I have always been amazed by painters. As someone who would struggle to draw a convincing still life of a bowl of fruit, I am blown away by the creativity and artistic vision some people naturally have. And apparently, it’s not just a small handful of people who have an eye for putting their own flair on a piece of art, because the Repaintings subreddit has nearly 540k members at the moment. The group’s description is straightforward: “Find a painting at a garage sale, thrift store, or in the trash and repaint it. Add some monsters! Add a UFO! Some lazers? Don't mind if I do! Post the results. Before and After pics appreciated. No digital works allowed, only traditionally repainted works with real physical paint.”

But those simple guidelines are enough to inspire countless pieces of art. Many of the paintings end up getting a comedic twist by having dinosaurs or monsters added to them, but even those additions require great artistic skill. The requirement to use “real physical paint” keeps the pieces authentic and demonstrates that each of these artists really know what they’re doing.

Part of the fun of repaintings is hearing where all of the artwork comes from. Maybe it was sitting on a shelf at Goodwill for 6 months before someone came along and rescued it. Perhaps it was found on the curb outside of someone’s home doomed to a life at the landfill. Or maybe it came from your grandmother’s attic. There are infinite places artists can search for paintings to provide make-overs to including Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, and of course, local thrift stores.

The hunt is half of the experience because artists never know what they’re going to make next until inspiration strikes. Popular additions to paintings seem to be rollercoasters, monsters, UFOs, cartoon characters and skeletons, but the options are endless. Even text can be added to turn a painting into more of a meme or a statement. A simple depiction of a child can become much edgier if the kid is given the eyes of a demon, or a painting of a lake can become more adorable with a hot air balloon addition. An artist can turn the meaning of any piece on its head just by adding a few brush strokes.

There are plenty of ways artists can upgrade a piece of thrift store art. From adding some paint to replacing the frame, it might be easier than you think to turn a simple piece into something you are proud to display on the wall. Valerie Ott at The Spruce even wrote a piece detailing all of her favorite “Ways to Update Your Wall Art”, so in combination with all of these paintings from Repaintings, Valerie’s tips might give you the added boost of inspiration you need to head over to your local thrift store and pick something out you want to put your own spin on. 

One of her recommendations is the “paint by number art hack”. This is a great tip for people who might not be as confident in their artistic abilities. Valerie explains that, “By painting over an old-fashioned still-life, a trendy paint-by-number effect takes shape. This technique allows you to customize the colors in a piece of art to suit your taste, and it gives a more modern look to the painting overall. Best of all, you don't need any artistic ability to pull this off.”

Another idea Valerie gives readers is to add some sparkles to a boring piece of art. Glitter always makes everything better, right? Valerie explains that this idea is similar to the “paint by number” hack, but “it gets a little more bling thanks to metallic gold paint”. “You could also add gold leaf to give a glamorous touch to an old landscape or even a black and white photograph. And remember it doesn't have to be gold paint—look at the tones in the art you're working with and consider silver, bronze, or even a metallic-infused shade of blue or pink, which will be even more unexpected in its appeal.” This is an easy trick to try because it maintains the integrity of the original piece but still gives it new life. Plus, sparkles just make everything more fun.

Another creative idea Valerie suggests is the “thrift store silhouette hack”. Essentially, this includes leaving a silhouette shape, or any shape you desire really, of the original painting and covering the rest in one color. It could be a black outline and a silhouette of a tree in the middle or a gold outline with a leaf-shaped image from the original piece displayed, for example. By allowing some of the original artwork to peek through a new shape, you are putting your own artistic spin on a piece while still having fun with it. Perhaps you could even turn the painting into the shape of a UFO or alien as well, if you want to take a more alternative approach.

One of Valerie’s other suggestions is very similar to what many of the members of Repaintings have done: “completely re-imagining the Bob Ross-like scene of a thrift store or garage sale painting by adding in whimsical elements of your own”. A scenic painting of a lake or a forest is a great canvas for you to add in unexpected elements. The painting can receive a comedic twist by plopping one of your favorite cartoon characters into the mix or a spookier take by adding ghosts and monsters chilling by the lake. Anything that is out of place can be a refreshing twist on a beautiful painting that just needs a new lease on life.  

Something else that can upgrade a painting is adding a bit of texture to it. This type of artwork might not be as common in the Repaintings subreddit, but artists can add anything to a canvas nowadays. Fabric, limbs from old dolls, cutlery, feathers, marbles, you name it. If it’s an inanimate object, you can stick it to a canvas. Even elements of the original painting can be given 3-d upgrades like covering plants with plastic versions and buildings with materials that have the same texture. A boring old painting can be transformed into an interactive piece of art that viewers are encouraged to touch or play with. It’s a step further than painting, but it’s just another idea for re-imagining an old piece.   

While flipping thrift store artwork can be a relaxing hobby just for fun, it can also turn into a way to earn some extra cash. In fact, that’s exactly what artist Dave Pollot does. Dave is a New York based artist famous for his updated thrift store paintings. According to his website, “He finds unwanted artwork and adds his own touch – most often pop culture parodies – and in doing so, bridges the divide between classic and pop art.”

Dave’s artwork has become massively successful, being sold in every state in the US and over 40 countries worldwide. He has even been recognized by many media outlets including Business Insider, Instagram, and the SyFy Channel, and has sold artwork to SONY, Instagram, McDonalds and other large companies.

On his website, Dave writes, “Painting has always been something of a hobby to me, but it wasn’t until I started repurposing thrift art in 2012 that I did it with any real consistency.  The idea actually began as a joke between my wife (who loves to shop at thrift stores) and I, but it quickly evolved into an attempt to answer a question:  Could I take a piece of unwanted art, and without changing its aesthetic, change its meaning by painting into it some bit of pop culture/nostalgia and make it desirable in the modern world?  Since that time, I’ve also started to explore a number of more personal themes in my work.  For example, using popular food items inserted into still life paintings to represent the distractions (both mental and material) that prevent us from being present and focused on where we are and what we’re doing.”

It’s fascinating to see these paintings that have undergone transformations and now get to live out the rest of their days as a completely new piece of art. We hope you’re enjoying this list and that you have been inspired to create your own piece to share on Repaintings. Keep upvoting the artwork that really speaks to you, and let us know in the comments what you would like to add to an old painting. Maybe more flowers? Or a depiction of your dog? Or an alien sunbathing at the beach? The possibilities are endless.