Often, when we hear of people “updating” art, it might send a shiver down our spines, as we conjure up images of Ecce Homo (lovingly titled “potato Jesus”) that was “upgraded” by amateur art restorer Cecilia Jiménez. Plus, there is some part of us that has a perhaps irrational fear that some long lost classic painting is just sitting in a garage, only for some well-meaning artist to find it and brush over it with their own ideas.

In reality, much of this work is done digitally, so we can really say, for the most part, no paintings were harmed in the making of this post. In cases where they were “repainted,” the art was a reproduction or just a home project. 

It’s also worth noting that most of this art was just sitting in some garage or the back of a thrift store for who knows how long. As sad as it may seem, the “standard” for a lot of art is just being thrown out when no one buys it, so even if you are very much against the idea of “repainting,” it’s still the lesser evil compared to this artwork being destroyed. Plus, “repainting” also means much of it is saved and digitized for the future. 

As you look at these, perhaps they might spark some creative ideas in you. After all, adding to a painting might be an easier way to practice than standing in front of an empty canvas and stressing out. Total creative freedom often means difficulty starting, since there are a million directions you might go, but no clarity of destination. Though I would recommend not painting your first work on an existing piece of art, it might go over poorly. 

If you are a complete beginner, no need to worry either, there are hundreds of hours of quality content out there to get you on the right path. Bob Ross is one such painting legend for his soft, kind voice and mannerisms. You can find his videos on YouTube here. But paints, canvases, and the like cost money, so perhaps you would instead prefer digital art? While the necessary peripherals can be costly, one can always try and use just a mouse. The end result may only vaguely resemble art, but it should be memorable. 

Some of the pieces here use an existing painting as a sort of “canvas within a canvas,” where a natural scene has characters, memes, or creatures interspersed within it. A lot of these would easily fall into the category of fan art, where people make non-official reproductions or representations of stories and characters they love. If one wants to sell this kind of art, it’s best to make it abstract, as, surprise surprise, most characters in media fall under some sort of copyright. 

While we often associate it with the internet era, fanart actually goes back a lot further, to the original “fandoms,” itself a term that many of us associate with internet groups. In fact, already in the 1930s, there was an organized group of science fiction fans, who would host debates, discussions, and even art and fan theories about their favorite works. 

It wasn’t long until people just started making their own drawings, paintings, and texts, all of which would fall under some category of fan art. It was most established in the science fiction scene, for example, from 1967 onwards, there was even a Hugo award for best fan art, a category that still exists today. But the internet did help this concept explode onto mainstream consciousness. 

The internet has not only made fan art more visible (this post is a good example of that,) but it’s also made art more accessible in general. If one has the patience to sit through tutorial after tutorial, they can learn a lot. There are most likely enough free resources out there to take up all of a person's time if they truly choose to devote themselves to being a self-taught artist. 

Furthermore, there are massive communities of other aspiring artists that can give feedback and inspiration. In fact, the art community online is so massive that even relatively niche categories, like “repaintings” have over 600 thousand users. So in the olden days, you might be lucky if a few hundred people saw your work over a year at some gallery, now it would be hard to not hit five figures in a few days. 

So if anything here has left you inspired, good, look up tutorials, ask for help online, or perhaps even sign up for a few classes. Whether paint, pencil, digital, or something more tactile, like clay, the possibilities are nearly endless. And if you do happen to make something you are particularly proud of, take a photo and post it, it might end up in an article one day. And if you want to keep seeing interesting repaintings, Bored Panda has got you covered, you can check out our other articles here and here.