I feel like these sort of things are so much more of a big deal in Japan than it is elsewhere...

While I don't condone tracing (couldn't they have all just uses these photos as references only?), I still don't think it's that horrible. As far as violating copyright, well, there are much more serious instances of that than tracing a photograph. *sigh* All in all, if HwD really has to end, I just hope Nitta-sensei will give us some oneshots of Katou and Iwaki in the future...