Another idea you might want to consider is you could find a local artist and hire them to draw something for you. Then you can get exactly what you want.
FYI, if you are near a university or college with a good art school, you could probably find a student who would draw something fairly cheaply. 
Thatās a great idea! Iāve used www.99designs.com quite a bit for my app company (http://tanukientertainment.com/). Iāve source logos, FB cover art and web banners.
I like the idea of getting custom designs done by professionals and selling them through the GF community catalog.
Be sure you tell people what you are using the art you commission for though. Some artists I know would charge very differently for someone getting a personal use artwork, someone getting artwork for a private group, and someone getting artwork to put on items for sale. Even if all 3 require the same amount of tim/effort.
Very true @jacobturner . If you buy a painting from me for $25 to hang on your wall, you do not have the right to make photocopies and sell them.
more here if you are interested.
I agree with @jacobturner. Also, there should be some kind of written agreement if you are commissioning work. It should explicitly state what you can and cannot use the artwork for. If they donāt offer up something, you should write something yourself to just to cover your bases, especially if you are planning on using it for a product or business. Get it notarized and signed by both parties.
Might want to look into what Thingiverse does - pretty much the same issue.
GREAT idea!
To quote:
3.2 License. You hereby grant, and you represent and
warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company and its
affiliates and partners, an irrevocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free and
fully paid, worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display
and perform, prepare derivative works of, incorporate into other works,
and otherwise use your User Content, and to grant sublicenses of the
foregoing, solely for the purposes of including your User Content in the
Site and Services. You agree to irrevocably waive (and cause to be
waived) any claims and assertions of moral rights or attribution with
respect to your User Content.
Is it safe to say this is boilerplate for 3D printing catalogs?
A good example of @benwalkerās point about how modifying any copyrighted design really isnāt a safe way to go is the case of Shepard Fairey modifying an Associated Press photo of Obama to make the ubiquitous HOPE poster. Though he heavily modified the image, he ended up being fined $25,000 and put on 2 years probation for using the photo without permission (and then trying to cover up the fact that heād done it).
If youāre going to use someone elseās work as a jumping off point, it has to be completely unrecognizable.
Agree 100000%
May be more the ātrying to cover up the factā that gets more people in trouble.
Iāve got a friend who is a designer. Small, but starting to make a living on her work. She gets really annoyed with people who want her to work cheap "to increase exposure."
She has a pretty distinct style, and can clearly find examples on the internet of people who copied her designsā¦ changed, but clearly her design. Even if they put her work in front of them and start going on their own page, her style comes right through.
She is maybe too small to afford a lawyer to go after these folks; but she is NOT okay with this.
āImitation is the sincerest form of flatteryā is maybe not true in all casesā¦ perhaps ārequest for licensing at a reasonable price is the sincerest form of flattery,ā would be more accurate of art.
Respect of the artist is always a good idea. Ask first, even if you are doing your own based on somebody elseās. There is kind of a gray area between ātaking inspirationā and copying. If in doubt, better to ask.
There are plenty of artists here on this forum - people who I am beginning to count as friends or at least cyber-acquaintances that I like.
I consider how they might react if I used their work in certain ways and let that inform my inner compassā¦
In a few months, I may be asking quite a few of you for the green light on things I want to do - taking inspiration from your artistry.
Folks concerned about copyright might want to check out these videos from BYU.
Theyāre hokey, but they offer thorough, easy to follow overview of copyright. They offer suggestions as to what to do if your work is borrowed or if youād like to borrow someone elseās work.
(Just in case: http://copyright101.byu.edu/videos/vid1.htm)
Thank you for that. It does help me understand the copyright process better.