I remember sitting in art class as a child and just having the best time creating my little masterpieces. An oil pastel depiction of trees reflected on a river in the forest, a rainbow fish with gold outlines, a small sculpture that was intended to be a Christmas ornament, drawings of my childhood home and watercolor paintings of a farm in the country. Making art is so relaxing and exhilarating, and it’s a great way for kids to get in touch with their creative side. However, one thing I knew even as a small child was that I’m not cut out to be an artist. I’m just not that great.

Sure, if you put your mind to something, you can always improve, and I’m not in the business of squashing anyone’s dreams. But sometimes, if a skill really does not come naturally to you, it’s okay to move on and find something else you can actually do well. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who are a bit too persistent in their artistic endeavors…

Allow me to introduce you to the Delusional Artists subreddit. We’ve gathered some of our favorite posts from the group down below, which is dedicated to shaming artists who lack self-awareness and sometimes simple logic as well, so you too can enjoy the work of these knock-off van Goghs, Picassos and Monets. Keep reading to also find an interview we were lucky enough to receive from artist Jill Arwen Posadas to hear her thoughts on the topic. Be sure to upvote the pics of pieces you think the artists should be paying their customers to take, and then if you’re interested in seeing even more of these masterpieces, you can find Bored Panda’s last article on the same subreddit right here.

#1 Complete Horizon Lines Are For Losers

Image credits: Oplatki

The Delusional Artists subreddit was created in April, 2013, and it has blossomed into quite the impressive art gallery since then. It currently has 514k members, or “pieces of art available” as they call them, and members are constantly uploading artwork they spot online and in person by artists who might need to have a reality check. There are several topics that commonly come up in the group, including “deluded artist”, “meta”, “high price”, “aBsTrAcT”, “arrogant artist”, and simply “bad art”. 

The titles are relatively self-explanatory, of course, but they give some indication of what the most common examples of delusional artists entail. For example, it is not uncommon to find a piece being sold online, perhaps on Facebook Marketplace or Ebay, that does not look like it took very much skill to create… That’s fine if an artist wants to give away their work for free, but when a marker drawing that looks like it was done by a 7-year-old is being listed for $400? That’s the perfect piece to be shared on Delusional Artists.

#2 For Just The Low Low Price Of $50

Image credits: PantalonesConCarne

#3 Only $295! Custom Ugg Boots With Random Pieces Of Denim Glued On Top

Image credits: MiaLba

#4 It’s “Rustic”

Image credits: mnhaverland

#5 Not An Artist But A Designer Company, But Still… How Is This Worth $380???

Image credits: Razorclaw_the_crab

#6 Stop Slow Children?

Image credits: gan_vogh

To gain some insight on this topic from an artist, we reached out to Jill Arwen Posadas, a professional painter who specializes in depicting monsters. First, we asked Jill if she believes anyone can be an artist. “Honestly, I think anyone can be an artist,” she told Bored Panda. “That is, everyone has it in them to have ideas and to find creative ways to express or communicate those ideas, which is what I think an artist is.”

“I guess the question for this article is whether anyone can become a career artist, or, the term I know is ‘practicing artist’,” Jill explained. “For this, I’d say it takes more than just having ideas. You’d have to really commit and really work hard to hone your skills, and there’s just no shortcut to that. And when I say commit, as in, you’re still going to push on and continue to create even when things get hard. For example, people don’t like your work, you’re not able to sell, that kind of thing. Not everyone is able to commit or is willing to work hard.”

#7 Hoping This Is A Joke

Image credits: Mackalapp813

#8 Met A Guy At A Bar Who Told Me He Was An Artist And Then Said He Wanted To Draw Me

Image credits: delightful_caprese

#9 What A Stunning Piece Of Work

Image credits: BitchcraftNWizardry

We also asked Jill what she thinks qualifies someone as a “delusional artist”. “I feel a little weird answering this question because I’m pretty sure there are people out there who would call me a delusional artist,” Jill told Bored Panda. She noted a personal example of how one of her past pieces might have looked like it could earn a spot on this list, but even if it wasn’t her best work, she was not on Facebook Marketplace attempting to sell that piece for $600. “I guess, it could be said that all artists are delusional in one way or another,” she noted.

“For this article, we might define a delusional artist as someone who didn’t exactly commit or work hard as I mentioned in my previous answer,” Jill told Bored Panda. “Thinking that they could put in the barest minimum (or maybe even zero) effort and maybe (I say this delicately) make some easy money by selling their work for maybe a lot more than it might be worth. Delusional as in ‘they think their work is worth that much’.”

Jill explained that she might not deem these artists as delusional, but instead, “Either they are relatively inexperienced, or, maybe they are up to something shady.”

#10 “Cloud Like Mirror”

Image credits: purplewizard97

#11 Luxembourg Artist Ripped Off Photos, Won A €1,500 Prize, Selling His Painting As Original Work For €6500 Euro And Hired An Attorney To Deal With This Matter

Image credits: dream996

#12 Apparently Trisha Paytas Has A Poshmark Store — Only $400!

Image credits: FrecklesJestour

“The former I would say are inexperienced because maybe they haven’t had enough exposure to more art or the art world,” Jill explained. “I’m not saying I myself have seen it all or know everything — I’m just saying that maybe if the artists who made the portraits that maybe could’ve been made better, had been exposed to other, ‘better’ portraits, then maybe those artists would have known that maybe they should’ve waited until their work had developed more, before promoting it and offering it to others.”

“The latter whom I described as might be doing something shady? These would be the people who I mentioned might be just out to make some easy money by selling something quick and easy. I say ‘people’ because I think calling them ‘artists’ might be, to put it gently, a misnomer,” Jill noted.

#13 Harvey Weinstein’s “Girlfriend” Is Selling Her Paintings For 5k

Image credits: Anustartgirl

#14 “Trump Rally,” Featuring A Strangely Putin-Looking Fpotus And… A Full Cast Of Jeff Dunham’s Puppets In The Audience? Take It Home For $300

Image credits: AIined

#15 CEO Of Game Studio Passes Ai Generated Art As His Own And Wins A Competition, And His Fb Contacts Are Eating It Up

Image credits: Mufasaah

We also asked Jill what she personally thinks are the most important factors that make someone an artist. “I still think the most important factors that make an artist are having ideas or a ‘message’, and finding creative ways to express or share or communicate that message or those ideas,” she told Bored Panda.

“But you also have to work super, super, super hard to express yourself the very best way that you can,” Jill continued. “Whether you study to do this or you teach yourself, you have to put in the hours and the work. No matter the medium, traditional or digital, no matter the form, painting, sculpture, even poetry, music, cooking — it involves hours and hours and hours of practice. And not giving up no matter what. That’s what makes an artist.”

#16 What A Steal

Image credits: lafonda34

#17 For The Parents Who Want Their Babies To Look Like They’re Smeared With Diarrhea 🙂

Image credits: redditaccount01423

#18 This Artist Is Onto Something $50 For Recycled Fan

Image credits: twistedsister78

“Maybe ‘delusional artists’ as we define them in this article need to ask themselves why they are doing what they’re doing,” Jill pointed out. “Are they making art to express an idea? Become better at what they’re doing/develop their skills/hone their technique? Or get a kick out of the idea that they can put two lines together and sell it as non-rep (i.e. abstract) art/put a rock on a string and sell it as conceptual art? Like, ‘I put one over somebody and got paid for it too’?”

“I’m not saying no artist should ever make something for money,” Jill added. “Artists should get paid fairly for their work. Nor am I saying that non-representational art like single stroke paintings or conceptual art (like found object art) don’t deserve the price tags that they have in galleries — because you don’t know how long the artist had to work to make that single stroke (not to mention the materials, etc), and you don’t know the skill or the ideation involved in making the installation/choosing the found object art.”

“But what I am saying and what I would say to the ‘artists’ is to get out there and study,” Jill told Bored Panda. “Get more of the right exposure, grow and develop as an artist more. And to their ‘potential collectors’, well, I can’t tell you what to do with your money but ‘buyer beware’.”

If you’d like to check out some of Jill’s wonderful art, be sure to visit her website right here. 

#19 Finally Found One

Image credits: whittynicole

#20 Only One Triad Left!

Image credits: soupyhdnos

#21 Handmade “Shirt” On Depop

Image credits: darkcircledbitch

I’m sure you’ve heard the idea that “we’re all our own greatest critics” before, but clearly that’s not always true. Sometimes, we are delusional about our abilities, and we need strangers on Reddit to fill the role of our greatest critics for us. (Thanks, Delusional Artists!) So what is it about these artists that makes them so detached from reality? Well, perhaps nobody has ever been honest with them about the quality of their work. If mom and dad were always incredibly encouraging, and friends never had the heart to steer them towards a different career path, it’s not unreasonable for them to assume that their work is worth something. Plus, we all know art is subjective, so it can be very hard to explain exactly why a piece should be worth $5 instead of $500. 

#22 This Cat Tree, Which Is Actually A Piece Of Drift Wood, Could Be Yours For The Low Low Price Of 3k!!!

Image credits: ceeashi

#23 “Goat”

Image credits: moosemoth

#24 What In Satan’s Hell Fire Is This

Image credits: RealisticAsparagus

When it comes to why these delusional artists upcharge their work so much, it might be because they have been taught that undercharging is very bad for artists. It sets a precedent that artwork is not worth very much money, and then customers expect to receive masterpieces at low prices. As artist Jack Baker notes on his site, offering prices that are too low undermines and damages the art industry. He says that when skilled artists don’t charge what they are worth, clients become less likely to pay the appropriate price for professional work. “These artists charging low rates are often ‘hobbyists’ meaning it doesn’t affect them in the way it would affect a professional, like myself, who uses this as their sole income,” Jack writes. It is possible that these delusional artists have misunderstood messages like this from professional artists, and they came to the conclusion that it’s better to charge too much than too little. 

#25 I’m Hoping These Are A Joke But They Jumpscared Me When I Was Checking Marketplace

Image credits: EnbyOfTomorrow

#26 Finally Found One In The Wild

Image credits: J_R_D_N

#27 A Dinomite Bargain!

Image credits: The_Social-Assassin

We hope you’re enjoying this list of masterpieces from ‘delusional artists’ and that you’re feeling inspired to pick up your own paintbrush and canvas. There is nothing wrong with making your own amateur creations, as long as you don’t try to charge thousands of dollars for them online. Keep upvoting the pics you find most amusing, and then let us know in the comments if you’ve ever encountered any delusional artists. And then if you want to see even more of these pics, be sure to check out our last article featuring the Delusional Artists subreddit right here.

#28 Complete The Cloud Set With This “Coffee Table”

Image credits: prrosey

#29 $1,200, Going Once

Image credits: youresospecial

#30 At The Bargain Price Of Just $3,800 You Could Be The Proud Owner Of An 8ft Tall Nightmare-Fuel Trash Mermaid

Image credits: GlassBug

#31 Does This Count?

Image credits: BlueWaffleDonuts

#32 Rip Bambi

Image credits: wvikes50

#33 Woman Makes These Atrocities And Sells Them. The Panda Bears Look Like They Have Seen Terrible, Terrible Things

Image credits: GeneralGeorgeSKitten

#34 “Gilgalad Gives Galadriel The Last Of The Mallorn Seeds”

Image credits: Logan_D-Artagnan

#35 It Doesn’t Even Have Any Pupils

Image credits: KiaraMonster1

#36 Redditor Tries To Promote Etsy Shop Selling Ai Generated Art

Image credits: Dittro

#37 Interesting Take On Stranger Things

Image credits: 4tunabrix

#38 Earrings Are $43 But The Tetanus Is Free!

Image credits: steelhips

#39 $320

Image credits: elleey776

#40 Antique Spiral Notebooks Increase The Value

Image credits: yourheynis

#41 These Are Listed For Sale For $75-$125

Image credits: FineMess666

#42 She Put Her Signature In Case It Appreciates In Value Someday

Image credits: Spycegurl

#43 A Real Page From “Anime Art Book” By Ken Penders

Image credits: Miguel_Quien_Sabe

#44 310$ Is Definitely The Right Price

Image credits: Shiru_Senpai

#45 “Fishing Boy” On Facebook Marketplace

Image credits: DazyLave

#46 Tony Posnanski Has Plenty Of These On His Twitter Page

Image credits: mcdom89

#47 The “Art” In My Hotel Bathroom…

Image credits: usernamebr0ke

#48 “Extremely Realistic”

Image credits: GuardianofthePaint

#49 Chainsaw Emoji Art- $75 Ea Or Take Both For $100

Image credits: jultide

#50 This Painting That Is Being Sold For Nearly 800

Image credits: reddit.com

#51 “Handsome” For $600

Image credits: thetransportedman

#52 Finally Found One In The Wild

Image credits: Sweet-Cookie

#53 This Metal Monstrosity At Tjmaxx. At Least It Was On Sale…

Image credits: atarahthetana

#54 Found On Mercari

Image credits: MauryKillMe

#55 $100 For Old Levi’s With Some Fabric Cut Out And Rhinestones Stuck On, Photographed Hanging From A Stollen Hanger In Front Of A Shower Curtain

Image credits: _kaetee

#56 At Least The Message Is Positive

Image credits: CuriouslyKnowing

#57 Picture Painting Of Sanic For $30?!

Image credits: EL_DIABLOW

#58 I Thought These Were Buttcheeks

Image credits: omgitschriso

#59 For $83 You Can Purchase This Piece That Takes $5 And A Trip To The Dollar Tree To Make

Image credits: brutalbebe

#60 $200 From A Local “Artist” Who Makes Cupcake Paintings With Decoupaged Scraps Of Whatever On Them. This Is One Of Her Better Looking Pieces

Image credits: LordeYeahYeahYeah

#61 R Ok Honey?

Image credits: Hexentoll

#62 Oh No Lol

Image credits: fart-atronach

#63 Guy In My Town Selling Home Made Guitar Picks

Image credits: amunsonaudio

#64 Found This On Etsy

Image credits: jaywilliams98

#65 Found This Beauty On Fb Marketplace…it’s Terrifying!

Image credits: llnashll

#66 Artist Did Not Like The Unsolicited Critiques On This 10k Painting

Image credits: 907cconnak

#67 Welp…

Image credits: Classroom-Lower

#68 $500

Image credits: username_taken217

#69 Reddit For Expecting £89.99 For An Avatar

Image credits: Bumbo_clot

#70 If There Ever Was A Time To Buy A Nft, Now’s The Time

Image credits: sotik9

#71 $1200 For…? Well Shoot, There’s Only 1 Available Tho!

Image credits: fake_gamer_girl97

#72 $95k For A Picture Of An Egg?

Image credits: rotaercz

#73 “Black Timmy Turner”

Image credits: Anon23444

#74 I’m Pretty Sure I Bought This Same Poster At Spencer’s In Highschool

Image credits: ms_danger_07

#75 2,310 Hard Earned Dollars

Image credits: swankyhumidifier

#76 $45 For Mr. Dabs

Image credits: LokeyMcGee

#77 $2,500??

Image credits: Maybby4

#78 No Sales? No Way!

Image credits: Fadelox

#79 Am I Missing Something?

Image credits: reddit.com

#80 Stained Glass Wood Frame For Only $855! Payments Accepted!!

Image credits: 420ayyye

Source: boredpanda.com