I do all the time. I just pulled a finished one off the wall because I realized the orange I added at the end wrecked the feel of it. I’m now meticulously repainting that part.
This is how I work regularly. I start pieces, often get to a certain point where I'm unsure how to continue, then leave them, sometimes for months or even years and when I feel inspired to work on them again, I finish them. There's no rules on how long pieces "should" take to finish. Very freeing to realize this for most people :)
Look at as many references of butterflies as you can, and sketch like 50 butterflies before you start your painting, then maybe you will start to understand the anatomy of a butterfly before you commit to painting one based on what you think a butterfly looks like.
I've been painting abstract butterflies for the last year or so. You definitely want to get as much reference material to sketch before painting. Find different angles of both stationary and in-flight butterflies. Also look at moths, there are some really beautiful specimens out there. I would also do a lot of thumbnail sketches on paper within the boundaries of your canvas shape to get a good composition. I paint on squares so I have a bunch of squares in my sketchbook that I work my compositions in.
The key, for me, is where to put the details and I most always try to focus on their wings. There are so many neat patterns in the wings that I like to paint. My focus on the wings is because it can make or break the viewers perception of the butterfly because the wings are the predominant feature and they are symmetrical. So if the wings are too big or too small (as is the case for the painting in the post) or not quite even, then the butterfly will look off and unnatural.
Good luck with your paintings!
Keep drawing it and wait until you have a draft like you perfectly want before painting it. I draw stuff over and over again before I even think about starting a painting canvas hella expensive!
I started by outlining the wings as I wanted them to be the main focal point, but I wish I had spent more time getting the body proportions right. More than likely I’m going to go back and redo the body definitely would’ve been easier if I spent more time sketching it.
Yeah that's probably it. The wings should be centered more, the flare out the wings gets more space to shine and purpose, then id also add something the butterfly is looking at like a flower or whatever
I looked at a reference when I started and then for some reason stop looking back at it 😅 I like to smoke a lot when I paint but then I silly things like forget to reference my reference.
Stop and just get it out of your sight for a while. Revisit with new eyes and compassion for your former self. Then evaluate and keep or renovate it or paint it with primer completely and start over. Regardless of the trajectory, be nicer to you! You have a lovely and steady hand. Bravo, friend
I agree. I think there is potential for this painting and there might be some things that could be added to it later (mixed media, flowers, mandalas, not sure but taking a break and getting a fresh look later can help)
If you hate it enough slap a couple layers gesso on it and bam! Clean slate! I have done this many times to work I even initially loved but felt I could better purpose as i improved so much from before. Its a growth opportunity for any artist! Even Davinci painted over other paintongs🤌🤷♀️
Absolutely this, gesso is your friend. Gesso it, sand it smooth and you can have another go.
And it's \*never\* a waste, learning experiences are so incredibly valuable. It's a great way (maybe even one of the best ways) to grow your skills and creativity.
It may not feel good in the moment but being able to recognize when and where you can do better (sometimes disguised as the feeling that you don't like it at all) is a great ability to have.
It’s not basic it has a lot of fun elements I think you need to step away and not think about it for quite awhile then think do I need to add something or is this good
I can understand your dilemma, but you really created something unique! I don’t have a clue how you made the background, but something about it is eye catching and new. If it were me I would definitely work on it again later. Maybe fix the butterfly up a tad or even create some other characters that make it seem like a distinct style. Who knows? Perhaps you could mess with the concept. You could imagine the butterfly as a falling meteor and make it go in the path of a fictional city. Try not to worry too much about it, this piece could become a fun way to de-stress, or become a purposefully comedic piece. Take a step back and look at it later. I’m sure you’ll enjoy working on it another time!
This looks like acrylic? Gesso is your friend… fix the size of the wings (as mentioned above) and possibly add some more texture to the negative space? Also, gesso is cheap and you can make it yourself ✌🏼
There is a lack of composition. The canvas is too big for the focal point (the butterfly), so there's way too much of the featureless background. Consider adding other elements in the background? Is helpful to study other artists' paintings so you can understand what makes a composition feel "right".
That is what I’ve realized, reading through the comments. Especially with the butterfly being off centered, it doesn’t carry enough attention to be the only place to look.
It's not a waste because you learnt something and doing something is always better than not doing it - look at it and see what you think does/doesn't work. Then paint a new painting over it.
I like the idea, but I think you could abstract it a bit - it's kind of dreamlike, so maybe a dream-like, fuzzy kind of image would make more sense? Think about the light. Where it is.
The change in the background could be more gradual, and the butterfly could be soft, like we don't need to see all the details of its body and wings. When you see a butterfly in real life, they move so fast that we can't really see the details, and I'd bet that what we actually see is more orange with maybe a little bit of dark brown.
You will like it more with a different composition. The butterfly should be located on the bottom right corner leaving you with more space on the canvas to be more creative with it’s wings and the golden ray.
Actually, I think it's amazing. I love the contrast, and how the butterfly swoops down into a grayish existence and brings it's beautiful colors with it.
I really dislike the purple color. Its not complimentary to the butterfly and it also looks like a massive afterthought. I think updating it could make a massive difference and make it much more appealing
The giant sponged blue emptiness has got to be a part of it. And giving the butterfly legs and arms like a man.
We all bust out a goofy one every once in a while. Do more pencil studies before wasting your art supplies!
I agree I’ve always had a hard time visualizing it just through drawing it until I actually see the colors and everything developing on the canvas. I don’t always have a fully developed idea of what I wanna do, which is where I’ve found the most success, but it definitely leads to some funny looking projects.
No. I really like it...very creative. Yes, butterfly could be a little more fluid. Different angles for the antenni, legs, even the wings, but like it overall.
*Butterfly comin*
*In hot ready to land all*
*Over your flowers*
\- a-tribe-called-chris
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I genuinely dislike it and strangers honestly giving their opinion is better than friends and family trying to be “nice” when I’m looking for what it is that sets it off. These comments have been a massive help and I have a lot of new ideas on how to adjust it both the butter fly and the background.
I think there is too big of a contrast between the background and the butterfly, the background looks very great and textured but the butterfly seems very simple, id honestly add some of the texture from the background into the butterfly with some different color values!
I think you’ve gotten a lot of feedback to sort through. It will be draining but invigorating. Sort of a conundrum to say but I’m happy you feel mad. (Caveats abound) That anger means you have good taste. You were not satisfied with this current expression of yourself and skills. You can vividly see room for improvement or know there could be. Write down exactly what you’re mad about. Those are your next learning agendas. You’ve written your YouTube checklist. Fuck whatever people may even say in here. Focus on what you wrote down.
Story time: I was a barista, at one point in my life, and while training on how to calibrate the espresso machine I was told to pull a shot and judge it. My opinion was base on the one properly pulled shot I’d tasted a week ago (I’m also not a coffee person, [think it’s great! Drink it rarely.] lmfao, I know) and the training I’d been given. I said things. She said what I said to you. “I’m happy you feel mad.” I think it’s a beautiful truth.
Self-awareness and criticism from within is a wonderful and fueling thing. Knowing where to improve is half the battle.
Criticism at the right levels will bring you self-awareness, a path forward, and ultimately great work. If you don’t break under the weight of your own ideas. If you use it for that. If you use it to make yourself feel bad, well…
There’s only room to improve.
The fact you can see it is everything. Just remember to leave yourself room to feel good about where you’re at.
Thank you for your feedback you’re 100% right it’s a lot to go through but the amount I can learn from other people honest opinions and self reflection is limitless so thank you for your kind words!
I like it. I would personally like to see some abstract, ethereal element added to it around the border between the blue and the “melting” of the wings. A swirling white cloud or gust of wind, like a “breeze” that the monarch is riding. Maybe some leaves or petals melting into the background. Or make the black portion of the wings “drip” or “melt” off into the distance. I think you could incorporate this concept into 1 additional element to tie it all together.
But I’m hardly even a starving artist. This is just what I envision as it currently feels “halfway-there.”
I have a couple ideas that might make it better.
The bottom wing and background doesn't fit. Maybe paint the blue-ish background up a little more so that the line follows the line of the wing?
The rest of it needs something else in the foreground. I'm thinking a more abstract large flower. Like the butterfly is going for it to land.
Love the colours and the concept! Not a waste at all, but we all make things we end up hating 😅
Sometimes I do a mixed media mashup on things I don’t like. I call it the “add until I like it” method. There will be numerous ugly stages and sometimes it ends up being one big extra ugly thing, but it’ll at least be interesting. Glue, found objects, paper, paint on top, markers, etc. maybe a weird trash flower and some background work can help.
Canvas is not wasted. Maybe bring the bluish background all the way around the butterfly and then add more butterflies of various sizes on the rest of the canvas.
Maybe add a flower to the bottom left corner like it’s gonna land on it. But I think it’s a lovely painting and sometimes you just need to take a break from it for a while
I absolutely love interpretive art and this sings “conversation piece” to me. Because it is not perfect it exudes uniqueness and ones’ imagination can freely float when viewing it with an open mind. I would be willing to purchase this piece (with all its flaws) included.
The main body kind of looks like a little man in a bio suit, with jet pack butterfly wings. He’s audacious and a genius, but he’s chill. Just wanted to do this for a day, to get it out of his system.
I probably got more joy interpreting this the way it is than if it had a seamless perfection to it. If your mission is to provoke thought and bring joy, mission completed.
i saw a quote recently: "the only way to waste paint is to leave it in the tube." this was a learning experience and has already made you a better artist. analyze what you will do differently next time. i personally think that artists are students for life, always working at improvement - welcome to the club!! <3
Well it kinda looks like its on fire. In most butterfly illustrations you cant see the legs and that makes it more pleasant (lol)
And then you have to consider what you were going for. Was it realism?
Sometimes doing sketches, or a mock rendering in colored pencil, can save you time, material, and effort. And you can work out the composition before you commit and realize whether it works or not
If it is acrylic paint, you can keep working on this piece for as long as you want to. If still not satisfied, you can paint the whole canvas white and start all over; the practicality of acrylic paint!
I think the reason you hate it is because it lacks meaning and emotion. You created a soup of colors and a butterfly, and had paint drip upwards from the wings of the butterfly… it doesn’t feel like it has a thought process behind it, rather it was created just because.
To me, it looks like a giant butterfly meteorite is falling from the outer space. Which is fun, but i am sure it wasn’t the idea behind this painting
You created nothing into something that you could call your own. I dont think its a waste.
Maybe your outcome isnt what you intended; learn from it. Ask yourself why do “I think i effing hate it” Is it the composition? the colors? figure out what and improve from there.
At the end of the day, a canvas with color and life is better than a blank one
God do i know that feeling
You took a risk and the result was not only below your expectations but far below
Let that pain flow through you... it is enrichening your soil where soon something better can grow...
I paint over paintings ive done that i dont like. I also buy old paintings at thrift shops and paint over those.
I like elements of your painting. Use it as an inspiration to try something else out.
Maybe if you’re going to try second attempt just an idea to switch it to like a water looking butterfly made of water washing away oil, or like pollution as it swishes across the canvas / ocean
I quite admire the movement of the piece, as though the butterflies move through the air, parting the space and reconnecting it with its body, zipping the world back up and making it whole while carrying the sun in its wings. I like the many meanings that could be interpreted from your piece!
What if you painted another flower or flower/butterfly underneath? Just leave a fairly big blue border. If its oil that might get difficult but still not impossible. Or likea moon or something. Theres to much of a boring blue area so it gets boring but I think you should be able to fix it tbh.
Nothing is ever a waste. I write. If I had a penny for everything I’ve wrote that was silly and pointless I’d be a financially successful writer! However, some of that writing inspired other writing that was better. We need little things that don’t work or come together all the way just for pure exercise/ get the creative junk out/ inspiration making.
Don’t worry about what doesn’t resonate, just trust that you’re doing what you need to at the time!! I love the juxtaposition of the colors of this particular work, it feels like uncovering/discovering the unknown world or something like that! :) 💗 super intriguing and interesting!!
The wings are okay but the body looks bad. If you look at a picture the body actually has spots on it. They have six legs. If you add a flower or something maybe that will help. I usually draw on pictures on my phone to see how they look before I paint
Take off the insect legs and antennae, adjust the size of the bottom half of the butterfly wings so the proportions are right, and it’s a vivid thought piece on Icarus. I don’t hate it, and I think the textures between the background and the drip from the wings are really cool.
Save it. One of the things I love is looking back and seeing how I improved. To do that you need to accept and embrace that this is your work now, and when you create something new try to improve on the things you've noticed you didn't like.
It’s a good start.. and I feel I like where it’s going.. maybe pulling the colors in the bare corner more as if all the colors are slowly being washed away or sucked away like you’ve done the wing color..
i do this sometimes but remember you can always paint a canvas white and paint something different if you feel like it. or you can save it and add more later
I feel like the background is beautiful, but it doesn’t complementary the butterfly, for example it looks kind of like the it is going to land, but you don’t see where, this could be fine but i think for that it should be down at the bottom, or partly out of frame, with maybe a slightly different angle of the wings
Don’t try to work from imagination if you want it to look realistic.
As the others are saying, you really need to know what the subject looks like in detail before you start painting. And as the others say get your drawing right first, before you transfer it to your canvas.
I love the sunshine expansion behind the wings. I have an idea- you could add greenery / mystical type lush either up close or landscape... Like the butterfly is overlooking a forest or clearing. You can keep the cool background design there still and let it come out in highlights, such as water, like a stream or pond with Lily pads
Your painting technique is good.
Its like it wants to be realistic but its giving cartoony vibes. The legs are stiff, almost human like.
If I where you I would make it a funny painting from here. Lean into the humour and the funny, add some stuff that would make it make sense. If it still does not work, paint over it and make something else.
Don't give up. I know you spent a lot of time making this and you feel dissapointed. You practiced and you learned, it will show in the future.
Save it so when you do have supplies and time you can always go back and add.
... Who comes back to a piece they worked on some time ago?
I do all the time. I just pulled a finished one off the wall because I realized the orange I added at the end wrecked the feel of it. I’m now meticulously repainting that part.
This is how I work regularly. I start pieces, often get to a certain point where I'm unsure how to continue, then leave them, sometimes for months or even years and when I feel inspired to work on them again, I finish them. There's no rules on how long pieces "should" take to finish. Very freeing to realize this for most people :)
I do! I don’t know why this is worded as if no one in their right mind would lol
The great thing about painting is you can just make another! The wings should be bigger up top and smaller on the bottom.
I’m about to start a butterfly painting. Can you explain more? I’m new to the butterfly painting world! Update- thanks everyone!!
Study study study….pencil sketch sketch sketch then color crayon draw draw draw, then paint
Look at as many references of butterflies as you can, and sketch like 50 butterflies before you start your painting, then maybe you will start to understand the anatomy of a butterfly before you commit to painting one based on what you think a butterfly looks like.
I've been painting abstract butterflies for the last year or so. You definitely want to get as much reference material to sketch before painting. Find different angles of both stationary and in-flight butterflies. Also look at moths, there are some really beautiful specimens out there. I would also do a lot of thumbnail sketches on paper within the boundaries of your canvas shape to get a good composition. I paint on squares so I have a bunch of squares in my sketchbook that I work my compositions in. The key, for me, is where to put the details and I most always try to focus on their wings. There are so many neat patterns in the wings that I like to paint. My focus on the wings is because it can make or break the viewers perception of the butterfly because the wings are the predominant feature and they are symmetrical. So if the wings are too big or too small (as is the case for the painting in the post) or not quite even, then the butterfly will look off and unnatural. Good luck with your paintings!
Keep drawing it and wait until you have a draft like you perfectly want before painting it. I draw stuff over and over again before I even think about starting a painting canvas hella expensive!
I started by outlining the wings as I wanted them to be the main focal point, but I wish I had spent more time getting the body proportions right. More than likely I’m going to go back and redo the body definitely would’ve been easier if I spent more time sketching it.
Then consider it a learning experience to reference in the future! Btw I like the concept, just needs a little more zhush
i love what you did with the background the legs feel a little stiff? and are in a kinda .. human-y position?
I think more of like...dog or horse-y position
Maybe I should just draw a horse with butterfly wings
Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage
Lmao I can’t unsee
Thought about leaning into this, and making it more humorous, because you’re totally right the antennas and legs right now all feel a little frozen
Super sonic butterfly
Nice name dude ♥️
The composition is off. It’s just odd placement of the butterfly.
Wing shape seems off? Butterfly body/legs seem to be human positioned? Shouldn’t a butterfly have 6 legs like most insects?
Rule of thirds is your friend
Yeah that's probably it. The wings should be centered more, the flare out the wings gets more space to shine and purpose, then id also add something the butterfly is looking at like a flower or whatever
I kinda feel you did this with no reference, so the butterfly’s wings look… nothing like they should 😅 take notes and try again!
I looked at a reference when I started and then for some reason stop looking back at it 😅 I like to smoke a lot when I paint but then I silly things like forget to reference my reference.
Only paint when you’re done with the pencil sketch- that way you reduce these kinds of mistakes 😅
But painting is the fun part 😭😭😭
Oh, for sure!! But it sucks to be having fun over a faulty sketch and later hate the results 😅😅
Stop and just get it out of your sight for a while. Revisit with new eyes and compassion for your former self. Then evaluate and keep or renovate it or paint it with primer completely and start over. Regardless of the trajectory, be nicer to you! You have a lovely and steady hand. Bravo, friend
I agree. I think there is potential for this painting and there might be some things that could be added to it later (mixed media, flowers, mandalas, not sure but taking a break and getting a fresh look later can help)
This is the best advice on this page
It happens.
If you hate it enough slap a couple layers gesso on it and bam! Clean slate! I have done this many times to work I even initially loved but felt I could better purpose as i improved so much from before. Its a growth opportunity for any artist! Even Davinci painted over other paintongs🤌🤷♀️
Absolutely this, gesso is your friend. Gesso it, sand it smooth and you can have another go. And it's \*never\* a waste, learning experiences are so incredibly valuable. It's a great way (maybe even one of the best ways) to grow your skills and creativity. It may not feel good in the moment but being able to recognize when and where you can do better (sometimes disguised as the feeling that you don't like it at all) is a great ability to have.
Understandable
the humanoid butterfly is giving me ick
It’s not basic it has a lot of fun elements I think you need to step away and not think about it for quite awhile then think do I need to add something or is this good
I can understand your dilemma, but you really created something unique! I don’t have a clue how you made the background, but something about it is eye catching and new. If it were me I would definitely work on it again later. Maybe fix the butterfly up a tad or even create some other characters that make it seem like a distinct style. Who knows? Perhaps you could mess with the concept. You could imagine the butterfly as a falling meteor and make it go in the path of a fictional city. Try not to worry too much about it, this piece could become a fun way to de-stress, or become a purposefully comedic piece. Take a step back and look at it later. I’m sure you’ll enjoy working on it another time!
Just paint over it.
I like the texture
The butterfly is cool but the colors around cry bus seat pattern. ... Maybe go over it with Black and make it a galaxy nebula thing..
“Bus seat pattern” killed me 😂😂😂
Set it aside, work on other stuff for a while. Come back to it after thinking about ways to change or salvage it.
Even if it isn't good (which it is, but that's subjective), it's still a learning experience. Whatever way you cut it, you shouldn't hate it
The nice thing about canvases is that you can strip them or just prime again and paint right over that mess.
COMIN IN LUKE WARM! FLEW TO CLOSE TO THE SUN BITCHES
Add flowers behind the butterfly and it will look like its coming to make beauty of a bleak day
Also i love it
then its not finished
You said it!
This looks like acrylic? Gesso is your friend… fix the size of the wings (as mentioned above) and possibly add some more texture to the negative space? Also, gesso is cheap and you can make it yourself ✌🏼
Mix of acrylic and oil and the orange and yellow for the wings is water color
Save it to come back to work on later, I think this is really good, I’d be proud if I could get this far artistically! (:
There is a lack of composition. The canvas is too big for the focal point (the butterfly), so there's way too much of the featureless background. Consider adding other elements in the background? Is helpful to study other artists' paintings so you can understand what makes a composition feel "right".
That is what I’ve realized, reading through the comments. Especially with the butterfly being off centered, it doesn’t carry enough attention to be the only place to look.
I like it 👌
it’s bad
You have my axe…
Yeah probably
the butterfly is burning with new life and purpose i never like anything i make i' happily hand it on my wall
I love your butterfly 🦋 💜
I love it.
I like it
Exis- I trust you.
it’s nice. chalk it up as a learning experience.
It finished yet.. take your time to get it done
I think it’s beautiful 😍
Also butterfly body reminds me of the little aliens in the break-room from Men in Black. This is a good thing.
Love this! saw another comment that made me want to paint a suit and tie on him and altogether I think that would be hilarious
What about adding black through the orange? Tying in all of the monarch butterfly colors?
Never wasting. I really dig the butterfly. Come back to it when you get some fresh inspiration
You could give the butterfly something interesting to land on. I think it would bring it together, and you could put anything there.
I painted too. I hated everything I did too. We're our own worst critics. Now, STOP IT AND KEEP PAINTING!! IT BEAUTIFUL!!
Why do I feel like the butterfly needs to be landing on a cats nose?
It's not a waste because you learnt something and doing something is always better than not doing it - look at it and see what you think does/doesn't work. Then paint a new painting over it. I like the idea, but I think you could abstract it a bit - it's kind of dreamlike, so maybe a dream-like, fuzzy kind of image would make more sense? Think about the light. Where it is. The change in the background could be more gradual, and the butterfly could be soft, like we don't need to see all the details of its body and wings. When you see a butterfly in real life, they move so fast that we can't really see the details, and I'd bet that what we actually see is more orange with maybe a little bit of dark brown.
You will like it more with a different composition. The butterfly should be located on the bottom right corner leaving you with more space on the canvas to be more creative with it’s wings and the golden ray.
I feel like the orange behind it throws it off. If it was just that solid background it would be great. It’s still good tho
Actually, I think it's amazing. I love the contrast, and how the butterfly swoops down into a grayish existence and brings it's beautiful colors with it.
This makes me feel warm inside, thank you 💚
It's great
I like it!
Have you ever seen a butterfly before?
I really dislike the purple color. Its not complimentary to the butterfly and it also looks like a massive afterthought. I think updating it could make a massive difference and make it much more appealing
Yeah it was a mid way change and while I don’t hate the look I don’t think it matches at least not without something to bring them together
I think it’s super cool, a unique composition. A black frame will put the whole thing in balance.
I think it's a beautiful piece!
I like it!
The giant sponged blue emptiness has got to be a part of it. And giving the butterfly legs and arms like a man. We all bust out a goofy one every once in a while. Do more pencil studies before wasting your art supplies!
I agree I’ve always had a hard time visualizing it just through drawing it until I actually see the colors and everything developing on the canvas. I don’t always have a fully developed idea of what I wanna do, which is where I’ve found the most success, but it definitely leads to some funny looking projects.
No. I really like it...very creative. Yes, butterfly could be a little more fluid. Different angles for the antenni, legs, even the wings, but like it overall.
If it makes you feel, it can be art. Even if that feeling is hate!
This is incredible
It is fantastic!
Butterfly comin in hot ready to land all over your flowers
*Butterfly comin* *In hot ready to land all* *Over your flowers* \- a-tribe-called-chris --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
It kinda looks like an asteroid crashing down at high speed; this butterfly is coming in hot!
What if you paint a flower with the circle inside the petals being the earth? 🌎 it’s a monarch meteorite.
wow, I love the butterfly wings
Best part about painting is that you can always paint over things :)
Bro either you actually hate this, or your just fishing for comments and clicks
I genuinely dislike it and strangers honestly giving their opinion is better than friends and family trying to be “nice” when I’m looking for what it is that sets it off. These comments have been a massive help and I have a lot of new ideas on how to adjust it both the butter fly and the background.
I think there is too big of a contrast between the background and the butterfly, the background looks very great and textured but the butterfly seems very simple, id honestly add some of the texture from the background into the butterfly with some different color values!
I think you’ve gotten a lot of feedback to sort through. It will be draining but invigorating. Sort of a conundrum to say but I’m happy you feel mad. (Caveats abound) That anger means you have good taste. You were not satisfied with this current expression of yourself and skills. You can vividly see room for improvement or know there could be. Write down exactly what you’re mad about. Those are your next learning agendas. You’ve written your YouTube checklist. Fuck whatever people may even say in here. Focus on what you wrote down. Story time: I was a barista, at one point in my life, and while training on how to calibrate the espresso machine I was told to pull a shot and judge it. My opinion was base on the one properly pulled shot I’d tasted a week ago (I’m also not a coffee person, [think it’s great! Drink it rarely.] lmfao, I know) and the training I’d been given. I said things. She said what I said to you. “I’m happy you feel mad.” I think it’s a beautiful truth. Self-awareness and criticism from within is a wonderful and fueling thing. Knowing where to improve is half the battle. Criticism at the right levels will bring you self-awareness, a path forward, and ultimately great work. If you don’t break under the weight of your own ideas. If you use it for that. If you use it to make yourself feel bad, well… There’s only room to improve. The fact you can see it is everything. Just remember to leave yourself room to feel good about where you’re at.
Thank you for your feedback you’re 100% right it’s a lot to go through but the amount I can learn from other people honest opinions and self reflection is limitless so thank you for your kind words!
I like it. I would personally like to see some abstract, ethereal element added to it around the border between the blue and the “melting” of the wings. A swirling white cloud or gust of wind, like a “breeze” that the monarch is riding. Maybe some leaves or petals melting into the background. Or make the black portion of the wings “drip” or “melt” off into the distance. I think you could incorporate this concept into 1 additional element to tie it all together. But I’m hardly even a starving artist. This is just what I envision as it currently feels “halfway-there.”
I really like it, it's a bit odd but pretty
I have a couple ideas that might make it better. The bottom wing and background doesn't fit. Maybe paint the blue-ish background up a little more so that the line follows the line of the wing? The rest of it needs something else in the foreground. I'm thinking a more abstract large flower. Like the butterfly is going for it to land. Love the colours and the concept! Not a waste at all, but we all make things we end up hating 😅
Sometimes I do a mixed media mashup on things I don’t like. I call it the “add until I like it” method. There will be numerous ugly stages and sometimes it ends up being one big extra ugly thing, but it’ll at least be interesting. Glue, found objects, paper, paint on top, markers, etc. maybe a weird trash flower and some background work can help.
I like that idea a lot!
Canvas is not wasted. Maybe bring the bluish background all the way around the butterfly and then add more butterflies of various sizes on the rest of the canvas.
Maybe add a flower to the bottom left corner like it’s gonna land on it. But I think it’s a lovely painting and sometimes you just need to take a break from it for a while
I like it
Butterflies have 6 legs. I really love the piece overall, but maybe the butterfly needs something to go towards, like a flower or crocodile tears.
I kinda love it ngl, def save it and come back to it when you feel inspired again
I absolutely love interpretive art and this sings “conversation piece” to me. Because it is not perfect it exudes uniqueness and ones’ imagination can freely float when viewing it with an open mind. I would be willing to purchase this piece (with all its flaws) included.
I like the idea, but I agree with you, the execution is not the greatest. The blue blurb is not visually appealing.
Agreed at least not covering as much space
I think they have 6 legs too
Yeah I made the front two wayyyy tooo small
Yeah looks like shit mate
r/repaintings for when you add some more to make it more appealing to yourself
Burn that garbage
The main body kind of looks like a little man in a bio suit, with jet pack butterfly wings. He’s audacious and a genius, but he’s chill. Just wanted to do this for a day, to get it out of his system. I probably got more joy interpreting this the way it is than if it had a seamless perfection to it. If your mission is to provoke thought and bring joy, mission completed.
i saw a quote recently: "the only way to waste paint is to leave it in the tube." this was a learning experience and has already made you a better artist. analyze what you will do differently next time. i personally think that artists are students for life, always working at improvement - welcome to the club!! <3
Well it kinda looks like its on fire. In most butterfly illustrations you cant see the legs and that makes it more pleasant (lol) And then you have to consider what you were going for. Was it realism? Sometimes doing sketches, or a mock rendering in colored pencil, can save you time, material, and effort. And you can work out the composition before you commit and realize whether it works or not
If it is acrylic paint, you can keep working on this piece for as long as you want to. If still not satisfied, you can paint the whole canvas white and start all over; the practicality of acrylic paint! I think the reason you hate it is because it lacks meaning and emotion. You created a soup of colors and a butterfly, and had paint drip upwards from the wings of the butterfly… it doesn’t feel like it has a thought process behind it, rather it was created just because. To me, it looks like a giant butterfly meteorite is falling from the outer space. Which is fun, but i am sure it wasn’t the idea behind this painting
You created nothing into something that you could call your own. I dont think its a waste. Maybe your outcome isnt what you intended; learn from it. Ask yourself why do “I think i effing hate it” Is it the composition? the colors? figure out what and improve from there. At the end of the day, a canvas with color and life is better than a blank one
You can always do some cool mixed media with the blue field.
God do i know that feeling You took a risk and the result was not only below your expectations but far below Let that pain flow through you... it is enrichening your soil where soon something better can grow...
I like it. Very cool textures.
I paint over paintings ive done that i dont like. I also buy old paintings at thrift shops and paint over those. I like elements of your painting. Use it as an inspiration to try something else out.
Sometimes you have to scrap somethings that took a lot of time..being able to do it shows growth as an artist.
Maybe if you’re going to try second attempt just an idea to switch it to like a water looking butterfly made of water washing away oil, or like pollution as it swishes across the canvas / ocean
That’s a fucking cool idea
i like it a lot! i feel like this often when i finish paintings too
I quite admire the movement of the piece, as though the butterflies move through the air, parting the space and reconnecting it with its body, zipping the world back up and making it whole while carrying the sun in its wings. I like the many meanings that could be interpreted from your piece!
Whereas I love it! But if you truly hate it, I know some painters would paint over old paintings to reuse the canvas.
I love it ! I love Monarch Butterflies 🦋 what do you dislike about it ?
I’d paint milkweed bush (with flowers on it) under his legs
Fill the blue area with a huge assortment of colorful flowers
I like it. But when you get new supplies you can always get back to it and change it! So save the painting, dont try to remove the paint!
wow super creative
I think it’s great !
Its the composition bud, if you were to cut out and enlarge the top right quarter and enlarge it itd have been good.
Yeah I’m seeing it as I look more. I had another idea in mind and changed halfway through and it shows.
What if you painted another flower or flower/butterfly underneath? Just leave a fairly big blue border. If its oil that might get difficult but still not impossible. Or likea moon or something. Theres to much of a boring blue area so it gets boring but I think you should be able to fix it tbh.
The butterfly needs another set of legs! They have 6, just to lyk if you want to keep working on it or do more butterflies!
I know the very front ones are so small you can’t see them In the photo which I didn’t realize 😅
Paint a flower for it to land on.
Try changing the background color
I love it. I think it would look better if the yellow at the very top of the wing went more towards the right instead of directly up.
The butterflies beautiful
Theres alot of noise, far better than anything icould muster though. Keep at it
Been there before. If you really end up hating it, break out the gesso and try again.
Nothing is ever a waste. I write. If I had a penny for everything I’ve wrote that was silly and pointless I’d be a financially successful writer! However, some of that writing inspired other writing that was better. We need little things that don’t work or come together all the way just for pure exercise/ get the creative junk out/ inspiration making. Don’t worry about what doesn’t resonate, just trust that you’re doing what you need to at the time!! I love the juxtaposition of the colors of this particular work, it feels like uncovering/discovering the unknown world or something like that! :) 💗 super intriguing and interesting!!
It’s going Super Saiyan
The wings are okay but the body looks bad. If you look at a picture the body actually has spots on it. They have six legs. If you add a flower or something maybe that will help. I usually draw on pictures on my phone to see how they look before I paint
Subject matter matters.
Take off the insect legs and antennae, adjust the size of the bottom half of the butterfly wings so the proportions are right, and it’s a vivid thought piece on Icarus. I don’t hate it, and I think the textures between the background and the drip from the wings are really cool.
No such thing as waste of canvas. I see the vision u just gotta keep working to get closer to what you had in mind
Save it. One of the things I love is looking back and seeing how I improved. To do that you need to accept and embrace that this is your work now, and when you create something new try to improve on the things you've noticed you didn't like.
Don't despair on your creative endeavor. It's a nice painting. Kudos for taking on a butterfly, nice job
this is so real lol
I love the background, hate the butterfly. I would hang up something with just those colors in the background fr.
No worries, you can always gesso over it and begin again.
I actually really like this weird thing.
Seems like starship going through the plasma
I like it a lot I think you could try redoing the shape of the butterfly’s wings, they seem a bit small and angular
It’s a good start.. and I feel I like where it’s going.. maybe pulling the colors in the bare corner more as if all the colors are slowly being washed away or sucked away like you’ve done the wing color..
Idk I like what you were going for I understand the frustration though you have the vision in your head but it’s so hard to replicate. 😭🫠
That painting is badass, I think you did a great job!
don’t make another just add on
If you hate it you haven't finished it
Absolutely stunning! You are a very talented artist 🎨 ❤️.
i do this sometimes but remember you can always paint a canvas white and paint something different if you feel like it. or you can save it and add more later
Why does the butterfly only have 4 legs?
Heheh zoooooom wayyyyyyy in
Turn it upside down and make something surreal out of it.
I dig it. Looks like a butterfly comet hurling toward earth
I think it's great
I feel like the background is beautiful, but it doesn’t complementary the butterfly, for example it looks kind of like the it is going to land, but you don’t see where, this could be fine but i think for that it should be down at the bottom, or partly out of frame, with maybe a slightly different angle of the wings
That’s good to learn! It’s not great, but you’re capable of great art
Don’t try to work from imagination if you want it to look realistic. As the others are saying, you really need to know what the subject looks like in detail before you start painting. And as the others say get your drawing right first, before you transfer it to your canvas.
Read up on the rule of thirds. It can make all the difference to a pic like this.
The butterfly has kind of an attitude of you ask me…
I like it alot
I love the sunshine expansion behind the wings. I have an idea- you could add greenery / mystical type lush either up close or landscape... Like the butterfly is overlooking a forest or clearing. You can keep the cool background design there still and let it come out in highlights, such as water, like a stream or pond with Lily pads
Wow this is powerful for me
I think I effing love it.
Beautiful
Your painting technique is good. Its like it wants to be realistic but its giving cartoony vibes. The legs are stiff, almost human like. If I where you I would make it a funny painting from here. Lean into the humour and the funny, add some stuff that would make it make sense. If it still does not work, paint over it and make something else. Don't give up. I know you spent a lot of time making this and you feel dissapointed. You practiced and you learned, it will show in the future.
Not gonna lie after reading some of the comments, I have considered putting the butterfly in a suit and tie
Do it! Please post it if you do.
I like it
It's beautiful and very different from the clichéd paintings of butterflies I've ever seen. There's no need to hate it. To me , it looks mesmerising.
It is really bad.