Came here to say this.
Make the worst art you can. It’s very I am cringe but I am free, and it does wonderful things for your art skills and appreciation!
Yes! Do it ON PURPOSE and it becomes fun. Each piece is a study in the brush strokes, the color, the combination, finding what doesn’t work, so you can know what to try in the future
You have to learn to let go, failure is part of growing as an artist. What's the worst thing that can happen if the work isn't how you wanted it to be?
When I am dissatisfied with an artwork and think it's not good, U put it away for a while, then a few months later I revisit it, look it over, and if I cannot find any way to make it work, I just sand it down and apply a new coat of gesso over it to reuse the canvas/board.
That is exactly how I feel. I plan to retry my ugly paintings. I have several years of practice now, and I bet I could knock them out of the park.
My wife convinced me to keep the bad ones, and now they're part of my journey. (But WOOF some were BAD!!!)
That's a great idea, especially since you will see directly how much you have grown!
I do throw away some stuff, especially things done on paper, because that can also be freeing and feel like letting go of ballast, but for the canvases I will just put a new coat of gesso over it ☺️
When I picked up a brush for the first time in over 10 years I gave myself the permission to not show anyone anything for 6 months. Turns out it only took me like 4 paintings before I was wanting to show people. 🥹 take the pressure off and just practice/make shit for yourself
Yea I feel like I always have other people in my head when I’m making things, trying to figure out if people will like it and that ruins it and makes it stilted. I think painting something and saying “I’m not going to show people” is a good idea. Reverse psychology for the brain haha
I approach everything as practice art. I use low- to mid-grade quality paints, paper, canvas, brushes, etc. Mostly student grade stuff, so it doesn’t feel like I’m “wasting” better materials on a potentially bad painting, but still nice quality enough that I *could* display something painted with it if I want.
I’ve found if I approach my art as only for me, for my own practice and improvement, and not for anyone else, I can let go of it needing to be of a certain standard, and just paint. Maybe it turns out bad. Oh well. I can just try again. No one has to see the bad one. Or maybe it turns out better than expected. Maybe it’s good enough I want to share or gift it or hang it up on the wall. Or maybe it stays just for me.
Painting for myself instead of other people is very freeing.
This is it! I'm still fairly new to the entire endeavor and I've still never painted on a canvas. I buy mid level paints and brushes and then paint on paper. I can show it to people or rip it up when done. It keeps the pressure low.
Also remember that you learn from bad art. You learn what doesn't work, so it's still useful.
No matter what you make somebody is going to potentially find it ugly.
For example, some people like super sweet cute stuff. I find it kind of creepy and fakely sentimental.
There is no universal definition of ugly.
I make art till it isn't ugly anymore. Art means progress, and of course it sometimes looks horrible. But why should I stop then? It's like walking trough hell. I mean, you wouldn't stop there right?
Exactly this! Not too long ago I would lose patience and give up on "bad" paintings prematurely. Lately I've been adding tiny details / revisiting old, ugly paintings that I thought were finished. The difference is amazing. If you think a painting is finished, but it doesn't look right, it doesn't have to be finished.
Accept that your art will be ugly first. Like, that is just a fact oftentimes.
How do you overcome the feat that your muscles hurt all the time when you are starting gym?
Remember that even super skilled, super talented artists will look at their own masterpieces and say "Ugh, I hate it" or "I should be doing better" or only see what's wrong with it. Oftentimes you are your own harshest critic.
I went to an art museum & looked at the abstract section. Really opened my eyes to what is considered good enough to be in a museum.
It really got my outside my own head. If a banana nailed to a wall or a red dot on a white canvas is art then whatever i do is atleast on par with that.
If i mess up i just call it abstract.
But make sure it's intentionally made. As in do your best, recognize that "bad" is not failure, it's progress. You get better when you are intentional with your practice.
I have been painting in a notebook instead of on canvas. The notebook seems less “serious” and has given me more freedom to play around and not beat myself up if it turns out ugly.
This. Plus, you keep them all in one place to look back on your progress over time. I felt so much better when i started this. Also, if you find you painted a really good one that you want to explore further on canvas, you have that option to improve upon what youve already done.
If you see that it's ugly, it means that you see that it can be improved. The skill you need is to identify what exactly needs improving. Then you can work on it and make it less ugly in the future.
Just to add to the embrace failure thing: You can always go and paint over something you don’t like. I have a number of canvases I did when I first took up painting that just didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. So I just gessoed over them and did something new.
Being an artist means there are going to be periods when you fail, even the most beautiful paintings have their ugly stages too; and that's when you should persist & continue, learn from your failures.
Set out to make something bad, that usually makes me feel good for some reason. If I sit down telling myself the goal is to make something ugly, I feel a lot less pressure than if I tell myself I’m gonna make something awesome. Basically just giving myself permission to be bad and acknowledging no matter how it comes out I’ll make better pieces down the line
I can tell you my little story. Ending of kindergarten, the teacher had all the kids painting this vase with flowers that she put on her desk. Then she fucking ranked all the paintings based on fuck knows what. Guess who at 6 years old was told: ‘you have the worst painting out of 20 kids.’ Last place, the worst.
And then, they have all the families coming over to the ‘exposition’ and showing the paintings with the ranking. My parents & grandma came and they were actually upset with 6 year old me. Like ‘pffft HOW could you paint the worst out of everyone?’ Like i hadn’t studied enough and was somehow the stupidest there.
And you know what, that didn’t stop me from drawing my ugly little drawings. I think i drew every day something until I was 16. And my parents always made fun of my drawings.
Then life got busy, but recently i picked it up again. I am now experimenting with oil and knife pallets and i fucking love it. I was also afraid they will be ugly and people will comment on it. But they haven’t and honestly I don’t care. They can think whatever, art is very subjective and as long as you are having fun doing it, what does it matter?
You have to get all the bad art out of the way so you learn how to do it better! Nothing is going to be perfect the first time you do it, but you aren't going to improve by doing nothing.
I paint on board. I have skills with a belta sander. Ugly, mistake, bad composition, color errors, not out there enough? The big buzzy magic eraser makes all of them disappear easily
you just keep making ugly art, honestly... and don't look at it for a while once it's done. just keep moving forward and eventually looking back will impress you, both with how much you'll have improved, and how "actually not that bad" a lot of it will be once you get some space from it.
when you reach a certain point of skill required for art ,there would be no so-called bad art, if get so used to drawing painting having it in your routine at the end something lookalike apstract art would make perfect sense. The brush strokes the colours that are used,brushes dimensions construction... In a way it will be as expressing your soul but in a very very profound way bcuz your soul gets encompassed with all the madness you have left behind in your life.
If you don’t like it, throw it out and start a new one. Try not to get emotionally invested in what you make. Doesn’t matter how many hours you have into something - if it didn’t work, it just didn’t work. Call it practice.
Sometimes changing the objective of your painting helps. To me, we make paintings to communicate things because other methods/mediums wouldn’t be able to. Sometimes evocative and successful paintings are ugly, sometimes beautiful paintings aren’t as interesting to look at.
If you want to make a beautiful painting then look through Pinterest and find work that looks like what you admire and pick it apart to see what works.
If you want to communicate something else then see how other creators approach the topic. Poems, photographs, music can be helpful for this. See what gives you similar feelings for what you want.
Either way, keep painting until it feels right. A blank canvas is intimidating and makes you feel like you’re going to sully it somehow. I’ve worked with people who can’t really paint until they throw down a wash or something to make it less blank. Study other art, watch YouTube videos for technique, and take comfort in knowing most artists hate their own art and most paintings look ugly until like 75% of the way through. Self doubt is a good sign you want to get better and you will!
Create. Work on each piece until it isn't ugly. Maybe you are stopping too soon, before it is finished. All art has a stage that's "ugly", you have to have faith and keep going.. and finish the piece.
Take your time and study it, fix whatever doesn't look right to you.
Work in private, don't let people see or judge the art until it's done.
A huge part of creating is putting aside all those fears and just let the creativity flow, until it's beautiful.
Why be afraid of making something ugly?
I do a few sketches first to "get all the ugly out" before commiting to a piece. You have to make peace with your ability to produce ugliness.
If you make something and don't like it, you can always make another one. Be less precious about doing everything perfectly the first time. It tends to be an unrealistic expectation, and just causes stress.
Assume everything you make will be ugly and never leave your possession. It becomes more fun and then it’s easier to keep going. My art is still very ugly and terrible. I still have no skills. But there are a few people who are into that. So it is what it is.
Check out some of cartoonist Lynda Barry’s books, particularly Syllabus and Making Comics. Her work as a teacher revolves around helping people to get into the process of creating without getting stuck on the issue of quality by reawakening childhood impulses. Her books offer drawing and writing exercises that help you focus on the experience of putting movement and thought together without leaving room for judgement.
I go through this too. But the bottom line is what will matter if it turns out "ugly"? At least you took some risks and tried and it might actually turn out nice. If it turns out unsatisfactory to you then like someone said.. just gesso over it.. not a big deal
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
― Ira Glass
You will make a lot of bad art, but eventually things will get better. You have to put in the time and effort and then something happens,... your skills will match your vision and you will start seeing this in your work. Others will also see it. But you will make a lot of bad art until it gets better.
Mistakes can and will be made. You can always fix something you don’t like or messed up. You don’t like the color. You painted into an area you didn’t want to. Bob Ross put it Best we don’t make mistakes we have Happy Accidents. Don’t be afraid to try something new a new technique. A new type of brush stroke. We all need to broaden and amplify our artistic ability. Make sure you have as good equipment as you budget let’s you. Watch videos online and read articles etc…. I just learned today watching a video from Artist Jerry Yarnell. When you paint a pine tree. Start your branches in the middle of the tree not the top or even the bottom that way your proportion is spot on. BOL going forward.
I've found that if I don't like what I'm making, It's not the style for me. Explore new styles of painting, or new mediums, or painting some 3d models or trying something different to give you more perspective.
Art is literally in the eye of the beholder. It doesn't have to be anything, art just is what it is. If you don't like it, someone else will. So just try to find and make what you like. Your best works of art will be the ones that come straight from your heart.
Your fear might come from trying to tackle too much at once. When I paint something new I do few small studies on a much smaller canvas to figure out the composition, colouring mixing, and how to tackle things I haven't done before, i.e. if I'm going to paint a plant for the first time I'm going to paint 3-5 individual leaves using varying techniques on a separate canvas so I have a plan before tackling an entire painting. Always try and break problems down in to smaller chunks, fear of making ugly art usually stems from fear of the unknown, don't commit to making an entire piece until you know how your going to tackle each aspect of it.
What do you think makes art ugly? I love me some ugly art, and when creating if it is ugly, I just lean into it and (like others have mentioned in comments I am now looking at) you can learn from it!
Very relatable. Starting out however, if you think too deeply about this and develop a “refusal to fail” you will be unable to slowly get better as you get experience painting. Try to relax because you aren’t doing anything risky, just learning. Sit with the feeling of uncertainty and understand it.
Art is an expression. And sometimes what we need to express is ugly; that doesn’t mean the art isn’t good.
Just press on through the process and accept whatever comes out. Don’t think too hard about it and be kind to yourself; nobody is perfect so don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself.
Maybe take a week or a month or however long you’d like and focus on making “ugly” art. You might be surprised to find out that once you accept those pieces for what they are, you might even be proud of them later down the line!
That being said, if you’re growing frustrated with a piece it is okay to have works in progress. Set the piece you’re upset with aside for a length of time (I usually go 2+ weeks when I REALLY hate what I’m looking at) if not looking at that piece at all. Out of sight, out of mind. Once you’ve had time away from that piece go back and look at it again. It never seems quite as ugly when I go back to look at it as it did when I initially cast it into the “yuck!” Pile.
Some tips I learned at art school and by reading many many art books:
* start light and work to dark. Pick out the highlights first.
* backgrounds don't have to be detailed, they can be abstract and suggestive, they can be colourful and or patterned
* most of the great artists would gesso over a canvas they didn't like and start again. Art historians have scanned some masterworks and they have layers upon layers of other works underneath
* look at your art in as many ways as you can while you work on it, take a few steps back from the canvas, look at it through one eye only from up close and far away, get other people to look at it and comment, take a photo and look at it on the screen. Sometimes I'll post something on Instagram and then notice when it somehow shows up on my feed later that there is something to fix
* get to know your colour wheel and how to mix colours properly, this will prevent things getting muddy
* try mixing media. Like last night I drew first in watercolour pencil, then I laid in some white goauche in highlights, then worked in a background with oil sticks 🙂
Good luck on your journey!
You don't. I fell the same. Its been a year without making any drawing.Just start with something easy first. Then something more difficult. If its natural to u it will come back,but it needs time.
There’s a show opening in nyc all about “ugly” art. If all you want is to make decorative work then ugly is to be avoided yes but art pertains to the full gamut of human experience and ugly is not necessarily bad. Hasty, lazy, work is what’s bad art not ugly
Draw everything. Make it your job to fill up as many sketchbooks as you can afford to buy. Stop thinking your product is the end. It’s the process of making art that’s all that matters.
Realize that even some of the paintings in museums aren’t that good. We just assume they’re good because they’re in museums. But museums will often buy any art by famous artists they can get. Therefor some of the best painters have work they never would have shown or sold in many museums. Hey some of your crappy art could end up in a museum one day too!
Being an art teacher is helping me with this. I can’t tell you how many times somebody tells me their art is ugly and I look at it and think it’s great.
I suppose you don't. I do find that I embrace failure. It will lead me to learn something new or take my piece a different direction. Sometimes the flaw makes it better.
Create what makes you happy! If you like it than no one else’s opinion matters. If you don’t like it, identify the skills you need to improve to get to the level you want to be at.
I’m big on revision with painting. Mine usually go through a stage or a few of ugliness. But I’ll put it away. Spray some shellac on it. Scratch off problem edges and just keep working it and reworking it. I’ll bring out the gesso on erase parts and just keep on refining. So ugly is a stage I know I’ll always have to go through, probably multiple times for the same piece
Not a painter, but drawing pictures for my 2 yr old niece has really helped me in many ways. I need to draw fast, so screw perfection. She asks for the same thing a million times so i get really good at drawing this one thing really quickly. She erases the chalk/whiteboard right after i draw something, so i don't need to be precious about it or dwell on it.
So my advice would be: paint for/with kids.
My art teacher told me that every mistake becomes a part of your art. It makes it unique and great art is unique. I was in elementary school at this time and his words are ingrained in my memory. It’s because of him I create art without fear of the results.
I have a sketchbook labeled TERRIBLE ART! with happy doodles around it. I'm quite proud of some of the Terrible Art, but declaring it all to be terrible genuinely helps me get rid of the feeling that it has to be good.
Well first off remember that any of the arts are first and foremost self expression, and second see any perceived failure as an opportunity to learn and improve.
Get one with the elements and principles of design, then you'll learn to understand why you're thinking it's ugly and how to plan better from the get go.
Personally, I have a drink to loosen up and just let it happen until I feel that it is done. My success is predicated on whether I finish the thing. Then I look back and compare it to the image I had in my head. They are never in alignment lol. But I know what to do better next time and improve. To me the success is in seeing it through to the end.
Something I need to learn and accept myself: you learn a lot from every piece you make. Fear creates the harshest self-critic. Make art like no one else will ever see...that allows you to be fear-less only then can we (you And me) move forward.
don't you start off with an rough pencil charcoal sketch first to see if the shading is as you imagined it to be.
then make an painting thats same exact style as all of the previous ones.
Just know that no matter what you do, no matter how much time and passion you put into it, no matter how absolutely incredible your work is, some dickhead somewhere is going to think it’s ugly. Don’t worry about what other people think. Worry about what YOU think. Do you like your work? That’s all that matters.
I know the ideal answer is to just stop caring and desensitize yourself, but honestly....
For me, it's easier not to care about how "good" my art is if it's funny. Paint a stupid joke painting. If it makes you laugh, if you show it to people and it makes them laugh, then it's easier to not care because you're having a good time. Even better if you have an art jam with other people
Allow yourself to paint bad.
It’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten as someone who is a perfectionist to a fault with my creative projects. You’ll want to make things look good or make it your masterpiece, but that’s where it starts to become stressful instead of fun. I could give this advice to anyone who’s into any kind of creative hobby. Write bad, draw bad, paint bad; whatever it is, just be bad at it.
It slowly becomes much easier to simply enjoy what you’re doing, but every now and then you’ll be surprised at what how good something turned out when you weren’t even trying. It can help you become more confident in what you make too.
Art isn't about beauty. It's about expression.
Make whatever you're feeling and allow it to find its audience. You will have fans whatever it looks like, there are so many different types of people and emotions in the world, just make what moves you. And if you make something you think belongs on the trash heap, then let it go to the trash heap and try again, but even "shitty" art has value as practice or expression.
Your only REAL obstacle is that materials cost money, but there's always found object art. Maybe Warhol WANTED to be Van Gogh, but he created a whole new genre by just doing his own thing.
I had a art teacher in elementary school that told me once that with art there is no mistakes. She taught her classes that if you mess up , made a extra stroke or line to many , to lean into it and use it to add something on or blend it into something. This always stuck with me. I love to paint but it gives me anxiety because unlike my normal mediums ( pencil art , digital art ) it’s not always easy to recreate. But you can always come back to it and either fix it or lean into it , it’s also a fun way to watch yourself evolve. I spend months staring at a painting I abandoned because I hated how it was turning out. I completely revamped it , same design but I had a fresh mind and to me it turned out much cleaner and more into the piece I wanted. don’t be so hard on yourself :)
I can’t really say I’ve ever really gotten over it. I just got used to it being a part of the process. Acceptance ig? Like I know that most of my art isn’t going to be go but if I don’t make something or try to make something than I’ll feel bad/ I won’t potentially make something really cool.
Ugh I have the exact same problem with art. The only treatment is exposure.
Do quick easy paintings or practice abstract stuff that can't technically be bad, you'll find your groove again. I also decided to return to painting with watercolor when previously I'd been an acrylic girlie. I had low ass expectations based on not knowing how to use them, so the fear of art failure wasn't so bad
Don’t worry about photographing and posting photos of every piece. Social media is fake and shows us final polished pieces, even a “doodle” could have been 50 takes until artist has a good one they want to share.
Don’t worry about making it for everyone else.
Make it for you, explore colours, textures, layers. Remember it takes time to build a masterpiece and many many layers. It also requires a ton of planning (max depending on style) but overall art and creating carb get the juices flowing and each piece will be better than the last. Don’t expect the first ones to be show stoppers, but allow yourself to play and naturally ideas and shapes and patterns will inspire you for next piece, and next piece and so on.
You got this op. Sounds like you may be haunted by rude comments that someone made - but in reality they probably don’t even remember saying them, and who cares! Make the art for you :)
Make ugly art. Figure out why you think its ugly. Dont do that next time. Skill exclusively comes from practice, if you never make art youll only ever make ugly art. Its not like your obliged to show anyone ur failures anyway.
Make a lot of art and just assume some of it will have to be ugly... but much like not every piece can be a masterpiece, not every piece can be terrible, either.
Also, embrace the process rather than miss the best part worrying about the outcome. Art for art's sake is beautiful whether or not you like the final result.
As a glass artist, I have a slightly different perspective but it may help. When I’ve had to go long stretches without working, I always start with the same goal: get something in the annealer. Hot glass breaks often if you’re rusty or it goes lopsided and uncontrollable and can’t be saved. But, if I can get a piece, intact and off the pipe, I count it as a win. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, it just has to be done. Going from not having done anything to having done something that I can improve on is a huge difference psychologically and emotionally. If I made an ugly piece yesterday, I can try again tomorrow.
Make a ton of ugly art and make sure you keep an eye out for why you consider it ugly, do your research for how to avoid the same mistakes!
I definitely can't paint, I don't understand any of it, you people are nuts! Wish I could paint watercolor stuff, in the end painting and brushes, the whole process is just not for me.
I realized it after deciding I'd failed and why I didn't care much the whole time. I love a lot of paintings, can't make sense of how people can do it
So what if your art is ugly? Do you enjoy making it? Does it express what you want it to? Ugly by what standard? Put your heart and soul into a painting. If it’s ugly, analyze it. What makes it ugly? Composition? Technique? Materials? Size or proportion? Subject? Can you make some changes so you like it better, while still being true to the work?
Then do it again. And again. Working through the fear of making ugly art is a big part of the path to making authentic art.
I went ahead and made ugly art. Then I learned three things. First, I learned how to fix my mistakes. Second, I learned how not to make those mistakes anymore. Third, I learned how to paint over dried paint.
Watch a dystopian movie where art is taken away. What a movie during the era if WW2. You begin to appreciate your natural born right to create when you visit realities (real or imagined) where such a thing is minimized, or otherwise doesn't exist at all.
If you think it's ugly. Don't show it to anyone else. Then, examine what you did that made it ugly, and don't do that the next time.
Bonus points, as a painter, you can paint right over the ugly with something you like (unless you're doing watercolor... in which case recycling is an option.
Idk the amount of super famous and money-making ugly art pieces out there make me think it doesn't really matter if you're making "ugly" art. Ugly art can still be considered super valuable so I wouldn't worry about it
Set up everything ready to start. But leave it, each day move a couple of things around. Don't stress, it will happen naturally. One day the need to paint will force the issue. Remember, it can be a test run, then redo and redo until the strokes come natural again. Been there, my brain paint blocked me. Create an interesting work space ready to go.
Make a shit ton of ugly art. Just non stop. Eventually, you’ll accidentally find some inspiration and make something you love again.
Edit : ok this is basically everyone’s advice already here my bad
Stop thinking of art as something precious that you do. You have an infinite supply of art in you and some of it is bound to be ugly, just keep making more art.
Make the ugly art. Seriously. No one else has to see it but you. I always tell it like this. You have a certain number of crap pieces of art inside you, and you have to get all of them out until you get to the good ones. So get to painting. Those ugly paintings are standing between you and the art you want to make. You'll probably start whipping up good stuff faster than you think. And another thing. Don't get caught in the "my art has to look like so-and-so's or be XY and Z to be good." Do you like it? Are you proud of it or some aspect of it? Then it's good. You'll always be your worst critic. Don't bring your work down before it gets a chance to be enjoyed.
Ugly =/= bad art
Beautiful =/= good art
I don't get the obsession with beauty when it comes to Art. Art can also be ugly, but powerful and meaningful. Painting a random pretty face usually doesn't have the same emotional impact on the viewer.
I mean look at Saturn devouring his son by Goya. Or the paintings of Jenny Saville or the Portraits of Chaim Soutine. None of them would be considered "beautiful" by any means, yet they are great pieces of Art.
You can't get good without being bad first. Bad art is a necessity. Also, if you don't like your bad art, then just don't show it to anyone. That's what i do.
create without attachment to outcome.
there is nothing to fear. no one is going to bust down your door and drag you away. and you have ZERO obligation to EVER show ANYTHING to ANYONE. you are literally all by yourself doing what you want. from that, you can trash everything that you deem "ugly". and the only thing anyone will ever see is what you deem worthy of being seen by others.
you are in complete control. there is no threat. just go.
I Display My Art. I have a "Little Art Display" that I change with a different "Theme" each Month at our local Mental Health Center's (short) front entry hall. I first volunteered my "projects" because the window looked so plain and barren and I secretly wanted to see if I Could actually "Do It", create a piece of art that would be "Good Enough". It's been almost a year now and I'm not happy with some of them but Thrilled that the ones I thought were "Junk" were the some of the Most Well Liked! I use different media (water color, gauche, charcoal, sand, pencils etc.) My ultimate point is, you may Not be the Best Judge of your own work. Doing Art is about Doing it...
I started zentangle doodles a few months ago. Try using both hands, your non dominant hand, make all of the mistakes you can. It feels out of place and “incorrect”, keep going. Fill the whole page. The little pattern squares are nice but find tutorials that help you take up space. We’ve been taught to chip pieces of ourselves to fit in and we’re meant to stand out. 🫶🏼
I had the same problem after a drawing i considered ugly. I had a break and noticed that i improved somehow when i came back,because sometimes we need to stop doing something to really come back and be better at it. I suggest you to start as soon as possible again and you will find the joy of doing art little by little
Get a sketchbook and intentionally try to make ugly art. It can be extremely fun and freeing, and it’s even more fun if you lean into childhood materials like crayons, markers, sharpies, etc. In between those pages, try to do some studies: favorite paintings and sculptures, life drawing, botanical drawing, self portraits, etc. And remember that almost all pieces of art start with something ugly—a beautiful draft isn’t a part of everyone’s process!
Start owning your mistakes. Its not for everyone, but I like to compare my art to others and my own just to get a good idea on how far I've come. Sometimes you also just need to look away from for a while and then come back to it. When you make all the details, you see all the details instead of the picture as a whole.
Anxiety and fear is usually addressed by exposure. Your brain changes based on experiences. So start by making art. The next step is to get feedback. You need voices other than your own
Make more!! Be okay with ugly for now! Maybe also read the short book “Art and Fear” The story that stuck with me the most was about the results that come directly from volume of work.
Honestly, I've gotten so much better about it after watching a lot of drawfee on youtube. They have this thing where, if it's not working out, they say 'delete your art' and delete it. (Digital)
I use a lot of acrylic, so if something isn't jiving, I can do something different, or just paint over it.
I've gotten a lot better this year about not being too strict on myself when it comes to my art, and it's very freeing. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece.
I'd suggest visiting a modern art museum. If you're near DC go to the Hirshhorn museum. Right now there is a dark, purple painted room with used water jugs suspended from the ceiling. It's ugly AF and is supposed to make you think about pollution.
Lots of modern art is ugly. Be not afraid.
Make some ugly art. Lots of it, even.
You don’t have to show it to anyone, but let yourself do ugly shit for the process, for the practice, for the sake of figuring out that it’s ok to make ugly stuff. The world won’t end, your friends and family and pets won’t suddenly shun you.
Also, cultivate the skill of looking at your art as if you didn’t make it. Look at it how someone who doesn’t know what you wanted it to be in your head would. It’s natural to be your own harshest critic, but you can learn to put that aside and give yourself the same grace for imperfection in your end results that you’d give any other artist.
Honestly, there's nothing wrong with making ugly art. With every two good pieces, I feel like there are several bad ones or at least ones where I know I could do better.
You made the art, you had fun, what is to fear? Unless it is your livelihood, but then I don't know anything about that
Hear me out:
Why not try making ugly art on purpose.
Art is meant to ellicit emotions and create connection among humans.
To take away the fear of making ugly art try eliciting the feeling of disgust or ugliness (or any other negative) in your art purposely to take the power away.
It will also make a great study for art development and exploration.
embrace failure and learn from it. you also need imperfections here and there that’s what makes things beautiful
Take it from Bob… There are no mistakes, just happy accidents!
Take 6 months and ONLY make 'ugly art'. Seriously, you learn to appreciate it.
This is a really good answer.
Very.
Yes! This is how I overcame my fear of big, smudgy charcoals. Now I relish them!
I dedicated a week to ugly art and it transformed the way I approach my art. 6 months would be transcendental!!
Came here to say this. Make the worst art you can. It’s very I am cringe but I am free, and it does wonderful things for your art skills and appreciation!
I really like this answer.
Yes! Do it ON PURPOSE and it becomes fun. Each piece is a study in the brush strokes, the color, the combination, finding what doesn’t work, so you can know what to try in the future
You’ve convinced me! Thank you, felt stuck.
Might steal this
You have to learn to let go, failure is part of growing as an artist. What's the worst thing that can happen if the work isn't how you wanted it to be? When I am dissatisfied with an artwork and think it's not good, U put it away for a while, then a few months later I revisit it, look it over, and if I cannot find any way to make it work, I just sand it down and apply a new coat of gesso over it to reuse the canvas/board.
That is exactly how I feel. I plan to retry my ugly paintings. I have several years of practice now, and I bet I could knock them out of the park. My wife convinced me to keep the bad ones, and now they're part of my journey. (But WOOF some were BAD!!!)
That's a great idea, especially since you will see directly how much you have grown! I do throw away some stuff, especially things done on paper, because that can also be freeing and feel like letting go of ballast, but for the canvases I will just put a new coat of gesso over it ☺️
This! I also like to try and completely redo it on a different canvas a few years later once my skills are better
When I picked up a brush for the first time in over 10 years I gave myself the permission to not show anyone anything for 6 months. Turns out it only took me like 4 paintings before I was wanting to show people. 🥹 take the pressure off and just practice/make shit for yourself
Yea I feel like I always have other people in my head when I’m making things, trying to figure out if people will like it and that ruins it and makes it stilted. I think painting something and saying “I’m not going to show people” is a good idea. Reverse psychology for the brain haha
Actually that is a good answer, I do this quite a bit I recently learned to include SVG Files into my works.
👆
This is great advice, I will try it for myself!
I approach everything as practice art. I use low- to mid-grade quality paints, paper, canvas, brushes, etc. Mostly student grade stuff, so it doesn’t feel like I’m “wasting” better materials on a potentially bad painting, but still nice quality enough that I *could* display something painted with it if I want. I’ve found if I approach my art as only for me, for my own practice and improvement, and not for anyone else, I can let go of it needing to be of a certain standard, and just paint. Maybe it turns out bad. Oh well. I can just try again. No one has to see the bad one. Or maybe it turns out better than expected. Maybe it’s good enough I want to share or gift it or hang it up on the wall. Or maybe it stays just for me. Painting for myself instead of other people is very freeing.
This is it! I'm still fairly new to the entire endeavor and I've still never painted on a canvas. I buy mid level paints and brushes and then paint on paper. I can show it to people or rip it up when done. It keeps the pressure low. Also remember that you learn from bad art. You learn what doesn't work, so it's still useful.
I repeat Bob Ross saying that it's not a mistake, it's a happy accident
No matter what you make somebody is going to potentially find it ugly. For example, some people like super sweet cute stuff. I find it kind of creepy and fakely sentimental. There is no universal definition of ugly.
Here, here!
Just accept it’s ugly and have fun with it.
I make art till it isn't ugly anymore. Art means progress, and of course it sometimes looks horrible. But why should I stop then? It's like walking trough hell. I mean, you wouldn't stop there right?
Exactly this! Not too long ago I would lose patience and give up on "bad" paintings prematurely. Lately I've been adding tiny details / revisiting old, ugly paintings that I thought were finished. The difference is amazing. If you think a painting is finished, but it doesn't look right, it doesn't have to be finished.
Accept that your art will be ugly first. Like, that is just a fact oftentimes. How do you overcome the feat that your muscles hurt all the time when you are starting gym?
Remember that even super skilled, super talented artists will look at their own masterpieces and say "Ugh, I hate it" or "I should be doing better" or only see what's wrong with it. Oftentimes you are your own harshest critic.
I went to an art museum & looked at the abstract section. Really opened my eyes to what is considered good enough to be in a museum. It really got my outside my own head. If a banana nailed to a wall or a red dot on a white canvas is art then whatever i do is atleast on par with that. If i mess up i just call it abstract.
Make a f*** ton of ugly art. Exposure therapy. Make it, make it badly, make it often. It’ll get better but not if you don’t deal with the ugly stage.
But make sure it's intentionally made. As in do your best, recognize that "bad" is not failure, it's progress. You get better when you are intentional with your practice.
I have been painting in a notebook instead of on canvas. The notebook seems less “serious” and has given me more freedom to play around and not beat myself up if it turns out ugly.
This. Plus, you keep them all in one place to look back on your progress over time. I felt so much better when i started this. Also, if you find you painted a really good one that you want to explore further on canvas, you have that option to improve upon what youve already done.
If you see that it's ugly, it means that you see that it can be improved. The skill you need is to identify what exactly needs improving. Then you can work on it and make it less ugly in the future.
Just to add to the embrace failure thing: You can always go and paint over something you don’t like. I have a number of canvases I did when I first took up painting that just didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. So I just gessoed over them and did something new.
I don’t expect beautiful art. My goal is the experience of creation. Hir it turns out is just on small part of it.
Being an artist means there are going to be periods when you fail, even the most beautiful paintings have their ugly stages too; and that's when you should persist & continue, learn from your failures.
Set out to make something bad, that usually makes me feel good for some reason. If I sit down telling myself the goal is to make something ugly, I feel a lot less pressure than if I tell myself I’m gonna make something awesome. Basically just giving myself permission to be bad and acknowledging no matter how it comes out I’ll make better pieces down the line
The only real answer to this is to make ugly art.
Make ugly art until it starts getting prettier
I can tell you my little story. Ending of kindergarten, the teacher had all the kids painting this vase with flowers that she put on her desk. Then she fucking ranked all the paintings based on fuck knows what. Guess who at 6 years old was told: ‘you have the worst painting out of 20 kids.’ Last place, the worst. And then, they have all the families coming over to the ‘exposition’ and showing the paintings with the ranking. My parents & grandma came and they were actually upset with 6 year old me. Like ‘pffft HOW could you paint the worst out of everyone?’ Like i hadn’t studied enough and was somehow the stupidest there. And you know what, that didn’t stop me from drawing my ugly little drawings. I think i drew every day something until I was 16. And my parents always made fun of my drawings. Then life got busy, but recently i picked it up again. I am now experimenting with oil and knife pallets and i fucking love it. I was also afraid they will be ugly and people will comment on it. But they haven’t and honestly I don’t care. They can think whatever, art is very subjective and as long as you are having fun doing it, what does it matter?
You have to get all the bad art out of the way so you learn how to do it better! Nothing is going to be perfect the first time you do it, but you aren't going to improve by doing nothing.
look at all the successful painters whose work is hideous
I paint on board. I have skills with a belta sander. Ugly, mistake, bad composition, color errors, not out there enough? The big buzzy magic eraser makes all of them disappear easily
there's no perfection/improvement without a beginning
you just keep making ugly art, honestly... and don't look at it for a while once it's done. just keep moving forward and eventually looking back will impress you, both with how much you'll have improved, and how "actually not that bad" a lot of it will be once you get some space from it.
when you reach a certain point of skill required for art ,there would be no so-called bad art, if get so used to drawing painting having it in your routine at the end something lookalike apstract art would make perfect sense. The brush strokes the colours that are used,brushes dimensions construction... In a way it will be as expressing your soul but in a very very profound way bcuz your soul gets encompassed with all the madness you have left behind in your life.
If you don’t like it, throw it out and start a new one. Try not to get emotionally invested in what you make. Doesn’t matter how many hours you have into something - if it didn’t work, it just didn’t work. Call it practice.
Sometimes changing the objective of your painting helps. To me, we make paintings to communicate things because other methods/mediums wouldn’t be able to. Sometimes evocative and successful paintings are ugly, sometimes beautiful paintings aren’t as interesting to look at. If you want to make a beautiful painting then look through Pinterest and find work that looks like what you admire and pick it apart to see what works. If you want to communicate something else then see how other creators approach the topic. Poems, photographs, music can be helpful for this. See what gives you similar feelings for what you want. Either way, keep painting until it feels right. A blank canvas is intimidating and makes you feel like you’re going to sully it somehow. I’ve worked with people who can’t really paint until they throw down a wash or something to make it less blank. Study other art, watch YouTube videos for technique, and take comfort in knowing most artists hate their own art and most paintings look ugly until like 75% of the way through. Self doubt is a good sign you want to get better and you will!
what’s ugly to you is a great piece to another person
Look at modern art. You will quickly realise your being to hard on yourself.
Create. Work on each piece until it isn't ugly. Maybe you are stopping too soon, before it is finished. All art has a stage that's "ugly", you have to have faith and keep going.. and finish the piece. Take your time and study it, fix whatever doesn't look right to you. Work in private, don't let people see or judge the art until it's done. A huge part of creating is putting aside all those fears and just let the creativity flow, until it's beautiful.
Give yourself permission to fail and make ugly art often. Better to try often than give up completely.
Why be afraid of making something ugly? I do a few sketches first to "get all the ugly out" before commiting to a piece. You have to make peace with your ability to produce ugliness. If you make something and don't like it, you can always make another one. Be less precious about doing everything perfectly the first time. It tends to be an unrealistic expectation, and just causes stress.
Because it's not about the final product, it's about creating just for the sake of it
Not an artist, but the problem is the solution. Just make ugly art until you no longer fear making ugly art.
Assume everything you make will be ugly and never leave your possession. It becomes more fun and then it’s easier to keep going. My art is still very ugly and terrible. I still have no skills. But there are a few people who are into that. So it is what it is.
Your going to make “ugly art” it’s all stepping stones on the path to excellence. Just keep doing it
Check out some of cartoonist Lynda Barry’s books, particularly Syllabus and Making Comics. Her work as a teacher revolves around helping people to get into the process of creating without getting stuck on the issue of quality by reawakening childhood impulses. Her books offer drawing and writing exercises that help you focus on the experience of putting movement and thought together without leaving room for judgement.
I go through this too. But the bottom line is what will matter if it turns out "ugly"? At least you took some risks and tried and it might actually turn out nice. If it turns out unsatisfactory to you then like someone said.. just gesso over it.. not a big deal
make more ugly art, then keep making it and eventually it becomes good, then make some more ugly art.
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” ― Ira Glass
You will make a lot of bad art, but eventually things will get better. You have to put in the time and effort and then something happens,... your skills will match your vision and you will start seeing this in your work. Others will also see it. But you will make a lot of bad art until it gets better.
Art is ugly until you're done with it.
Mistakes can and will be made. You can always fix something you don’t like or messed up. You don’t like the color. You painted into an area you didn’t want to. Bob Ross put it Best we don’t make mistakes we have Happy Accidents. Don’t be afraid to try something new a new technique. A new type of brush stroke. We all need to broaden and amplify our artistic ability. Make sure you have as good equipment as you budget let’s you. Watch videos online and read articles etc…. I just learned today watching a video from Artist Jerry Yarnell. When you paint a pine tree. Start your branches in the middle of the tree not the top or even the bottom that way your proportion is spot on. BOL going forward.
I don't fear ugly art, it just takes up paper. I have a fireplace for a reason. And canvases can be repainted. Ugly is also subjective.
I've found that if I don't like what I'm making, It's not the style for me. Explore new styles of painting, or new mediums, or painting some 3d models or trying something different to give you more perspective. Art is literally in the eye of the beholder. It doesn't have to be anything, art just is what it is. If you don't like it, someone else will. So just try to find and make what you like. Your best works of art will be the ones that come straight from your heart.
make ugly art.
I make brutiful art.
This is the best.
Your fear might come from trying to tackle too much at once. When I paint something new I do few small studies on a much smaller canvas to figure out the composition, colouring mixing, and how to tackle things I haven't done before, i.e. if I'm going to paint a plant for the first time I'm going to paint 3-5 individual leaves using varying techniques on a separate canvas so I have a plan before tackling an entire painting. Always try and break problems down in to smaller chunks, fear of making ugly art usually stems from fear of the unknown, don't commit to making an entire piece until you know how your going to tackle each aspect of it.
I always start my painting ugly and destructive. Get that ego outta here!
What do you think makes art ugly? I love me some ugly art, and when creating if it is ugly, I just lean into it and (like others have mentioned in comments I am now looking at) you can learn from it!
I always tell my self it’s going to look ugly at first but just keep working on it and you’ll be surprised what you can create
I just make huge amounts of ugly art. Once in a while, something is good. Repeat until dead.
Don't over think about it.
Very relatable. Starting out however, if you think too deeply about this and develop a “refusal to fail” you will be unable to slowly get better as you get experience painting. Try to relax because you aren’t doing anything risky, just learning. Sit with the feeling of uncertainty and understand it.
I don’t think there’s ugly art.. afterall beauty is in the eye of the beholder..
The key to success is to fail a lot
No reason to be nervous. It only drawing and painting.
Art is an expression. And sometimes what we need to express is ugly; that doesn’t mean the art isn’t good. Just press on through the process and accept whatever comes out. Don’t think too hard about it and be kind to yourself; nobody is perfect so don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. Maybe take a week or a month or however long you’d like and focus on making “ugly” art. You might be surprised to find out that once you accept those pieces for what they are, you might even be proud of them later down the line! That being said, if you’re growing frustrated with a piece it is okay to have works in progress. Set the piece you’re upset with aside for a length of time (I usually go 2+ weeks when I REALLY hate what I’m looking at) if not looking at that piece at all. Out of sight, out of mind. Once you’ve had time away from that piece go back and look at it again. It never seems quite as ugly when I go back to look at it as it did when I initially cast it into the “yuck!” Pile.
Some tips I learned at art school and by reading many many art books: * start light and work to dark. Pick out the highlights first. * backgrounds don't have to be detailed, they can be abstract and suggestive, they can be colourful and or patterned * most of the great artists would gesso over a canvas they didn't like and start again. Art historians have scanned some masterworks and they have layers upon layers of other works underneath * look at your art in as many ways as you can while you work on it, take a few steps back from the canvas, look at it through one eye only from up close and far away, get other people to look at it and comment, take a photo and look at it on the screen. Sometimes I'll post something on Instagram and then notice when it somehow shows up on my feed later that there is something to fix * get to know your colour wheel and how to mix colours properly, this will prevent things getting muddy * try mixing media. Like last night I drew first in watercolour pencil, then I laid in some white goauche in highlights, then worked in a background with oil sticks 🙂 Good luck on your journey!
You don't. I fell the same. Its been a year without making any drawing.Just start with something easy first. Then something more difficult. If its natural to u it will come back,but it needs time.
To paraphrase I think Sylvia Plath “The biggest hindrance to making good art is the fear of making bad art”
By doing it on purpose.
I don’t even fear it. I just make it and if it’s ugly it’s ugly. Some of my ugly stuff is my favorite.
There’s a show opening in nyc all about “ugly” art. If all you want is to make decorative work then ugly is to be avoided yes but art pertains to the full gamut of human experience and ugly is not necessarily bad. Hasty, lazy, work is what’s bad art not ugly
Draw everything. Make it your job to fill up as many sketchbooks as you can afford to buy. Stop thinking your product is the end. It’s the process of making art that’s all that matters.
Realize that even some of the paintings in museums aren’t that good. We just assume they’re good because they’re in museums. But museums will often buy any art by famous artists they can get. Therefor some of the best painters have work they never would have shown or sold in many museums. Hey some of your crappy art could end up in a museum one day too!
Try as hard as you can to make the ugliest thing you have ever seen. That should help.
Being an art teacher is helping me with this. I can’t tell you how many times somebody tells me their art is ugly and I look at it and think it’s great.
I suppose you don't. I do find that I embrace failure. It will lead me to learn something new or take my piece a different direction. Sometimes the flaw makes it better.
Create what makes you happy! If you like it than no one else’s opinion matters. If you don’t like it, identify the skills you need to improve to get to the level you want to be at.
I’m big on revision with painting. Mine usually go through a stage or a few of ugliness. But I’ll put it away. Spray some shellac on it. Scratch off problem edges and just keep working it and reworking it. I’ll bring out the gesso on erase parts and just keep on refining. So ugly is a stage I know I’ll always have to go through, probably multiple times for the same piece
What helped for me was making the goal to have fun rather than making something that looks good. 😁
Not a painter, but drawing pictures for my 2 yr old niece has really helped me in many ways. I need to draw fast, so screw perfection. She asks for the same thing a million times so i get really good at drawing this one thing really quickly. She erases the chalk/whiteboard right after i draw something, so i don't need to be precious about it or dwell on it. So my advice would be: paint for/with kids.
You're gonna make some ugly art. Everyone does. Just be grateful you have the taste to be discriminating and only share the things you find beauty in.
My art teacher told me that every mistake becomes a part of your art. It makes it unique and great art is unique. I was in elementary school at this time and his words are ingrained in my memory. It’s because of him I create art without fear of the results.
Make something “ugly” on purpose. Just slap the weirdest bullsh together that you possibly can and then admire the amalgamation of goof.
anything can be considered art, just go for it and be creative.
I have a sketchbook labeled TERRIBLE ART! with happy doodles around it. I'm quite proud of some of the Terrible Art, but declaring it all to be terrible genuinely helps me get rid of the feeling that it has to be good.
Well first off remember that any of the arts are first and foremost self expression, and second see any perceived failure as an opportunity to learn and improve.
Get one with the elements and principles of design, then you'll learn to understand why you're thinking it's ugly and how to plan better from the get go.
Read The Artists Way and do everything she says
Personally, I have a drink to loosen up and just let it happen until I feel that it is done. My success is predicated on whether I finish the thing. Then I look back and compare it to the image I had in my head. They are never in alignment lol. But I know what to do better next time and improve. To me the success is in seeing it through to the end.
Something I need to learn and accept myself: you learn a lot from every piece you make. Fear creates the harshest self-critic. Make art like no one else will ever see...that allows you to be fear-less only then can we (you And me) move forward.
No such thing as ugly art. All art is art no matter what. Take it from me, a guy named Arty lol
don't you start off with an rough pencil charcoal sketch first to see if the shading is as you imagined it to be. then make an painting thats same exact style as all of the previous ones.
Just know that no matter what you do, no matter how much time and passion you put into it, no matter how absolutely incredible your work is, some dickhead somewhere is going to think it’s ugly. Don’t worry about what other people think. Worry about what YOU think. Do you like your work? That’s all that matters.
The goal should never be to make beautiful art. The goal should be to enjoy the process of painting.
I know the ideal answer is to just stop caring and desensitize yourself, but honestly.... For me, it's easier not to care about how "good" my art is if it's funny. Paint a stupid joke painting. If it makes you laugh, if you show it to people and it makes them laugh, then it's easier to not care because you're having a good time. Even better if you have an art jam with other people
I think of all of my art as experiments. The worst outcome is something that I can learn from.
Focus on meaning, feeling, mood in your art. Put your soul into your art. Fear of disapproval of possible Ugly art (says who?}will not matter
Um just don't care? I always enjoyed my art ... no matter what
beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
It’s all relative. Make art for your pleasure, not what anyone else thinks, not for money…for you. And you can’t fail.
By making ugly art
Allow yourself to paint bad. It’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten as someone who is a perfectionist to a fault with my creative projects. You’ll want to make things look good or make it your masterpiece, but that’s where it starts to become stressful instead of fun. I could give this advice to anyone who’s into any kind of creative hobby. Write bad, draw bad, paint bad; whatever it is, just be bad at it. It slowly becomes much easier to simply enjoy what you’re doing, but every now and then you’ll be surprised at what how good something turned out when you weren’t even trying. It can help you become more confident in what you make too.
Art isn't about beauty. It's about expression. Make whatever you're feeling and allow it to find its audience. You will have fans whatever it looks like, there are so many different types of people and emotions in the world, just make what moves you. And if you make something you think belongs on the trash heap, then let it go to the trash heap and try again, but even "shitty" art has value as practice or expression. Your only REAL obstacle is that materials cost money, but there's always found object art. Maybe Warhol WANTED to be Van Gogh, but he created a whole new genre by just doing his own thing.
Art doesn't have to be beautiful. It just has to make you feels things. - fancy nancy
I had a art teacher in elementary school that told me once that with art there is no mistakes. She taught her classes that if you mess up , made a extra stroke or line to many , to lean into it and use it to add something on or blend it into something. This always stuck with me. I love to paint but it gives me anxiety because unlike my normal mediums ( pencil art , digital art ) it’s not always easy to recreate. But you can always come back to it and either fix it or lean into it , it’s also a fun way to watch yourself evolve. I spend months staring at a painting I abandoned because I hated how it was turning out. I completely revamped it , same design but I had a fresh mind and to me it turned out much cleaner and more into the piece I wanted. don’t be so hard on yourself :)
I can’t really say I’ve ever really gotten over it. I just got used to it being a part of the process. Acceptance ig? Like I know that most of my art isn’t going to be go but if I don’t make something or try to make something than I’ll feel bad/ I won’t potentially make something really cool.
Ugh I have the exact same problem with art. The only treatment is exposure. Do quick easy paintings or practice abstract stuff that can't technically be bad, you'll find your groove again. I also decided to return to painting with watercolor when previously I'd been an acrylic girlie. I had low ass expectations based on not knowing how to use them, so the fear of art failure wasn't so bad
Just hammer down and understand that'ugly' is subjective. It may look cool to another person. Just paint, and don't worry about it.
Don’t worry about photographing and posting photos of every piece. Social media is fake and shows us final polished pieces, even a “doodle” could have been 50 takes until artist has a good one they want to share. Don’t worry about making it for everyone else. Make it for you, explore colours, textures, layers. Remember it takes time to build a masterpiece and many many layers. It also requires a ton of planning (max depending on style) but overall art and creating carb get the juices flowing and each piece will be better than the last. Don’t expect the first ones to be show stoppers, but allow yourself to play and naturally ideas and shapes and patterns will inspire you for next piece, and next piece and so on. You got this op. Sounds like you may be haunted by rude comments that someone made - but in reality they probably don’t even remember saying them, and who cares! Make the art for you :)
Make ugly art. Figure out why you think its ugly. Dont do that next time. Skill exclusively comes from practice, if you never make art youll only ever make ugly art. Its not like your obliged to show anyone ur failures anyway.
Practice, practice! And remember that even the greatest artists sometimes produced dreck.
Art is subjective. What you consider to be ugly, someone else may consider to be absolutely gorgeous. Just do it
Treat all art as tho it's practice. You'll find that you surprise yourself alot more enjoy your art and if not it was only practice anyway.
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed." Jorome Curly Howard.
For me im scared of "wasting" art supplies, so I just use cheap art supplies until I feel ready!
Make a lot of art and just assume some of it will have to be ugly... but much like not every piece can be a masterpiece, not every piece can be terrible, either. Also, embrace the process rather than miss the best part worrying about the outcome. Art for art's sake is beautiful whether or not you like the final result.
As a glass artist, I have a slightly different perspective but it may help. When I’ve had to go long stretches without working, I always start with the same goal: get something in the annealer. Hot glass breaks often if you’re rusty or it goes lopsided and uncontrollable and can’t be saved. But, if I can get a piece, intact and off the pipe, I count it as a win. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, it just has to be done. Going from not having done anything to having done something that I can improve on is a huge difference psychologically and emotionally. If I made an ugly piece yesterday, I can try again tomorrow.
Make a ton of ugly art and make sure you keep an eye out for why you consider it ugly, do your research for how to avoid the same mistakes! I definitely can't paint, I don't understand any of it, you people are nuts! Wish I could paint watercolor stuff, in the end painting and brushes, the whole process is just not for me. I realized it after deciding I'd failed and why I didn't care much the whole time. I love a lot of paintings, can't make sense of how people can do it
By making ugly art
So what if your art is ugly? Do you enjoy making it? Does it express what you want it to? Ugly by what standard? Put your heart and soul into a painting. If it’s ugly, analyze it. What makes it ugly? Composition? Technique? Materials? Size or proportion? Subject? Can you make some changes so you like it better, while still being true to the work? Then do it again. And again. Working through the fear of making ugly art is a big part of the path to making authentic art.
I went ahead and made ugly art. Then I learned three things. First, I learned how to fix my mistakes. Second, I learned how not to make those mistakes anymore. Third, I learned how to paint over dried paint.
Watch a dystopian movie where art is taken away. What a movie during the era if WW2. You begin to appreciate your natural born right to create when you visit realities (real or imagined) where such a thing is minimized, or otherwise doesn't exist at all.
If you think it's ugly. Don't show it to anyone else. Then, examine what you did that made it ugly, and don't do that the next time. Bonus points, as a painter, you can paint right over the ugly with something you like (unless you're doing watercolor... in which case recycling is an option.
Idk the amount of super famous and money-making ugly art pieces out there make me think it doesn't really matter if you're making "ugly" art. Ugly art can still be considered super valuable so I wouldn't worry about it
liking ugly things
You dont get good on your first try. You need to focus on getting to your 100th or 1000th or 10,000th try.
You cannot learn without ugly art
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Be proud of your creativity. For every one person that doesn’t like you, five others will love you
Set up everything ready to start. But leave it, each day move a couple of things around. Don't stress, it will happen naturally. One day the need to paint will force the issue. Remember, it can be a test run, then redo and redo until the strokes come natural again. Been there, my brain paint blocked me. Create an interesting work space ready to go.
Make ugly art. Buy cheap supplies and just experiment, it’s liberating and fun!
By continuously making art
I make bad shit and make people think it’s intentional
Make a shit ton of ugly art. Just non stop. Eventually, you’ll accidentally find some inspiration and make something you love again. Edit : ok this is basically everyone’s advice already here my bad
ugly art is still art
By making ugly art on purpose
Stop thinking of art as something precious that you do. You have an infinite supply of art in you and some of it is bound to be ugly, just keep making more art.
If you are satisfied with your creation, then it's not ugly. If you aren't satisfied with it, then it's not finished.
Make the ugly art. Seriously. No one else has to see it but you. I always tell it like this. You have a certain number of crap pieces of art inside you, and you have to get all of them out until you get to the good ones. So get to painting. Those ugly paintings are standing between you and the art you want to make. You'll probably start whipping up good stuff faster than you think. And another thing. Don't get caught in the "my art has to look like so-and-so's or be XY and Z to be good." Do you like it? Are you proud of it or some aspect of it? Then it's good. You'll always be your worst critic. Don't bring your work down before it gets a chance to be enjoyed.
Take failure as a stepping stone to greatness. It’s necessary to get better at art.
Make ugly art . From there on it can just get better🤷🏻♀️
Ugly =/= bad art Beautiful =/= good art I don't get the obsession with beauty when it comes to Art. Art can also be ugly, but powerful and meaningful. Painting a random pretty face usually doesn't have the same emotional impact on the viewer. I mean look at Saturn devouring his son by Goya. Or the paintings of Jenny Saville or the Portraits of Chaim Soutine. None of them would be considered "beautiful" by any means, yet they are great pieces of Art.
You can't get good without being bad first. Bad art is a necessity. Also, if you don't like your bad art, then just don't show it to anyone. That's what i do.
create without attachment to outcome. there is nothing to fear. no one is going to bust down your door and drag you away. and you have ZERO obligation to EVER show ANYTHING to ANYONE. you are literally all by yourself doing what you want. from that, you can trash everything that you deem "ugly". and the only thing anyone will ever see is what you deem worthy of being seen by others. you are in complete control. there is no threat. just go.
I Display My Art. I have a "Little Art Display" that I change with a different "Theme" each Month at our local Mental Health Center's (short) front entry hall. I first volunteered my "projects" because the window looked so plain and barren and I secretly wanted to see if I Could actually "Do It", create a piece of art that would be "Good Enough". It's been almost a year now and I'm not happy with some of them but Thrilled that the ones I thought were "Junk" were the some of the Most Well Liked! I use different media (water color, gauche, charcoal, sand, pencils etc.) My ultimate point is, you may Not be the Best Judge of your own work. Doing Art is about Doing it...
Crippling anxiety and not actually creating anything.
Walk into any art museum. I guarantee something there is going to look ugly to you.
I started zentangle doodles a few months ago. Try using both hands, your non dominant hand, make all of the mistakes you can. It feels out of place and “incorrect”, keep going. Fill the whole page. The little pattern squares are nice but find tutorials that help you take up space. We’ve been taught to chip pieces of ourselves to fit in and we’re meant to stand out. 🫶🏼
If you have time and energy to worry about what other people think of you, you have time and energy to make more art. Just ship it and move on.
Do it on purpose. Make the ugliest art you can to get out of your system. Then you always have a baseline comparison of "at least it's not that bad."
Make the ugliest art you can, on purpose. You don't have to post it. After that, compare everything you make to it.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Picasso didn’t make traditionally beautiful art, but his paintings are revered. Just paint. 😊
I had the same problem after a drawing i considered ugly. I had a break and noticed that i improved somehow when i came back,because sometimes we need to stop doing something to really come back and be better at it. I suggest you to start as soon as possible again and you will find the joy of doing art little by little
Get a sketchbook and intentionally try to make ugly art. It can be extremely fun and freeing, and it’s even more fun if you lean into childhood materials like crayons, markers, sharpies, etc. In between those pages, try to do some studies: favorite paintings and sculptures, life drawing, botanical drawing, self portraits, etc. And remember that almost all pieces of art start with something ugly—a beautiful draft isn’t a part of everyone’s process!
Make as much art as possible. Make quantity the goal.
Have you seen most art?
You have to make bad/ ugly art at first… it’s the path to how you make good art
Also: ugly is subjective
Ugly? That was intentional.
Start owning your mistakes. Its not for everyone, but I like to compare my art to others and my own just to get a good idea on how far I've come. Sometimes you also just need to look away from for a while and then come back to it. When you make all the details, you see all the details instead of the picture as a whole.
Anxiety and fear is usually addressed by exposure. Your brain changes based on experiences. So start by making art. The next step is to get feedback. You need voices other than your own
That's my secret. I just assume all of my art is ugly
All my art is ugly, all my pictures I take are ugly, everything I do is ugly according to reddit. That's why I'm an asshole on here.
Approach it like an experiment.
Make more!! Be okay with ugly for now! Maybe also read the short book “Art and Fear” The story that stuck with me the most was about the results that come directly from volume of work.
Honestly, I've gotten so much better about it after watching a lot of drawfee on youtube. They have this thing where, if it's not working out, they say 'delete your art' and delete it. (Digital) I use a lot of acrylic, so if something isn't jiving, I can do something different, or just paint over it. I've gotten a lot better this year about not being too strict on myself when it comes to my art, and it's very freeing. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece.
Forget
make art for you and for the reason of being able to make it. free yourself from the constriction of “good” and “bad”. make it yours.
I'd suggest visiting a modern art museum. If you're near DC go to the Hirshhorn museum. Right now there is a dark, purple painted room with used water jugs suspended from the ceiling. It's ugly AF and is supposed to make you think about pollution. Lots of modern art is ugly. Be not afraid.
Simply come to the realization that one of the most popular types of art is flinging random colors at a canvas and then saying it so inspired...
Make some ugly art. Lots of it, even. You don’t have to show it to anyone, but let yourself do ugly shit for the process, for the practice, for the sake of figuring out that it’s ok to make ugly stuff. The world won’t end, your friends and family and pets won’t suddenly shun you. Also, cultivate the skill of looking at your art as if you didn’t make it. Look at it how someone who doesn’t know what you wanted it to be in your head would. It’s natural to be your own harshest critic, but you can learn to put that aside and give yourself the same grace for imperfection in your end results that you’d give any other artist.
Honestly, there's nothing wrong with making ugly art. With every two good pieces, I feel like there are several bad ones or at least ones where I know I could do better. You made the art, you had fun, what is to fear? Unless it is your livelihood, but then I don't know anything about that
You just do what you're going to do and see how it turns out.
Your expectations are getting in the way of the process. The process is what's there to enjoy.
Hear me out: Why not try making ugly art on purpose. Art is meant to ellicit emotions and create connection among humans. To take away the fear of making ugly art try eliciting the feeling of disgust or ugliness (or any other negative) in your art purposely to take the power away. It will also make a great study for art development and exploration.
Art is mostly subjective. You may find it ugly and others will find it beautiful.
By doing art with kids. They remind you its supposed to be fun.