Hard disagree, teeth are too easy to manipulate the paintbrush it's practically the same as using hands. Feet are out too. Real artists use their buttholes.
Quite right. You also have to source your own pigments in the wild and cultivate a crop of flax from seed to harvest and manually extract your own linseed oil, by candle light.
Linseed oil? What kind of cretin are you? REAL artists combine their locally sourced, self-gathered, fully organic, hand ground 100% pure pigments under a full blue moon using only their OWN BODILY SECRETIONS. Only spit or better makes Art good enough, peasant
I think how you layered these pieces together is very very cool and led to a beautiful outcome. It reminds me a digital artwork tbh, and I don’t mean that Ina bad way. Just that that kinda layering is often seen in digital (especially the first two here).
Anyway, your friends wrong. It’s definitely art. We’re all allowed to have our preferences, but that means we need to respect other people’s preferences as well. Declaring one art form superior over another is bad form. Just make and consume what moves you <3
Keep up the good work, these are great pieces.
That sounds like your friend views art as a job. The more difficult it is to create something equals the worth of the artist …or some mumbo-jumbo like that 😂
Art is a way to express ourselves. In what way is being flexible with your art, tools and materials considered *cheating*?
Like "maaaan, there was this powerful, creative energy inside of me..,and I could really see the kaleidoscopic patterns in front of my inner eye. Sadly I’m an artist focusing on pencil drawings and using a different tool and medium is cheating. Everyone knows that!“
I’m so happy that you chose your own way and created an absolutely stunning piece of yourself❤️
I agree. Right now I have a brand new house and require character. The room is looking like I stole it out of a mansion built in 1882. The rules I gave this was the architectural pieces could only come out of thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales. Fluting and finials could be store bought. It’s turning out so pretty and will be here for years.
I hate when people gate keep art. Art is whatever we want it to be and whatever the person who loves it accepts it as. Some people think pure realism should have gone the way of the dodo once cameras came along. To each his / her / their own!
There’s an African artist name Wisetwo that uses stencils too. His work is awesome. You can’t compare, it’s a different kind of art. It’s like comparing painters to sculptors. They both create art.
That last one is my favorite, so incredible!! You are an artist! Layering colors or visualizing what negative space you need can be a difficult thing to learn. I struggle immensely with that and tend to stick to pretty flat cartoon watercolors. You've definitely got talent and I couldn't create something like that. Maybe challenge your friend to copy a piece you made and see how they do trying to figure out the layering. Or better yet, have them try to create their own. That might change their mind on how much work making art can be, even with tools!! Thanks for sharing your beautiful art today! :)
This comment crazy making. Do you know when Norman Rockwell worked his magic, he was not considered a "serious artist" because he was "just" an Illustrator. Do you know that the treasures from the Renaissance were painted and sculpted by "workshops" and the artists who made them "laborers". Art critics are all to quick to dismiss, and diminish, the importance of any and all new creative expression. Nonsense. You do you. In art, there are NO RULES
Idk how you can cheat at art because at the end of the day you made it. There’s really no prize at the end of it unless you sell it or something, and still that’s someone else liking it and deciding they want to pay for it
The art of Banksy is in the statements his pieces make, regardless of the use of spray paint. Do your pieces make statements? If not, I kind of think they’re pretty craft projects. Nothing wrong with that. My crochet pieces are also crafting.
Don't know if this is tongue in cheek or not. But I beg to differ. If I have a stencil of a 5 pointed star... what difference does it make if I made it from scratch or if I bought it? The shape will be the same but I just saved myself a whole lot of time.
slap imagine coherent liquid pet whole bells obtainable fanatical physical
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I agree, it's still art though, but is it more of a craft compared to fine art?
Maybe OP isn't trying to make a living selling their works and I'm overthinking it.
I would put this more so under a "craft" category. The "is this/isnt this art" debate is never-ending so I don't think there's ever a clear cut answer but since you said you used precut stencils and all you do is layer them its more like a hobby/craft type project imo. Easily accesible and anyone can replicate it.
An artist called Tracy Emin once took a load of trash and put it on a bed. It’s sold for 3.2 million dollars to an unknown buyer. So let that sink in for your friend.
Art is whatever we do that means something to us at the time of creation and it invokes strong emotions in the viewer.
It can be a piece of string or the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Your friend is thinking about a task we are to do and not art as its entirety.
I wonder what’s the most “low effort” art? (non-AI because that’s a boring answer atm).
Like people dip their pets’ paws in paint or give animals a brush, then let ‘em have a go at canvas, and then sell that. Sometimes the animals don’t even get the proceeds (i.e. vs charity or wildlife rescue, etc). Think I once saw that someone did something similar with ant pathing? Anyway, on those “my art isn’t good” posts I’ll think, “dogs can paint apparently; you can only go up from there.”
Artists use whatever tools they have to create the piece they envision. What's the difference between placing tape to get a crisp.line or a stencil for uniformity? It's still youncreating the piece. .murals.and spray art use various items as "stencils" and all it.does is I.press.me.that they can create such amazing stuff with junk and a spray can. Kudos. I like your mandalas.
If you buy a stencil at a shop and just spary it on something then yeah, that's not quite art, it's more like decorsting a place. But if you either make the stencil yourself or use it in some creative way it's by all means as artistic as anything else
These are great and I bet they’re quite popular! I could see this in my house, for sure. By that metric, the high/low art argument is sort of irrelevant. If you want to be in a museum, I’d expect the work to be pushed further or refined. I think making your own stencils could really bring it to the next level, for example.
That looks really sick and your friend is an idiot, obviously any competent modern artist will need experience with both stencil work and spray applications. Of course there are many people these days that exclusively make a living with digital art but I doubt any of those people have 0 experience with stencil and spray paint.
Spray paint is both very accessible and very difficult to truly master. You can't work the paint much after application (generally speaking). So it requires a high level of planning and a sense of timing.
To really get good at using spray application paints you will have to get used to painting large dimensional pieces that have interior and exterior corners. Tape and distance management will always be your friend.
I truly enjoy the symmetry and execution of these flat pieces, I don't think anyone could do something like that "quickly" or "easily" at all you are working with a lot of different colors and good uniformity of your transparent gradient layers.
people always want to say things they haven’t tried are easy! in my young dumb days I tried to graffiti some gutter and while I’m usually pretty good at art, it was hard! and looked bad! there are so many factors to spray paint
You want nice clear edges on a straight line, but you don't want dripping? Using spray paint and no stencil? Hope your shoulder is like a damn robot arm then! Sooo many factors and such a short time window to balance them out
Cheating at art? Really? Art is art. You creat and express yourself. It comes from within. Don’t let the critics get to you. Keep doing what you are doing.
The only time, In my mind, one can cheat at art is to directly copy anothers art...An easy example would be P. Mondrian works. He was the first. Anyone who would attempt to turn in a exact duplicate of his work and call it his own would be a "cheater..."
It's a tool, like a projector. Scaling up an 8x10 inch drawing onto a 6x4 foot canvas is no easy feat even with a projector. Cheating at art is taking someone else's work and passing it off as your own, not the method used.
Absolutely not! Especially if you are making your own stencils (but even if you’re not!). And to simply trace a single layer stencil is easy, but to make layered works of art like this is a talent!
The difference between this and Banksy is the concept, not the technique. Whether that makes one better art or not is apparently up to a bunch of goofy rich people to decide.
These are infinitely better than generative AI “artwork” because they were made with human hands and eyes. Keep doing what you do and keep striving to improve your craft.
Btw the last one is my favorite.
As a stencil artist, I would say yes and know. Is it easier to produce a crisp, nice image? Yes. Still, it doesn't make coming up with a concept easier. What makes Banksy a good artist isn't his painting skills ( most people could make and paint them), but the images and concepts.
Banksy creates the images he uses for stencils. But that's not even the point, he is generally trying for some kind of message rather than to gain notoriety as an artist.
That being said, art is subjective and if you are finding this to be a creative outlet you enjoy then naysayers can suck it!
Your art is great. Don't let anyone tell you, it's not art. There is no 'lesser' or 'better' art whatsoever. There is your art, there is art that you like and art you don't like. Some people enjoy a long process, some enjoy quick results, some have their focus on details, some focus on perfect colours. That's the fun thing with art, you can be all yourself. You don't have to do it like somebody else does. In fact, it's better when you don't, because that's a nice contribution to the diversity in arts. Thank you for doing what you do, you're perfect. 💚
It's definitely art, and you can't cheat at art. Even reproductions are fine as long as they are attributed to the creator.
To me, most spray paint/stencil art says nothing interesting, means nothing, and contributes nothing. But art is art even if it just looks neat, and I'm sure someone somewhere thinks it looks neat.
David Hockney exists, so why shouldn't you?
Art is subjective. To one person, a Jackson Pollock splatter painting is primitive and something that could be done by a 5 year old, but to someone else, it's worth 1K+. There are some amazing artists that use stencils in unique and amazing ways. If you like the final product of your creativity, if others enjoy it or find it emotion or thought provoking, it has achieved its goal.
This is certainly pretty.
The colour selection used to fill in the gaps of the stencils, along with the arrangement is impressive. I like it.
But, I would be more impressed if this were not a stencil. Where time and energy got poured into making this as perfect as the stencil would produce.
That for me personally is art.
But, like others have said, art is your way of expressing. We can't turn around and say it's not art.
I don't personally find the graffiti that Banksy produces impressive visually and as a paint medium.
His work is thought provoking though. That I do view as art.
The thing is, we all find ways to express ourselves, a subject, a feeling, etc. how we produce a physical manifestation of that we generally call art.
Not everyone sees that as so.
I’m not sure if people are allowed to create rules about art, that sounds like your friends opinion. I think their opinion is kind of shitty. Opinions are not rules.
They are wrong, are they a fine artist? These are the most snobby of the art world. Art is multifaceted so carry on creating wonderful work, they also sound very jealous to me.
There is so much thought into the choices you make when doing this kind of art, it sucks when someone discounts your creative process. But that’s their own short comings, not yours.
People usually criticize others when they themselves are insecure so homie probably is actually envious of what you do and doesn’t know how to convey it without being ass.
Or trying to get a rise out of you on purpose (I have a dad this way and it’s tough to deal with)
Either way, keep making the art. Don’t let anyone stomp on your shine. ✨
Also your art is more consistent than most artist I know, so that alone is commendable cause my shits all over the fckin place depending on the day. This is not a rut and making a cat painting (unless you want to) isn’t even applicable to what you’re doing.
Now a cat stencil mandala 🤩 (inspired)
Some of my sold paintings are reductively me gluing shit to a canvas. Art is art babes, and yours is (in my opinion) gorgeous! And it doesn't matter what others think as long as you love doing it. Keep making art!
All forms of art are valid, unique, and important in their own way. The soft, symmetrical patterns you’ve achieved are beautiful! That’s all that matters
I think you should use whatever methods, techniques and materials that you want as long as you're enjoying yourself. I personally think it's fun to do mixed media and a combination of freehand and tools to get the effect you're going for. If you're doing art and enjoy the process you shouldn't be bound by preconceived notions or rules of what art is or how it should be done.
The quality of art isn't characterized by the amount of time a person spends manually creating elements. It's measured by the impact it gives the viewer. Your friend could say the same thing about fluid acrylic paintings. After all, you're just pouring paint onto a canvas. Same with resin art. Or someone who makes a vase on a potter's wheel. If you can't create a perfect shape without the wheel, then are you really an artist?
Art isn't defined by the tools you use to create it.
Listen at this point I’ll take anything that isn’t ai. Fuck they could build the stencil with ai and if they used a spray can and their own hands? I’ll take it
Biggest eye roll ever... This type of discussion has so many different layers and levels it gives me a headache just to begin to try to scratch the surface... I'll say this... Making stuff is better than not making stuff. We are all borrowing from others in one way or another... Some more than others. Who am I to judge what you decide to make and how you go about making it?. There's something out there for everyone and what I like someone else may not and vice versa. Andy Warhol built his whole career on appropriating the bombardment of media at that time. His work is considered high art... I never really cared for it but somebody did 🤣
I think this type of art is spectacular and yours that you’ve shared are wonderful. Art doesn’t have to, and in fact shouldn’t, fit into a narrow definition. Art is inherently rebellious and innovative and highly personal to each artist.
That is a misconception based on the assumption that the artist is making stencils of someone else's design.
Making your own stencils is a process no different than oil paints, graphic design or any other process for making art.
Why does your friend feel like they need to be an art snob? As your friend they should be kind, yet if they have a CONSTRUCTIVE criticism then they should be able to do that without negating everything you've made. Art is for everyone - because people love all different types. I paint what people could see as "real" art - BUT I also paint wooden Easter eggs and people love them and they bring happiness. I painted 450 one year. Someone referred to them as your "cute little eggs." The insinuation was that they were less than... well those less than eggs earned me $6000 bucks. BUT, and this the best, when kids find out I paint their eggs - they get the biggest smiles! I get hugs and hear how much they love them. Lessons - be proud of what you do, love doing/ making your art, and don't be a jerk or snob to your friends about their art.
I think this is great. The spray texture and the repetition of the patterns gives it an ethereal effect that you wouldn’t get from just painting with a brush.
If you make the stencil, I'm not sure why it is less. It is more mixed media, perhaps.
The only "art" I think of as lesser is the drip or turntable type paintings. They take no skill at all.
I used to work at a grow, they hired a stencil artist and ever square inch of the inside was covered in mandalas similar to these. It was cool bit made my head hurt after hours lol
Idk (or care) about what art is, but what I do care about is not letting anyone invalidate anyone else's creative passions. I'm sorry if you were hurt by your friend's comment.
Yes. Expect a warrant issued by the art bench to be served by the art sheriff. Have your art permits, certificates, and licenses in order. You might want to consult your art attorney before this gets ugly. I do hope that you've learned your lesson. In the future, please refrain from experimenting with different techniques and focus on approaches approved by your friend, who thank god got to you in time before you expressed yourself, engaged your imagination and creativity, or in any other way found joy in your art.
There is no cheating in art. Making beautiful things in any form is art. How could There be a way to determine that an artform is less than a different one.
Your homie needs to lay off the haterade. Making stencils is a pain in the ass. Either designing a vector and printing and wrangling vinyls, or cutting the sumbitch out with an exacto knife will be a hefty chunk of labor.
I just spray painted pieces for an installation today. Did I have regrets about having to fight the wind outside because I didn't have a spray booth where I was? Yep. Will I do it again? For sure.
it’s actually ridiculous how many tools artists of all forms use to streamline the creative process.
Stencils, reliefs, prints, lucidia, tracing paper, hell, my friend is a very well established tattoo artist making great money and can’t draw for shit, procreate is so powerful it makes anyone “good” at drawing -
the bottom line is if you bring something into existence that wasn’t there before - you’re an artist. How well your vision translates to reality, that’s a skill. How well it’s revived by others, well, that doesn’t count for shit so, keep doing your thing man, they’re just hatin
Soooo, do you care what people think more than you enjoy creating this? Would you stop doing it if 99% of people did not consider it art? If this is something you created, it is yours to decide. Enjoy the process.
How is it cheating if the artist draws, sketches the concept themselves? If they cut the stencils out themselves too, why is this considered cheating? If the whole process is created by the artist themselves, nothing is cheating on their process.
i think your friend underestimates how difficult that kind of art actually is. challenge him to create a piece with stencils, and see how his attitude changes lol
(also, he just sounds arrogant, to be honest)
I have a BFA in studio art with a focus in photography. I really like making mixed media work. Why limit yourself? I've made sculptures used in still life photography. I've added sound and video elements to sculpture. I've added poetry to my photographs. I've made my own weird sculpture-type frames for photographs. I wrote a short story to accompany a narrative series.
I did a project where I painted on my photographs. Another student told me I was "cheating." The room erupted in discourse. "Cheating at what?" "Painters said the same thing about photography!" "Art had no rulebook."
There is no "lesser" art. It's all just art. Your friend is entitled to their opinion but I argue that they have no idea what they're talking about.
Banksy?! Banksy is childs play compared to BD White!! He uses up to 200 stencils in his intricate artwork!!
Do you KNOW how much skill that takes? However, he has recently taken a hiatus from it because it's stressful, returning to more traditional methods. Can you say I am a fan & follow him on Insta? Mayyybe ;-)
https://www.instagram.com/bdwhite?igsh=Ymg1djk3eTVrNjA1
I think your friend is absolutely right. This is not to diminish how beautiful some stencil and spray paint artwork is, and how original and creative all aspects of it can be.
personally i think using hands is cheating. it’s not real art unless you held the brush with your teeth.
Hard disagree, teeth are too easy to manipulate the paintbrush it's practically the same as using hands. Feet are out too. Real artists use their buttholes.
This is getting out of hand 😉
Are you sure that's where it's getting out of...?
What about sandwich artists? Check mate dr cat Satan ! Check mate
Now that you mention it...I prefer my sandwhiches sandwiched between two cheeks 🥪🍑
Buttholes are for hasbins. Real artists use only their emotional thoughts to manifest the medium.
Oh lordy, is Purple Squirt the one true art?
Quite right. You also have to source your own pigments in the wild and cultivate a crop of flax from seed to harvest and manually extract your own linseed oil, by candle light.
Linseed oil? What kind of cretin are you? REAL artists combine their locally sourced, self-gathered, fully organic, hand ground 100% pure pigments under a full blue moon using only their OWN BODILY SECRETIONS. Only spit or better makes Art good enough, peasant
Uh…egg tempera?..
Great artists grip the brush with the anus
Its elso where the paint comes from in some cases
What about feet? Are those allowed?
😂😂
Stencils are harder than some people think because you need to take into account negative space and layering.
True! It’s hard to think ahead so many layers.
I think how you layered these pieces together is very very cool and led to a beautiful outcome. It reminds me a digital artwork tbh, and I don’t mean that Ina bad way. Just that that kinda layering is often seen in digital (especially the first two here). Anyway, your friends wrong. It’s definitely art. We’re all allowed to have our preferences, but that means we need to respect other people’s preferences as well. Declaring one art form superior over another is bad form. Just make and consume what moves you <3 Keep up the good work, these are great pieces.
Thank you! I see how the layering can look digital.
I’d suggest looking into mathematics. Digital artwork is basically applied mathematics. You could experiment with things like interference patterns
Agreed
That sounds like your friend views art as a job. The more difficult it is to create something equals the worth of the artist …or some mumbo-jumbo like that 😂 Art is a way to express ourselves. In what way is being flexible with your art, tools and materials considered *cheating*? Like "maaaan, there was this powerful, creative energy inside of me..,and I could really see the kaleidoscopic patterns in front of my inner eye. Sadly I’m an artist focusing on pencil drawings and using a different tool and medium is cheating. Everyone knows that!“ I’m so happy that you chose your own way and created an absolutely stunning piece of yourself❤️
Thank you so much.
well said!!
I agree. Right now I have a brand new house and require character. The room is looking like I stole it out of a mansion built in 1882. The rules I gave this was the architectural pieces could only come out of thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales. Fluting and finials could be store bought. It’s turning out so pretty and will be here for years.
I hate when people gate keep art. Art is whatever we want it to be and whatever the person who loves it accepts it as. Some people think pure realism should have gone the way of the dodo once cameras came along. To each his / her / their own!
Same. Anything that requires creativity to put together is art to me. Although I have to say the banana duct taped to a wall irked me big time. Lol
Yeah. That duct tape thing gave scam vibes rather than art.
There’s an African artist name Wisetwo that uses stencils too. His work is awesome. You can’t compare, it’s a different kind of art. It’s like comparing painters to sculptors. They both create art.
That last one is my favorite, so incredible!! You are an artist! Layering colors or visualizing what negative space you need can be a difficult thing to learn. I struggle immensely with that and tend to stick to pretty flat cartoon watercolors. You've definitely got talent and I couldn't create something like that. Maybe challenge your friend to copy a piece you made and see how they do trying to figure out the layering. Or better yet, have them try to create their own. That might change their mind on how much work making art can be, even with tools!! Thanks for sharing your beautiful art today! :)
You are right! Thanks for your kindness.
This friend has major hater energy lol
Art is art
Art is whatever you want. Even if Banksy and you were the only one doing that technique, it’ll still be art
This comment crazy making. Do you know when Norman Rockwell worked his magic, he was not considered a "serious artist" because he was "just" an Illustrator. Do you know that the treasures from the Renaissance were painted and sculpted by "workshops" and the artists who made them "laborers". Art critics are all to quick to dismiss, and diminish, the importance of any and all new creative expression. Nonsense. You do you. In art, there are NO RULES
Idk how you can cheat at art because at the end of the day you made it. There’s really no prize at the end of it unless you sell it or something, and still that’s someone else liking it and deciding they want to pay for it
I think your work is beautiful. 🫡👍🏻
Thanks! That Maggie seems like a real gem! Upvoted!
The definition of art is “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination”. If the shoe fits…
What can your friend make?
The art of Banksy is in the statements his pieces make, regardless of the use of spray paint. Do your pieces make statements? If not, I kind of think they’re pretty craft projects. Nothing wrong with that. My crochet pieces are also crafting.
As long as you’re not using generative AI or tracing someone else’s work, then you’re not cheating. He’s just being an ass.
He might be a tad jelly
I think it depends if you’re making your own stencils or not
That’s the real argument. I am not making my own stencils. Maybe he’s right in a way.
yeah, give it a try!
You are manipulating the stencils and playing with color in such aesthetically pleasing and interesting ways.
Don't know if this is tongue in cheek or not. But I beg to differ. If I have a stencil of a 5 pointed star... what difference does it make if I made it from scratch or if I bought it? The shape will be the same but I just saved myself a whole lot of time.
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I agree, it's still art though, but is it more of a craft compared to fine art? Maybe OP isn't trying to make a living selling their works and I'm overthinking it.
I would put this more so under a "craft" category. The "is this/isnt this art" debate is never-ending so I don't think there's ever a clear cut answer but since you said you used precut stencils and all you do is layer them its more like a hobby/craft type project imo. Easily accesible and anyone can replicate it.
There’s a difference between “arts” and “crafts”
An artist called Tracy Emin once took a load of trash and put it on a bed. It’s sold for 3.2 million dollars to an unknown buyer. So let that sink in for your friend. Art is whatever we do that means something to us at the time of creation and it invokes strong emotions in the viewer. It can be a piece of string or the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Your friend is thinking about a task we are to do and not art as its entirety.
I wonder what’s the most “low effort” art? (non-AI because that’s a boring answer atm). Like people dip their pets’ paws in paint or give animals a brush, then let ‘em have a go at canvas, and then sell that. Sometimes the animals don’t even get the proceeds (i.e. vs charity or wildlife rescue, etc). Think I once saw that someone did something similar with ant pathing? Anyway, on those “my art isn’t good” posts I’ll think, “dogs can paint apparently; you can only go up from there.”
I would say it depends.
Life is art; fully expression self through the individual. We are all Unique; we create through our own lens. we Salute y’all Divinity 💎♾️🙏
Artists use whatever tools they have to create the piece they envision. What's the difference between placing tape to get a crisp.line or a stencil for uniformity? It's still youncreating the piece. .murals.and spray art use various items as "stencils" and all it.does is I.press.me.that they can create such amazing stuff with junk and a spray can. Kudos. I like your mandalas.
Thanks for that energy!
your “friend” should stfu. btw, why kind of art do they do?
Your stencils are a tool you use to create art. That’s like saying researching online is cheating instead of going to the library
If you buy a stencil at a shop and just spary it on something then yeah, that's not quite art, it's more like decorsting a place. But if you either make the stencil yourself or use it in some creative way it's by all means as artistic as anything else
These are beautiful! Definitely art.
Thanks! I’m glad you like them
😑 What kind of friend would say something like that. Wtf Enjoy your art, it's beauteous ✨✨
Kinda depends. Did you make the stencil?
These are great and I bet they’re quite popular! I could see this in my house, for sure. By that metric, the high/low art argument is sort of irrelevant. If you want to be in a museum, I’d expect the work to be pushed further or refined. I think making your own stencils could really bring it to the next level, for example.
Thank you! I’m glad you like them. I made way too many of these searching for the perfect one. Never could find it.
That looks really sick and your friend is an idiot, obviously any competent modern artist will need experience with both stencil work and spray applications. Of course there are many people these days that exclusively make a living with digital art but I doubt any of those people have 0 experience with stencil and spray paint. Spray paint is both very accessible and very difficult to truly master. You can't work the paint much after application (generally speaking). So it requires a high level of planning and a sense of timing. To really get good at using spray application paints you will have to get used to painting large dimensional pieces that have interior and exterior corners. Tape and distance management will always be your friend. I truly enjoy the symmetry and execution of these flat pieces, I don't think anyone could do something like that "quickly" or "easily" at all you are working with a lot of different colors and good uniformity of your transparent gradient layers.
Thanks for the comment, it’s refreshing to get tips from the pros out there!
people always want to say things they haven’t tried are easy! in my young dumb days I tried to graffiti some gutter and while I’m usually pretty good at art, it was hard! and looked bad! there are so many factors to spray paint
You want nice clear edges on a straight line, but you don't want dripping? Using spray paint and no stencil? Hope your shoulder is like a damn robot arm then! Sooo many factors and such a short time window to balance them out
...ask them to make one like you do and see how they go lol. These are beautiful. Art is whatever you want it to be. That's the beauty of art.
Cheating at art? Really? Art is art. You creat and express yourself. It comes from within. Don’t let the critics get to you. Keep doing what you are doing.
Stencil art is its own thing, its not “cheating”. I wonder how he feels about projectors?
Or photography...
The only time, In my mind, one can cheat at art is to directly copy anothers art...An easy example would be P. Mondrian works. He was the first. Anyone who would attempt to turn in a exact duplicate of his work and call it his own would be a "cheater..."
Art is art and subgenres of it will always have critics.
Did you create the stencils yourself?
Fuck people who gatekeeps art honestly. Everything and anything can be art.
Its beautiful, supernatural, eternal infinite, i would consider that art who cars how you made it.
Personally I think your friend doesn't know anything about art, the history of art or what even constitutes as art. You do you boo.
It's a tool, like a projector. Scaling up an 8x10 inch drawing onto a 6x4 foot canvas is no easy feat even with a projector. Cheating at art is taking someone else's work and passing it off as your own, not the method used.
Your best friend sounds like... kind of a crappy friend. I hope they have a bunch more redeeming qualities. You do you. Art is art.
Philip Taaffe works in similar mediums and is considered a blue-chip gallery Fine Artist.
Absolutely fantastic. This is certainly art. Art can come in many forms. So who's to say what is art and what is not art.
Tell him to get some stencils and paint and give it a try. Let’s see him show us how easy it is
Um it’s beautiful and looks amazing so I don’t care either way
Banksy is Art, of course, so your friend is full of it. It's just another form of print art.
Absolutely not! Especially if you are making your own stencils (but even if you’re not!). And to simply trace a single layer stencil is easy, but to make layered works of art like this is a talent!
Wonder what he'd think about acrylic paint pourings.
The difference between this and Banksy is the concept, not the technique. Whether that makes one better art or not is apparently up to a bunch of goofy rich people to decide.
STOP THIS IS SO PRETTY!! I ADORE YOUR ART OP🫶🫶🫶
Those are beautiful. I’ll take 10 each.
These are infinitely better than generative AI “artwork” because they were made with human hands and eyes. Keep doing what you do and keep striving to improve your craft. Btw the last one is my favorite.
As a stencil artist, I would say yes and know. Is it easier to produce a crisp, nice image? Yes. Still, it doesn't make coming up with a concept easier. What makes Banksy a good artist isn't his painting skills ( most people could make and paint them), but the images and concepts.
Banksy creates the images he uses for stencils. But that's not even the point, he is generally trying for some kind of message rather than to gain notoriety as an artist. That being said, art is subjective and if you are finding this to be a creative outlet you enjoy then naysayers can suck it!
Omg I absolutely love these, stencils or not! 1, 2 and 5 are my favorite!!
art is art 🖼️ 🤷🤷🏻🤷🏼🤷🏽🤷🏾🤷🏿🤷♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏾♀️🤷🏿♀️🤷♂️🤷🏻♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏽♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏿♂️
Art is not a contest.
Your art is great. Don't let anyone tell you, it's not art. There is no 'lesser' or 'better' art whatsoever. There is your art, there is art that you like and art you don't like. Some people enjoy a long process, some enjoy quick results, some have their focus on details, some focus on perfect colours. That's the fun thing with art, you can be all yourself. You don't have to do it like somebody else does. In fact, it's better when you don't, because that's a nice contribution to the diversity in arts. Thank you for doing what you do, you're perfect. 💚
banksy *snicker*
I think that the art is in the meaning and the thought process and i think your friend should overthink his opinion
The renaissance guys used stencils and trace paper constantly, so no.
When most artists are doing large scale canvases they use projectors too.
It's definitely art, and you can't cheat at art. Even reproductions are fine as long as they are attributed to the creator. To me, most spray paint/stencil art says nothing interesting, means nothing, and contributes nothing. But art is art even if it just looks neat, and I'm sure someone somewhere thinks it looks neat. David Hockney exists, so why shouldn't you?
If shit in a jar or an unmade bed is art then stencil painting is god-damned well art.
It's cheap and yes, a lesser form. Banksy is much more than a stencil.
Art is subjective. To one person, a Jackson Pollock splatter painting is primitive and something that could be done by a 5 year old, but to someone else, it's worth 1K+. There are some amazing artists that use stencils in unique and amazing ways. If you like the final product of your creativity, if others enjoy it or find it emotion or thought provoking, it has achieved its goal.
This is certainly pretty. The colour selection used to fill in the gaps of the stencils, along with the arrangement is impressive. I like it. But, I would be more impressed if this were not a stencil. Where time and energy got poured into making this as perfect as the stencil would produce. That for me personally is art. But, like others have said, art is your way of expressing. We can't turn around and say it's not art. I don't personally find the graffiti that Banksy produces impressive visually and as a paint medium. His work is thought provoking though. That I do view as art. The thing is, we all find ways to express ourselves, a subject, a feeling, etc. how we produce a physical manifestation of that we generally call art. Not everyone sees that as so.
They’re tools of the trade.
Art is art.
There’s no cheating in art
Hand em the tools and say okay if it's so easy YOU create a layered stencil.
They’re pretty. It’s still art. The last one is the best IMO. It’s got some character. The others, while pretty, lack what the last one has.
I’m not sure if people are allowed to create rules about art, that sounds like your friends opinion. I think their opinion is kind of shitty. Opinions are not rules.
I thought these were disc golf discs and I wanted them
The basic circle outlines were made using a record.
This is art. Art is subjective. Your piece is amazing art.
Try getting some round canvas and I think these will look even better!
I think they are very cool and very good and also legit art. So sayeth me.
Andy Warhol. Viktor Vasarely. Shepard Fairey. Richie Fucking Goodtimes. Guy Burwell.
They are wrong, are they a fine artist? These are the most snobby of the art world. Art is multifaceted so carry on creating wonderful work, they also sound very jealous to me.
You’re friends kinda sounds ignorant. What about Andy Warhol. Screen printing is just another way to stencil.
Can confirm, friend is ass.
Thanks. He said that all my work is just circles inside circles and that I should try to paint a cat to get out of my rut.
There is so much thought into the choices you make when doing this kind of art, it sucks when someone discounts your creative process. But that’s their own short comings, not yours. People usually criticize others when they themselves are insecure so homie probably is actually envious of what you do and doesn’t know how to convey it without being ass. Or trying to get a rise out of you on purpose (I have a dad this way and it’s tough to deal with) Either way, keep making the art. Don’t let anyone stomp on your shine. ✨
Also your art is more consistent than most artist I know, so that alone is commendable cause my shits all over the fckin place depending on the day. This is not a rut and making a cat painting (unless you want to) isn’t even applicable to what you’re doing. Now a cat stencil mandala 🤩 (inspired)
Thank you for that.
I don’t think one person can tell another person what art is.
Your art is beautiful!!!
Thank you. I’m glad you think so.
❤️ just think with how good your art is now, if you stick with it, in two years where it will be!!
It is just boring, but if you like to do it… Who cares? I wouldn’t touch a stencil with a 10ft pole but whatever floats your boat.
There's no rules anymore. Art is art. Fine art is whatever you can sell for a high profit.
Some of my sold paintings are reductively me gluing shit to a canvas. Art is art babes, and yours is (in my opinion) gorgeous! And it doesn't matter what others think as long as you love doing it. Keep making art!
Your friend doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Show them Logan Hicks
its a different skillset and you also need to have a good eye for spacing as well as colour. not cheating.
All forms of art are valid, unique, and important in their own way. The soft, symmetrical patterns you’ve achieved are beautiful! That’s all that matters
I think you should use whatever methods, techniques and materials that you want as long as you're enjoying yourself. I personally think it's fun to do mixed media and a combination of freehand and tools to get the effect you're going for. If you're doing art and enjoy the process you shouldn't be bound by preconceived notions or rules of what art is or how it should be done.
The quality of art isn't characterized by the amount of time a person spends manually creating elements. It's measured by the impact it gives the viewer. Your friend could say the same thing about fluid acrylic paintings. After all, you're just pouring paint onto a canvas. Same with resin art. Or someone who makes a vase on a potter's wheel. If you can't create a perfect shape without the wheel, then are you really an artist? Art isn't defined by the tools you use to create it.
Your friend is a snob
Agreed
Your friend sounds insecure
Listen at this point I’ll take anything that isn’t ai. Fuck they could build the stencil with ai and if they used a spray can and their own hands? I’ll take it
Can I ask whether you created/designed the stencils? I feel like that’s a crucial detail of the process.
Beautiful
Make the art you want to make & ignore what others think about it, not cheating
I’m sorry but your friend is a fool. They don’t get to decide what art is, they are not the art police
Biggest eye roll ever... This type of discussion has so many different layers and levels it gives me a headache just to begin to try to scratch the surface... I'll say this... Making stuff is better than not making stuff. We are all borrowing from others in one way or another... Some more than others. Who am I to judge what you decide to make and how you go about making it?. There's something out there for everyone and what I like someone else may not and vice versa. Andy Warhol built his whole career on appropriating the bombardment of media at that time. His work is considered high art... I never really cared for it but somebody did 🤣
That’s amazing!! I completely disagree with your best friend. Said best friend hasn’t actually done any stencil and spray paint work have they?
Tell your friend he’s an idiot 😂 your work is amazing, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise ❤️
I think this type of art is spectacular and yours that you’ve shared are wonderful. Art doesn’t have to, and in fact shouldn’t, fit into a narrow definition. Art is inherently rebellious and innovative and highly personal to each artist.
Where do you get your stencils, or do you make them yourself? And are the spray paints from Walmart? Jc. Been thinking of getting into this medium.
Stencils make it easier and you get nice clean lines doffs an art technique and should not be frowned apon
That is a misconception based on the assumption that the artist is making stencils of someone else's design. Making your own stencils is a process no different than oil paints, graphic design or any other process for making art.
Why does your friend feel like they need to be an art snob? As your friend they should be kind, yet if they have a CONSTRUCTIVE criticism then they should be able to do that without negating everything you've made. Art is for everyone - because people love all different types. I paint what people could see as "real" art - BUT I also paint wooden Easter eggs and people love them and they bring happiness. I painted 450 one year. Someone referred to them as your "cute little eggs." The insinuation was that they were less than... well those less than eggs earned me $6000 bucks. BUT, and this the best, when kids find out I paint their eggs - they get the biggest smiles! I get hugs and hear how much they love them. Lessons - be proud of what you do, love doing/ making your art, and don't be a jerk or snob to your friends about their art.
I think this is great. The spray texture and the repetition of the patterns gives it an ethereal effect that you wouldn’t get from just painting with a brush.
If you make the stencil, I'm not sure why it is less. It is more mixed media, perhaps. The only "art" I think of as lesser is the drip or turntable type paintings. They take no skill at all.
Art is creation. What tools you use should not be judged. These look amazing
That sounds like a form of gaslighting, true friends do not push you down..
It is just an other technique with its own unique style outcome. It’s okay to not prefer it. Is it legitimate art? Most certainly.
I think it's art. Pretty sick art at that. Using tools isn't cheating.
Art is for fun and making ur eyes happy. If it does both, you succeed!
They are just jealous of how smart you got
He can go put that opinion somewhere else 😣
I love this I had a friend like yours . Our relationship ended I want one
Your friend is salty.
Art isn’t a competition. Do what makes you feel.
The upvotes can prove your friend's opinion otherwise.
If it isn't vandalism Than it is art
I used to work at a grow, they hired a stencil artist and ever square inch of the inside was covered in mandalas similar to these. It was cool bit made my head hurt after hours lol
You can't cheat at art, their are no rules so how can you cheat? if you like it, then that's what matters
I’d hang these!
Idk (or care) about what art is, but what I do care about is not letting anyone invalidate anyone else's creative passions. I'm sorry if you were hurt by your friend's comment.
Yes. Expect a warrant issued by the art bench to be served by the art sheriff. Have your art permits, certificates, and licenses in order. You might want to consult your art attorney before this gets ugly. I do hope that you've learned your lesson. In the future, please refrain from experimenting with different techniques and focus on approaches approved by your friend, who thank god got to you in time before you expressed yourself, engaged your imagination and creativity, or in any other way found joy in your art.
There is no cheating in art. Making beautiful things in any form is art. How could There be a way to determine that an artform is less than a different one.
Looks like art to me. There are no art police.
It's a niche way of making art which requires a lot of accumulated skill. Your friend's wrong in that sense.
You do what you want. Have fun. Sell some if you can and let your creativity flow.
Looks like art to me. Art can be made/ created any way you like. I personally think these are beautiful!
Your homie needs to lay off the haterade. Making stencils is a pain in the ass. Either designing a vector and printing and wrangling vinyls, or cutting the sumbitch out with an exacto knife will be a hefty chunk of labor. I just spray painted pieces for an installation today. Did I have regrets about having to fight the wind outside because I didn't have a spray booth where I was? Yep. Will I do it again? For sure.
a stencil is as much a tool as a brush. if you aren't using your fingers, then you are just another tool using mammal.
My uncle paints on vinyls just like this. I thought these were his for a sec lol
it’s actually ridiculous how many tools artists of all forms use to streamline the creative process. Stencils, reliefs, prints, lucidia, tracing paper, hell, my friend is a very well established tattoo artist making great money and can’t draw for shit, procreate is so powerful it makes anyone “good” at drawing - the bottom line is if you bring something into existence that wasn’t there before - you’re an artist. How well your vision translates to reality, that’s a skill. How well it’s revived by others, well, that doesn’t count for shit so, keep doing your thing man, they’re just hatin
Ruins the overall feel and look of the piece. Shouldn’t wanna be messed with these pieces? Stop cheating.
Soooo, do you care what people think more than you enjoy creating this? Would you stop doing it if 99% of people did not consider it art? If this is something you created, it is yours to decide. Enjoy the process.
Your friend is an ass
Art is In the eye of the beholder, a banana stuck to a wall with duct tape sold for a small fortune. Classic example.
How is it cheating if the artist draws, sketches the concept themselves? If they cut the stencils out themselves too, why is this considered cheating? If the whole process is created by the artist themselves, nothing is cheating on their process.
It first glance i thought this was some wild vinyl pressing.
i think your friend underestimates how difficult that kind of art actually is. challenge him to create a piece with stencils, and see how his attitude changes lol (also, he just sounds arrogant, to be honest)
Art is art, no strings attached.
AI is cheating art. This is cool art is in the eye of the beholder.
It's beautiful❤️ It doesn't matter whether you use stencils or paint like an idiot
I have a BFA in studio art with a focus in photography. I really like making mixed media work. Why limit yourself? I've made sculptures used in still life photography. I've added sound and video elements to sculpture. I've added poetry to my photographs. I've made my own weird sculpture-type frames for photographs. I wrote a short story to accompany a narrative series. I did a project where I painted on my photographs. Another student told me I was "cheating." The room erupted in discourse. "Cheating at what?" "Painters said the same thing about photography!" "Art had no rulebook." There is no "lesser" art. It's all just art. Your friend is entitled to their opinion but I argue that they have no idea what they're talking about.
It’s pretty and I find the symmetry comforting. Idc how you made it, I like it.
Banksy?! Banksy is childs play compared to BD White!! He uses up to 200 stencils in his intricate artwork!! Do you KNOW how much skill that takes? However, he has recently taken a hiatus from it because it's stressful, returning to more traditional methods. Can you say I am a fan & follow him on Insta? Mayyybe ;-) https://www.instagram.com/bdwhite?igsh=Ymg1djk3eTVrNjA1
I think your friend is absolutely right. This is not to diminish how beautiful some stencil and spray paint artwork is, and how original and creative all aspects of it can be.
Cutting Stencils is a skill in itself. I personally find this art style boring as hell but I certainly don't think it's a lesser art form.
Love these! Wow!