Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to try this “triumph painting” thing for a while. It’s basically taking an old, kinda crappy thrift store painting and adding your own twist to it. I saw a few people doing it online, and I was like, “Yeah, I can totally do that!”
Finding the Perfect Victim (aka Painting)
First step, hit up the local thrift stores. I went to a couple, and let me tell you, it’s a goldmine of…well, questionable art. I was looking for something with a good landscape, you know, something I could mess with. Finally, I found this one – a kinda boring scene of a lake and some mountains. It was super faded and the frame was falling apart, but the basic shapes were there. Perfect!
The Plan (or Lack Thereof)
I didn’t really have a super concrete plan. I knew I wanted to add something unexpected. I grabbed my acrylic paints – I figured they’d be easier to work with than oils on top of an already-finished painting. I also had some brushes, a palette knife (for some texture, maybe?), and a whole lot of nervous energy.
The Attack!
I started by cleaning the painting a bit, just wiping off the dust and grime. Then, I just…went for it. I decided to add a gigantic, ridiculous-looking monster rising out of the lake. I mean, why not? It’s my painting now, right?
First, I sketched out the basic shape of the monster with a pencil. This was super light, just to give me a guide. Then, I started blocking in the colors. I used a lot of greens and purples, because, you know, monster colors. I wasn’t going for realism here, obviously. I wanted it to look kinda cartoony and fun.
Layering It Up
Acrylics dry pretty fast, which is good because I’m impatient. I kept adding layers, building up the texture of the monster’s skin. I used the palette knife to add some thick globs of paint here and there, to make it look all bumpy and weird. I even added some little googly eyes (because, again, why not?).
- Layer 1: Basic shapes and colors.
- Layer 2: More details, shadows, highlights.
- Layer 3: Texture, texture, texture!
- Layer 4: GOOGLY EYES!
The Finishing Touches
Once the monster was done, I added a few more details. I painted some little people running away in the foreground, just tiny stick figures. It added to the whole silly vibe. I also touched up the sky a bit, making it a little more dramatic. Finally used some strong glue to fix orginal frame. The painting looks much great and interesting!
The Big Reveal
And…it’s done! It’s definitely…something. It’s not going to win any art awards, but it makes me laugh every time I look at it. It’s got this weird charm, you know? It’s like, “Hey, I was a boring old landscape painting, and now I have a giant monster in me!”
I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It was a fun, relaxing project, and I definitely recommend giving it a try. Just find a cheap painting, grab some paints, and let your imagination run wild. You might surprise yourself!
