Hmm, you're stealing the images created by others, by your own admission. Sound like copyright violation to me. Just ask the guy who created the Obama "Hope" poster.

Doesn't really matter what the subject matter of the images is. 1) "used images" .. Meaning you searched for .. found .. copied .. then made derivitive works from .. images online .. created by someone other than you. (ie not your own work or property). 2) "from the Internet" .. Since the "Internet" is just technology, the reality is you used images "from a person" who had placed images online. Just because something is online doesn't mean it's up for grabs .. ie in the public domain. If you find an image online you like and want to copy and use it for purposes of your own .. other than those clearly contained in "fair use" (not as straightforward as some think) .. then .. You need to find the OWNER of those images and ask permission to use them .. or buy a license .. depending on lots of factors .. ie your intended use, if that's for commercial gain, what the owner's wishes are about their work, etc Bottom line: your usage "might" be ok (fair use) and "might" be illegal (illegally creating a derivative work on an image you effectively "stole" minus any permissions or licenses). Best advice is not to assume anything on the Internet is yours! Locate the owner and go from there. Best of luck to you ...

Based on the way you worded the question, it seems pretty clear that you know it is illegal. You are trying to rationalize why it should be legal, but at the end of the day you are copying, or at the least, using someone else’s copyrighted work to create a derivative work. Both of these acts are specifically protected by copyright law.

I'm not sure if these peoples' answers are completely accurate. I do know that if your work is different enough from the original (not a close copy), it isn't considered copyright infringement. The fact that you're taking photos and switching to a different medium also helps your case. (though I don't know if that alone will protect you). Anyone who automatically assumes that "derivative works" are illegal is wrong. Works that are based on other works, inspired by other works, or derived from other works are usually acceptable as long as they aren't too close to the original (and the original concept is not patented...). I'm not sure exactly how the closeness is measured, but I heard that 22 or more differences between your copy and the original is legal.