I think copying is fine...at the beginning. But don't stop there. As so many others have suggested you have to own the material and make it yours. Putting in your 10,000 hours to master your art will give you ample time to fine tune material and put your own personal spin on it. Use that original piece as inspiration and develop your own take on it...otherwise you're simply a poor copy of someone else rather than a one-of-a-kind.

Here's another thread touching a little on this topic: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......c=600986