Question about space images/artist renditions

[Leeloo68]

I am curious of a couple things and hope someone here can help me:

When we see the artist renditions of images on the NASA site, for
example, who exactly, does those renditions? Is it a job that has a
title? I know that the coloring of most of them is significant. Is
it all done in an imaging program?

And, to confirm, all the images that NASA posts are copyright free,
correct? So, if I wanted to paint something that I've seen on the
site, I wouldn't be infringing on any copyright issues?

Thanks in advance!

[Golden California Girls]

Post by Leeloo68
When we see the artist renditions of images on the NASA site, for
example, who exactly, does those renditions?

Read the credit line.

Post by Leeloo68
Is it a job that has a
title? I know that the coloring of most of them is significant. Is
it all done in an imaging program?

Read the credit line and the link to the science report.

Post by Leeloo68
And, to confirm, all the images that NASA posts are copyright free,
correct?

NO! Read the credit line, many are not U.S. Government works and are 100%
copyrighted.

Post by Leeloo68
So, if I wanted to paint something that I've seen on the
site, I wouldn't be infringing on any copyright issues?

Read the credit line.

Post by Leeloo68
Thanks in advance!

[Dan Birchall]

Post by Leeloo68
When we see the artist renditions of images on the NASA site, for
example, who exactly, does those renditions? Is it a job that has a
title? I know that the coloring of most of them is significant. Is
it all done in an imaging program?

I recently read an article in Hana Hou, the in-flight magazine of
Hawaiian Airlines, about a fellow named Jon Lomberg who does such
artistic renderings.

Hana Hou back issues are online at:
http://www.hanahou.com/pages/Magazine.asp?Action=DrawArchives&PageID=10
The article is in Vol. 13, no. 4, "The Big Picture Guy," and they did
link to his web site at http://www.jonlomberg.com/ from the article.