Artist As Judge And Jury?

Question

Someone asked a few days ago about painting over another painting. So I want to take the question one step farther with this one?

Most serious artists have painted over their own work or others at one time or another. I personally like to drop by my local Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift shop every now and then and see what I can find there. Last Sunday I bought two nice quality canvases (a 48"x48" and a “30"x40") that I intend to paint over. Why? Because these costs me $17.50. New, they would have cost me $150.00. I don’t feel guilty about painting over either because the smaller one is crap and the larger one looks like one of those Wal-Mart mass produced wall furnishings.

But what is your personal criterion for painting over someone else’s work? Would you paint over only crap? Or perhaps even something marginally well-done?

Would you paint over one of your own older works because you wanted to paint and didn't have any other canvas?

Answer 1

From a technical point of view, I would only paint over another piece of artwork if it was my own... simply because I know and understand the nature of the materials that have already been used. (I have done this, and will again... promise!)

Painting acrylics over oils (or vice versa, without proper preparation), or painting anything over top of poor quality materials is just a recipe for disaster... why take the risk?

From an ethical point of view...

hmm, do I have ethics about this? Probably not... ok, no - I would not... wait, yes I would.

Answer 2

Hell yeah I'd paint over it. I mean if you bought them for that reason then there is no problem with it when it's done by someone else. If they or the last owner didn't care about it why should you?

I kinda think different with my own stuff though. the stuff I've kept I wouldn't paint over because to me it would disrupt my own personal time line. All my old stuff is what I was doing then be it bad or good. I haven't done this for a while but every so often I'll pull stuff out just to compare then and now. Plus to it's cool to see your personal growth. I feel you can't really improve until you have overcome past mistakes and difficulties and looking over old stuff is the best way to do so. That's only finished stuff though.

I've had a few that seemed like good ideas but they were really getting lost and not turning out well at all. In that case I have repainted over the whole thing and never thought twice about it!

Answer 3

I have painted over other people's work and like you done so to save money. If they say that Beauty is in the eye of the beholder doesn't that also go for Crap is in the eye of the beholder too?

Mind you, if it was a good piece and I liked it, and found it in a thrift shop, I would thank my lucky stars and hang it on a wall at home.

If I can save some hard-earned cash by buying from a thrift shop and painting over, I feel that I am recycling in this throwaway world. The same goes for my own work, there have been times when what I have produces is garbage to me, of course I have painted over it, and (usually) felt a lot happier about the new work.

Hope this answers your question.

Answer 4

When in doubt paint it all black. I've painted over my stuff before. I wouldn't mind painting over another person's painting, but I would wonder if I were painting over something valuable. Plenty of people find gems at thrift stores without even knowing it. Unless I knew it wasn't worth the canvas that it's painted on then I would definitely paint over it. I make all my own canvases so I haven't run into that problem yet. I would definetly paint over that mass produced stuff you see in Wal-mart.

Answer 5

I have a problem with painting over paintings because I intentionaly have no intentions for my work. I simply put colors down in a hope that I like the end result. I get very involved in the texture and space so I need a blank flat surface. I paint regularly on cardboard when I have no clean canvas. Best wishes

Answer 6

I would have a really hard time painting over someone else's work, if I considered it good. Painting over your own work would come easier for two reasons:
a) we are our the harshest critics of our own work
b) a work may be good, but it may be tied to painful memories that the arist prefers to erase.

You are right, painting over previous work is common in artistic circles. Arists are perfectionists always pushing themselves to do better work. And...since there is not much money to be had ...financial considerations play a strong role. Painting is a passion, almost a compulsion.

Answer 7

Not only have I painted over someone else's work, I've cut it up and remade it via collage into my own work. The originals were discards I found on the street but that does not negate the fact that these were someone else's work. We steal or borrow images for our own works all the time...so what if the image happens now to be under a new one..or a building block of any kind for a new one.

Answer 8

I would paint over my own stuff. Never painted over anyone elses. I don't find that making my own canvases is expensive so I haven't felt it was a necessary thing to do.
My husband wanted to get thomas kinkade stuff and paint over it. I thought the series could be called "reclamation" HA HA!

Answer 9

You do what you have to do as an artist, it's probably just another form of art. Some artists probably feel they need the blank canvas to express their art, while others need to create no matter what the canvas.

Answer 10

You don't ever paint over and old painting, if you want the new one to last.

How silly.

unless you're gonna make in just really FAT.