Tell Me How Much You Hate This...

I am in no way, shape, or form a Picasso but I like to whip the brush out every now and again.

I was asked to paint something for someone... finished it. Sent a picture to see if they liked it. They did not.

This person is someone I know well. They didn't offer any advice on how to make the painting better.

Their comment upset me so I varnished it and now it's hanging on my wall.

I'm thinking about just giving them back the canvas so they can paint over it or do whatever they want to it.

Your thoughts on this piece? Tell me how much you despise looking at it. Tell me how much it makes you want to pluck your eyes out with a dull rusty spoon. Tell me how it would make nice firewood.

Side note, I kinda loved it before they said anything but now I hate it. It's right beside me as I type this and my whole body is on fire just being near it.





I've painted something else for this person before. I wanted to continue the same style. Here is the previous painting which they loved by the way...

I'm no art expert either but I like it.

I like it. Reminds me sorta kinda of Lara Zombies work (Lora Zombie Official Store) .... sort of kind of. I would rather have a white space around the people, a void of the color “rain” but that’s a personal preference. I do like the dynamic of the ballerina painting better but that doesn’t mean the other one is bad.

Art is entirely subjective. Not everything you make will speak to everyone or even to yourself. There are pieces you don’t like. There are pieces others don’t like. But someone else not liking it doesn’t mean everyone will dislike it or that you should dislike it.

I went to one of those paint and sip painting classes not too long ago. Everyone’s picture turned out slightly different. Here is mine, I don’t love it. But someone else saw it and asked me if they could have it.



My Mom has participated, and won, shows plus shown some work in art galleries. Same thing of she doesn’t always like everything she makes and others don’t always like everything. Doesn’t mean t is bad or should be disdained, just means it isn’t the persons taste.

I think it's quite nice actually especially considering you admit you aren't yet adept and experienced. If this person wasn't paying you, IDK why they have the nerve to complain. To me, that's a gift and one does not gripe about gifts.

You seem to have a good sense of form and scale already and a style that is your own. I think in time, you're going to continue to hone those skills and find that you have more talent than you realize. Ignore that person's commentary. Everyone can't be a great artist when they first start out - it's a rarity to have natural talent that doesn't need to be worked on.

Also, sometimes once something is framed it suddenly looks more finished and important. Keep it for yourself, get it framed nicely and enjoy it or find someone else who enjoys it. And perhaps, think twice about doing another piece for this person again because there's no point in letting someone make you feel your art is worthless, and therefore, you are too.

FYI - I know quite a bit about art so I'm not just spouting garbage. I truly think the piece is good and that you have talent. Keep working at it!

Oh gosh, im sorry you don't like it now. I like them both as well, and my opinion is that the person you did it for is of course entitled to how they feel, but I, as a somewhat educated in the arts person, see a LOT of talent in your paintings.

I like it a lot, especially the different colors for the rain. It's like they're being rained on by a rainbow.

Gee, thank you so much, everyone!

I'm better with digital painting and I'm trying to practise with my bare hands more. This canvas is rather large - 36.5" x 24". If it were smaller and I didn't use so much paint, perhaps I wouldn't care as much. The piece is called "Technilovers" by the way.

Kieka - I love that painting. I would definitely hang it up in my house. I understand that art is subjective, not denying that. The problem I have is when people are rude. I love criticism, I welcome it. But, it has to be constructive and respectful. You have to tell me how to improve so that I can do better next time. It can't just be, "Oh, I don't like that. That's an awful paint." I gotta know why you think it's awful. What makes you think it's awful. Is it the composition itself, scaling, colour choice, subjects, etc. Also, I did have the background behind them being entirely white at first but because of the direction of the rain drops, I wanted it to look like these two figures were trapped in a space and just being engulfed in paint.

sivyaleah - Thank you! I didn't think about framing it until you mentioned it. I'm looking at it now and perhaps it will "come to life" so to speak in a nice frame and a room with better lighting. Maybe it doesn't work in my space either. There are a lot of paint drip paintings online and this person wanted something along those lines. I followed all their instructions but also made the painting something I haven't seen before. At this point, they do not want this back so I will find someone with a space this painting will work in. I'll frame it and gift it to them.

Kat0121 , Furballsmom , Katie M - THANK YOU! I will continue to work at painting and get better at it. It's something I enjoy doing and I have so much paint and art supplies, it would be silly to not continue. I did go to school for art after all. I'm thinking about maybe doing a composition in a similar style but different media. Maybe I need to give acrylic paint a break. I'm better with oil because I love to blend.


This is an example (when I say I'm better with oil). Inspired by that scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. I think this was my first time using oil paint.



Annnnnd finally, just for fun. I did this one for an assignment in college. Painted on a piece of masonite board using egg tempera.

Graceful-Lily Have you ever thought about starting an Instagram account if you don't already have one? I can't begin to tell you how many artists now use that platform to market themselves. You would be shocked to know how many people you can reach that way, especially if you are good at interacting with followers. I've discovered a lot of interesting artists this way and have purchased more than several pieces over the years from many of them ranging from inexpensive to extremely pricey.

Just a thought for you!

The thing about art; it's all opinions. One persons opinion doesn't make something good or bad.

I don't like primary colors; so I wouldn't choose something with that color scheme to hang in my house. But my first thought when I saw it was sprinkles. Sprinkles are a happy thing right? If you'd painted the rain blue it might evoke a sadder emotion. But you see the couple under an umbrella with color around them and instead it's happy. It's a couple choosing to see happy in spite of rain.

So if they don't like it but you do; keep it and give them a replacement canvas. There is nothing wrong with it just because they don't personally like it.

I like your painting and looks great on that wall.keep it everyone has different taste hun x

I'm not a big fan of art, but I like the first one.
The second, however, struck me funny. Unless the ballerina on the right is double jointed, I don't see how her foot could be in that position. But overall, they are very good.

kashmir64 said:

I'm not a big fan of art, but I like the first one.
The second, however, struck me funny. Unless the ballerina on the right is double jointed, I don't see how her foot could be in that position. But overall, they are very good.

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kashmir64 - Her back is to the viewer and the outstretched leg is over top of the other leg... unless I'm not seeing what you are seeing.

sivyaleah - I did have an instagram account for art once but I'm terrible at managing it. It would be so much easier for me if someone handled all my social media things. I don't know what I'm doing in that department. I do have my website but of course no one is seeing that unless I actively advertise. I did think about making business cards and just handing them out at random whenever I'm in public to help get the word out about my work but I figured I'd have to be offering some type of service to do that. Not just, "Hey, look at my pretty drawings!"

MoochNNoodles , Tik cat's mum - Thank you! I'm definitely keeping this one. Who knows? Maybe I'll invite someone over one day and they'll be so taken back by it that they just have to have it in their home.

I keep trying to figure out how to explain to them that I won't be doing anymore without being rude but whenever I run what I'm going to say by my mom, she says it sounds mean. Whenever I'm honest, sometimes I'm brutally blunt so it sounds a way it's not necessarily intended... and I do this subconsciously almost so I don't even notice that I'm doing it.

Graceful-Lily said:

kashmir64 - Her back is to the viewer and the outstretched leg is over top of the other leg... unless I'm not seeing what you are seeing.

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LOL. You're not seeing what I am, but I admitted I'm not a big fan of art.
Because of her arms, to me, it looked like she is facing the front with her arms behind her back.
But they are still very good.

ETA: If it were the way I saw it, then you would be Picasso.

kashmir64 said:

LOL. You're not seeing what I am, but I admitted I'm not a big fan of art.
Because of her arms, to me, it looked like she is facing the front with her arms behind her back.
But they are still very good.

ETA: If it were the way I saw it, then you would be Picasso.

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You got me over here in front of my computer doing the poses to see if they make sense. My shoulders hurt!!

Graceful-Lily said:

kashmir64 - Her back is to the viewer and the outstretched leg is over top of the other leg... unless I'm not seeing what you are seeing.

sivyaleah - I did have an instagram account for art once but I'm terrible at managing it. It would be so much easier for me if someone handled all my social media things. I don't know what I'm doing in that department. I do have my website but of course no one is seeing that unless I actively advertise. I did think about making business cards and just handing them out at random whenever I'm in public to help get the word out about my work but I figured I'd have to be offering some type of service to do that. Not just, "Hey, look at my pretty drawings!"

MoochNNoodles , Tik cat's mum - Thank you! I'm definitely keeping this one. Who knows? Maybe I'll invite someone over one day and they'll be so taken back by it that they just have to have it in their home.

I keep trying to figure out how to explain to them that I won't be doing anymore without being rude but whenever I run what I'm going to say by my mom, she says it sounds mean. Whenever I'm honest, sometimes I'm brutally blunt so it sounds a way it's not necessarily intended... and I do this subconsciously almost so I don't even notice that I'm doing it.

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You're very talented. I love that dragon!

If they ask you to do anything else just say something like, "Oh I wish I could but I'm kind of booked up right now. Some other time maybe?" Of course they wouldn't know that "some other time" would be the same day they host the winter Olympics in hell.

Kat0121 said:

If they ask you to do anything else just say something like, "Oh I wish I could but I'm kind of booked up right now. Some other time maybe?" Of course they wouldn't know that "some other time" would be the same day they host the winter Olympics in hell.

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Graceful-Lily said:

... Your thoughts on this piece? ...

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I like it!

Graceful-Lily said:

... Side note, I kinda loved it before they said anything but now I hate it. It's right beside me as I type this and my whole body is on fire just being near it.

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Graceful-Lily said:

... I keep trying to figure out how to explain to them that I won't be doing anymore without being rude but whenever I run what I'm going to say by my mom, she says it sounds mean. Whenever I'm honest, sometimes I'm brutally blunt so it sounds a way it's not necessarily intended... and I do this subconsciously almost so I don't even notice that I'm doing it.

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Whether or not you get more input from this person, how about doing another painting --probably just for you, but who knows once it is done!-- which depicts how you are feeling right now about this whole situation that just happened. I am not trained but I've been lamely trying to do some art this past year and most of it seems terrible, completely dorky, to me. But what I do once one is "done" is just do another painting that shows how I am rebounding from my feelings over the last painting I did. Bit by bit, my paintings seem more understandable or likeable, and each one has more depth that the previous one. Like they all unfold from each other.

PushPurrCatPaws - YES! Thank you! You just reminded me. When I paint for other people, it's rare that I end up liking it. If this person had just given me the canvas and said, "Go nuts!" I'd have done something totally different. It's a large canvas with so much potential but they wanted something specific so my creative mind was limited because every time I wanted to try something, I thought, "Oh, they wouldn't like that..." So I had to stop myself. It's like trying to sing with food in your mouth.

I think from now on, I'll paint what I want to paint and if they don't like it (not this person specifically but anyone who ask for a piece from me), too bad for them. I'm talented enough to assess a space and the colour scheme of the whole house and create a composition accordingly.

Graceful-Lily said:

I'm talented enough to assess a space and the colour scheme of the whole house and create a composition accordingly.

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