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Dreams are an incredibly rich source of inspiration for many artists, conjuring up seemingly random and often bizarre images from deep inside our subconscious. These stories and images tell stories about the artist in a raw and unfiltered way, giving us a peek into their hopes and aspirations, as well as their darkest fears and insecurities.

The challenge of transferring the fleeting, often intangible quality of dreams onto paper must be quite appealing to the adventurous artist. We often wake up with only vague recollections of our dreams, teasingly intriguing snippets of what was a grand production inside of our creative minds. Do you often remember your dreams? How would you interpret them on paper? Scroll down to see these visual representations of different artists' dreams, in a list compiled by Bored Panda and get inspired to dream!

#1

I Had A Dream About Tropical, Waterproof Sheep. I Decided To Paint It

I Had A Dream About Tropical, Waterproof Sheep. I Decided To Paint It

They're special sheep that can be submerged in salty ocean water and only have the very outer layer of their wool get wet or something, I just remember that they were "waterproof" from my dream

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Everyone dreams, on average around two hours per night, even people who claim not to. Instead of a single dream, people usually have several short dreams every night, with each one usually lasting only between five to 20 minutes.

#2

This Little Guy Came To Me In A Dream So I Drew Him

This Little Guy Came To Me In A Dream So I Drew Him

In my dream, these three little kittens come outta nowhere to my living room and start just doing kitten stuff. Kittens are always in my dreams, but they usually look normal. This time one looked like this. I call him Darth Kittyus. The second one was kinda crystalline, and I don't remember the third one, but it was weird too. Then this big army of people started trying to bust down my door. I think that was about it

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The reason that most people claim not to dream is that more that 90% of all dreams are forgotten almost instantly after waking. But why? Dreaming occurs during Rapid-Eye Movement (REM) Sleep, if there is a transition from REM to another sleep stage before waking, the dream will usually disappear before you even knew it was there.

Even if you wake during REM sleep, the chemical processes that cause dreams quickly dissipate and the feeling that you were so caught up in quickly fades. Certain triggers throughout the day can cause a recollection of the dream however, for example if you have an experience that reactivates the same area of the brain that created the dream overnight.

#3

I Saw This Creature In My Dream

I Saw This Creature In My Dream

She told me that death is not one person, it's many conductors

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varwenea
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, when a person dies, many of those around dies a little bit inside. Some bits never recover. This character may represent the additional parts that died with the one person.

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#4

Watercolor Painting I Did. Inspired By A Recent Dream

Watercolor Painting I Did. Inspired By A Recent Dream

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Mads Sly
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dammit Norman, I told you to ask for directions! Now we're stuck in this forest!

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A researcher called Calvin S. Hall spent decades studying dreams, collecting over 50,000 dream accounts from college students.

He found that dreams evoke many emotions, but most of them tended to be more on the negative side. The most common emotion experienced in dreams was anxiety. It is not known why we tend to have more negative emotions in dreams than positive ones.

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#5

I Dreamt That Robert De Niro Was Posing For A Model Drawing Class

I Dreamt That Robert De Niro Was Posing For A Model Drawing Class

He had a monobrow and a female body and was dressed as a Playboy bunny while holding the upcoming Tool album

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#6

For Six Years Now This Dream Has Been Recurring Every Couple Months. So Far I Have Drawn 32 Illustrations From It

For Six Years Now This Dream Has Been Recurring Every Couple Months. So Far I Have Drawn 32 Illustrations From It

I have had a recurring dream for 6 years now of a hidden tribe in a jungle. They share the valley they inhabit with a creature that can take their souls and allow them to be reborn in whatever next body they want and they retain all their previous memories. This tribe has lived for thousands of years, protecting this creature from outsiders. Some of them will be reborn as animals too (and retain all human memories) to preserve the valley in other ways

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Withnail
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If your dreams contain rebirth and resurrection themes, consider what aspect of your life wants to die, or has already died, and what wants to be created or revisited.

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#7

I Keep Dreaming I'm Buried And Becoming A Red Tree

I Keep Dreaming I'm Buried And Becoming A Red Tree

That's the interesting thing about my dreams lately - I'm in full astronaut gear, even in situations where it would be bizarre to find someone wearing it

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Withnail
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To dream of being buried alive may represent feelings of being trapped in a permanent dead end situation. Trees in dreams symbolize our desires and hopes. Make of this what you will ❤

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There are some common dreams that we all have, regardless of who we are or where we are from. While obviously, most of our dreams result from our own experiences, some themes unite us all, like being chased, being attacked, or falling (those negative emotions again). Other universal dreams include being stuck and unable to move, arriving late, flying, and being naked in public.

#8

I Painted A Dream. What Do You Think This Means?

I Painted A Dream. What Do You Think This Means?

I had this dream where I was riding around on a shark and "mining" the babies from the rocks. It was in World of Warcraft graphics, and I was mining like in the game. The babies were just growing out of the rocks. They ranged from normal sized babies to some very huge ones floating on stones everywhere. I went down into the water as well and mined some of the babies down there too. It was a very confusing experience

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#9

This Is My Dream, Illustrated

This Is My Dream, Illustrated

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A B C
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can he slip when stepping on a banana peel? Or are bananahorses immune to that?

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It’s uncertain whether animals dream, but “it seems very likely,” Hugo Spiers, an experimental psychologist at University College London, told National Geographic. We've all seen and heard a dog seemingly having a great time while sleeping, wagging its tail and trying to run with its legs in the air. Just like us, animals have sleep stages that include cycles of REM and non-REM sleep, so it's definitely likely that your pup is indeed dreaming of frisbees in the park and endless butts to sniff.

#11

Illustrated My Dream

Illustrated My Dream

Although I definitely hear things during dreams, the thing I always remember about them the most is the feeling. The intense emotions and feelings kind of overpower anything audible, like hearing isn't even necessary. But with this drawing specifically, I don't recall any noises. It was a powerful and looming silence, an intense dread permeated the atmosphere

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#12

I Painted My Dream

I Painted My Dream

I had a dream and then decided to paint it. It's lots of pigs screaming and wanting to escape a tower in which they're kept

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#13

I Moved To Seattle Several Months Ago. Since My First Night Here This Lady Kept Appearing In The Background Of My Dreams

I Moved To Seattle Several Months Ago. Since My First Night Here This Lady Kept Appearing In The Background Of My Dreams

She just stands out of the way watching and breathing heavily. She's appeared dozens of times. I drew her because she was so compelling

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A B C
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe you should give up your job and become a dress designer. That one is pretty rad!

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#14

Inspired By A Dream. Three-Trunked Elephant Saving My Life As I Sink To The Bottom Of The Sea

Inspired By A Dream. Three-Trunked Elephant Saving My Life As I Sink To The Bottom Of The Sea

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#15

Painting Of A Very Vivid Dream I Had In 2014

Painting Of A Very Vivid Dream I Had In 2014

It actually started quite sadly. I dreamt that my boyfriend died - I was standing at a beach, crying my eyes out, and suddenly the sky kind of opened and revealed this scenery. It was the most breathtaking picture I've ever seen, and the only fitting words to describe it with are either Eden, paradise or heaven. It was crazy how real it felt. By looking at this, I knew he was safe and in peace. I woke up and started crying immediately after opening my eyes and had to make a quick sketch. It was the most powerful and vivid dream I've had so far

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#16

I Drew A Picture Of My Nightmare

I Drew A Picture Of My Nightmare

Before anyone says anything, I haven’t watched the Babadook recently. I know it looks like him. This was a particularly terrifying nightmare that I woke up from in a cold sweat. In my dream, I was laying in my bed trying to sleep, and when I opened my eyes The Dagman (somehow I just knew that was his name) was standing in my doorway staring right into my soul. Needless to say, I freaked out and somehow managed to escape my room but no matter where I went he would always be creeping on me in the doorways

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thee1nonlykRiS
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Man I am highly against viewing & reading the images right before bed...I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight after this! :-/

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#17

I Have Always Had A Bit Of A Wild Nightlife. This Rooster Woke Me Out Of My Dream

I Have Always Had A Bit Of A Wild Nightlife. This Rooster Woke Me Out Of My Dream

He was standing strutting his stuff wearing cowboy boots outside of my bedroom window. So I just had to paint him. I was a bit annoyed that he was wearing my favorite cowboy boots. I love my dreams

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#18

A Drawing Of A Dream I Had Recently

A Drawing Of A Dream I Had Recently

I feel lost but not in a bad way. Just enjoying the adventure

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#19

Cletus From My Dream

Cletus From My Dream

I saw this guy in a dream. Apparently, he was a regular in this comic/coffee shop I was hanging out at, and everybody knew him. He didn't say anything, just left a trail of slime. He seemed alright though

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#20

I Have Been Drawing A Recurring Dream Of 8 Years. I Feel My Images Would Fit In Here. This Is One Of Them

I Have Been Drawing A Recurring Dream Of 8 Years. I Feel My Images Would Fit In Here. This Is One Of Them

These dreams started to reoccur a week after the death of my brother. This drawing is based on the part of an idea where a tribal elder was telling his tribe about a prophecy he had of a green, pale-skinned man coming across the seas full of self-importance and malice. He would devour all of the life of the forest peoples and then vomit it back up mixing his culture of evil into their culture, changing it forever

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John Louis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A green pale skinned man could be a metaphor for death (i.e. the Bible's book oif Revelation says Death Rides a Pale Horse) This shows an obvious feeling of intrusion. The death of your brother perhaps led you to fear for your own mortality and the pain you suffered when death took your brother from you.

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#21

Drawing Of A Dream I Had

Drawing Of A Dream I Had

This is an image I drew based on a dream I had a few weeks ago where I was getting a live bat tattooed onto my arm. I don't know what the dream means, but I haven't been able to forget this particular moment where the bat was screaming as it was buried under my skin.

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thee1nonlykRiS
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's gotta be a deathly, high pitched sound! My ears hurt thinking about the bat screaming

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#22

For My Concentration I’ve Chosen To Illustrate My Dreams. Here’s What I’ve Got So Far

For My Concentration I’ve Chosen To Illustrate My Dreams. Here’s What I’ve Got So Far

I’m a high school student in AP Studio Art. I’m also an extremely active, and often lucid dreamer. For my concentration (theme) I’ve chosen to illustrate my dreams. My first one definitely wasn’t my best. It’s me hiding while some kind of entity is coming through the door. The second dream is recurring for me. I often dream of huge waves and flooding water and being caught in it. Not in a scary way, in a relaxing way. And the third one - I had that dream after falling asleep watching Cosmos, actually. It was so mesmerizing watching all the colorful explosions in the sky

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John Louis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Flowing water could indicate the generally ebb and flow of our day to day existence. The Cosmos could indicate our feelings about the future. The sense of calm and wonder could indicate a feeling of being in control and comfortable with your life. The wonder of explosions of the Cosmos could indicate a sense of wonder and excitement about your future. I hope I am right on this one.

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#23

I Saw This Right Before Waking Up After A Nap On My Couch The Other Day

I Saw This Right Before Waking Up After A Nap On My Couch The Other Day

It was a familiar face, but I knew it was only a disguise hiding whatever it really was. It felt evil. Like it wanted something from me and was trying to trick me. I wasn't scared of it, but aware of its deceptive nature

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#24

Say Hi To This Unsettling Little Fella Who Popped Up In My Dreams Last Night

Say Hi To This Unsettling Little Fella Who Popped Up In My Dreams Last Night

I don't remember the whole dream I had, but it played out like that pretty common horror movie scene where the family calls in a medium to check out the weird activity in the house, and the medium is walking around like "hmm, yes, I sense a dark energy here, particularly in this room." The dream was basically that, but the "camera" was looking down a hallway, 1st person perspective, and something pushed past the people standing in the hall, and the "camera" cut to face the people, and this creepy figure, about the size of a 10-year-old child, was standing in the shadows

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#25

This Creep Is Based On A Dream I Had About A Masked Figure Offering Me A Tiny House

This Creep Is Based On A Dream I Had About A Masked Figure Offering Me A Tiny House

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A B C
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"shh.... Shhh... Hey! Hey dude! Come over. Shh, not so loud. Got a special offer for ya. Here, have a look. Wanna buy this house? It's only... Ohshitdapolice! See ya!" and off he is

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#26

Man With Feet As Hands Came Back To My Dream Again

Man With Feet As Hands Came Back To My Dream Again

I am absolutely terrified of him, both times I woke up in cold sweat. He isn’t actually threatening though, he is just inconsolable (and slightly abrupt when he speaks). It also felt threatening that he kept giving me his footfoot instead of his handfoot when I was trying to comfort him (he sits behind me while crying), but he doesn’t actually do anything that motivates that. I was also sure he was going to hunt me and hurt me in the first dream, and I ran from him, but he did say that he wasn’t going after me, and I never saw him running

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#27

We All Have Monsters Within. This Is An Illustration Of A Dream I Had

We All Have Monsters Within. This Is An Illustration Of A Dream I Had

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#28

A Drawing Of An Odd Dream I Had Recently

A Drawing Of An Odd Dream I Had Recently

In this dream, I felt like I was witnessing some strange ritual that I wasn't supposed to be seeing. I wasn't afraid, but just kind of repulsed by what I was looking at, and then I woke myself up soon after it all began because I was like "I gotta get out of here." It seemed that I came across the whole situation accidentally

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John Louis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Three obvious images. The Devil a symbol of a mysterious and unknowable evil. A chessboard could be a symbol of feelings of being manipulated i.e. We are just pawns in the game of life. A spider which is a symbol of a loathsome creature that weaves a tangled and complicated web. Perhaps you feel that you are not in control but are at the mercy of other forces that manipulate and trap you.

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#29

Have You Ever Looked At Your Hands In A Dream?

Have You Ever Looked At Your Hands In A Dream?

I find my depiction to be the case when I'm lucid in dreams. I'm not sure if I can recall ever noticing my hands otherwise, in normal dream states

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Daria Z
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Castaneda pointed it out too. Seeing your hands in a dream is supposed to be a tool to learn how to control your dreams.

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#30

Back With Something Quite Strange

Back With Something Quite Strange

Some days ago I dreamt of an awful gloomy eye surrounded by veins, kinds of intestines and fragments of flesh, staring at me and talking to me with a loud voice, but I don't remember what he said, the only thing I can remember is this: "DYINGS CALL ME ARNN." It was quite disgusting, and when I woke up, I still had the memory of this dream in my head, and I decided to draw it

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Mads Sly
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dammit, Lovecraft! One of your abominations got into the neighbour's dreams again!

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