, it's a very hard area to police and for artists to protect themselves. You never stop people making copies or watching illegal streamings. They don't even know what is legal or not these days.

Posters smirking that it will look shit because someone can't afford the original are totally unhelpful.

JoeCalFuckingZaghe · 02/10/2020 12:55

If you try and take a photo from her Instagram, print it out at a decent size and frame it, I guarantee you’ll care about resolution. It’ll look like you’re looking at the artwork through Vaseline it’ll be do blurry

picklemewalnuts · 02/10/2020 12:56

I'd view it slightly differently- there's no way it will look like the original, so I'd view it as being like taking a photo of it and printing that.

There are lots of things that are high end that are reproduced more cheaply. Most high street fashion is effectively a cheap rip off of someone else's posh frock. No one seems to care much about that. Cheaper fabric, cheaper designer, poorer quality, cheaper labour. Just like if OP prints an A4 of an art work.

Original poster
zatarontoast · 02/10/2020 12:58

Is it the same as counterfeiting? Counterfeits are sold for profit? I'm asking a genuine question about this BTW. From a religious point of view if it is illegal then I can't do it, but I realize now that I've done this loads without realising itBlush I've scanned the school photos and printed lots of photos from the Internet for school homework, I was even saving pics on Instagram that I wanted to make into pictures too. Is it only stealing if the original creator is selling the stuff, or illegal fullstop without permission?

OP posts:
Meuniere · 02/10/2020 13:04

It's not counterfeit!
Counterfeits are done to try and trick people into thinking its the real thing. At the very least they aim at looking like the real thing.

You are talking about doing a print (from your own printer I assume?) of an oil painting! The resolution won't be great. It's fine.

emilyfrost · 02/10/2020 13:05

Is it only stealing if the original creator is selling the stuff, or illegal fullstop without permission?

It’s illegal fullstop without their permission.

It’s someone else’s work that they’ve spent a lot of time, effort and money on. You can’t just go around saving and taking them.

Meuniere · 02/10/2020 13:06

@picklemewalnuts

I'd view it slightly differently- there's no way it will look like the original, so I'd view it as being like taking a photo of it and printing that.

There are lots of things that are high end that are reproduced more cheaply. Most high street fashion is effectively a cheap rip off of someone else's posh frock. No one seems to care much about that. Cheaper fabric, cheaper designer, poorer quality, cheaper labour. Just like if OP prints an A4 of an art work.

Well to be fair it IS a photo of an original painting.

If someone was talking a phto at an exhibition and then was printing it, would it be wrong too?

ZolaGrey · 02/10/2020 13:06

It makes no difference if she's a 'known' artist or not. We were taught at uni that there's a basic algorithm to work out how to cost work, base rate is £150 a day plus materials, then there are slight variables around the size of the work, if you have a following etc.

£500 for a small-ish oil painting is roughly correct. You wouldn't tell a plumber fitting a boiler that takes two days that you think it should only cost £100, so it doesn't work that way with artists.

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