Hey guys, it's Celestia, and today's video is here to hopefully keep things light and bring
some laughs while I work on scripting some more serious topics, and it's one that I've seen many
people do and always wanted to make my own. That's right kids, we're looking at r/delusionalartists.
Now, before we get into the gold mine of quality content housed there, I just want to make a couple
things clear. R/delusionalartists is a subreddit dedicated to effectively mocking art that is
either bad or ridiculously overpriced, and a large portion of it can be exceptionally toxic and
unnecessarily, unproductively cruel. A lot of people use it to insult beginner artists, both
miners and adults alike. and even more use it to shame artists for charging anywhere close to
minimum wage for their work if the almighty Redditors deem it unworthy of that price.
Yes, a lot of the art on the subreddit is bad, and yes, I think a lot of it is objectively overpriced
based on the quality and skill level that it shows. But the nature of the community is effectively
designed to shame and mock the artists responsible and use them as the butt of a cruel joke, and while
some people are just having a lighthearted laugh at someone selling some very amateurish art for
six grand, others are being deliberately petty and spiteful. It's full of people posting average art
with the artist's name and social media completely uncensored and insulting them relentlessly, and I
don't stand by that. I've spent a while going through it to find entries that are either
lighthearted and well-intentioned, or entries that are just so absolutely absurd that they're
beyond defense. And in fairness, there are a lot of those. I just wouldn't recommend sifting through
the cesspool yourself if you don't want to get pissed off at the cruelty and ignorance of random
internet strangers in the process. That in mind, while I will be showing you some of my favourite
entries from r/delusionalartists today, I will be very specifically not insulting any of
the art nor the artists, and I will be censoring their names and information. The point of this
video isn't to sh*t on art that Reddit thinks is bad, it's to laugh at ridiculous things and have a
harmless good time. To give you an example of the stuff we won't be roasting but is very plentiful
on r/delusionalartists before we get started, let's take a look at this one. This is
a prime example of the pointless toxicity of the subreddit, because this is literally
just an artist commission sheet on which they're charging a reasonable f*cking price for their work.
If you think $80 is too much for a full-body sketch, you're a huge part of the reason that
artists everywhere feel obligated to severely undercharge for their work, and quite honestly,
fight me in the pit. I'll be waiting. Artists deserve minimum wage, at LEAST, and you have no idea
how long a full body sketch takes them. $80 might not even BE minimum wage based on that time, and
f*ck, man, their art isn't even bad! It's really, really cute! It's fine to see this commission
sheet and think "Okay, I wouldn't pay that much for that, so I'm not going to commission this artist,"
and keep scrolling, but there's absolutely no reason or justification for you to post
reasonably priced good art on a subreddit created to shame delusional artists for ridiculous prices,
and doing so anyway is just making things worse for artists trying to charge fairly for their work.
Stuff like this just shouldn't be on r/delusionalartists, and fortunately, looking at
the comments, a lot of people actually agree. Others, however, are happy to join the poster in
shaming this artist, and we don't f*cking do that in this house. So let's move on from those a**holes and
get started on the things that have earned their place on the subreddit, or at least on this video.
Alright, we're starting strong with, as one eloquent Redditor puts it, doobage bear with a rectal
thermometer. And first of all, I love it. I love everything about this image, and it's been living
rent-free in my head since I saw it like a month ago. Like, look at his eyes. This bear has seen some
SH*T, and it's keeping him up at night, almost as much as his dead-eyed stare is keeping ME up at
night. I understand why he's smoking, honestly. Also, just looking at him now, I'm noticing that the red
on him is actually a strap for the sword on his back, and I'm honestly disappointed, because my
lizard brain somehow interpreted that splash of color from a distance as him wearing a Hawaiian
shirt, and I'm pretty disappointed that he's not, to be honest. Going back to the sword, though, I really
appreciate that it doesn't actually line up on the other end, assuming this bottom bit here IS
the other end, because I feel represented. I once drew Inuyasha unsheathing his sword while the
other side behind him was already unsheathed, and while this isn't that bad, I still feel some strong
sword idiot solidarity here. I am also particularly fond of his claw fingers. Moving on from the bear
himself, I think it's also important to acknowledge this rose that is growing straight out of the
water, and this fish that is just sitting flat on top of the water. Both are very important to me.
Overall, I think the comment "its smug aura mocks me" pretty much sums up how I feel about this one,
and I, for one, am glad that I live in a world where it was selling for $2,000 in an art
gallery. Okay, now, this next one is actually genius. This isn't delusional, this isn't bad, this is some
next-level quality content. This artist is straight up painting the backs of roaches and oh my god, oh
my GOD, they're even painting the legs to match the color scheme! The attention to detail is just--
chef's kiss. And their art is genuinely really good! These have to take forever, and the artist
is selling them for $5 each! I strongly agree with the comments on this one that are
saying the only delusional thing about this is how much they're undercharging, because damn,
these are awesome! My only concern is that they're killing the roaches in order to paint them, which
I'm not on board with, but if they're just finding dead roaches and turning them into cool ass art, I
agree with Master Roshi - I'd frame it and sell that sh*t for 50 bucks easy! Honestly, 10 out of 10 -
awesome art, terrifying medium, but worth way, way more. This... I don't-- I don't have words for this
one. I don't know if words exist for this one. All I can say is that a thousand euros is a steal for
this kind of, uh... masterpiece. This next one is... it's bold. It's a bold move. Looking at this just makes
me think of that one post that's just like, "from now on, I'm going to refer to all of my mistakes
as artistic choices", but instead of that, it's "from now on, I'm going to sell all of my mistakes as $39
artistic choices, generously discounted from $46". Honestly, it would be different if this
was actually just their attempt at making a plush from scratch, but this is literally just an actual
Freddy plush turned inside out, sewn back up, and then marketed and resold as Ignited Freddy. Like,
here's ignited Freddy, and here's the plush. Freddy, plush. I don't think I need to say more. Okay, yes,
yes! Cheetos cup! This is one of my favourites, and I am physically overflowing with thoughts about
Cheetos cup, because I love it. I love everything about this. Cheetos cup is not only something that
could genuinely go in an art gallery if a banana duct taped to a gallery wall has a right to be
there and be priced at $120,000, but it's just... it has such a vibe. You know those old Tumblr posts
about the Florida gothic aesthetic, like "All the tourists are the same person - the same sunburned,
elderly man with socks and sandals, repeated a million times. He tells you his name, but you
can't remember it". Cheetos cup has strong Florida gothic vibes. Like, at first glance, it's just like
"oh, yeah, that's a cup with a bag of Cheetos in it", but the more you look at it, the more surreal and
almost tragic and melancholy it feels, and you find yourself wondering "how did this happen?" You assume
that they simply finished their Cheetos and they finished their drink, so they combined them and
left them behind instead of throwing them out, 'cause littering. But look-- look at that bright green
silly straw. That's not the kind of straw that just came with their drink, that is THEIR straw.
They brought that from home. To a ping-pong table, apparently. It makes you wonder -- was this really
just some leftover garbage, or was it appearing as such just a part of the artist's complex vision?
What inspired this? How did this concept occur to them? How did that PRICE occur to them? I just have
so many questions about Cheetos cup. It's living rent-free in my head right next to doobage bear,
honestly, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Someone commented "for a hundred dollars, he could
at least have put some effort into it", and that's genuinely so offensive, because look at the silly
straw! Just because the subtleties of the artist's detail elude your tragically limited artistic
understanding does NOT mean that their work lacks effort, you f*cking fool. This commenter, by contrast,
clearly understands the artist's vision, because nothing can sum Cheetos cup up better than "$100 or
best offer, don't try to lowball me, I know what I got". Oh man, okay, this one is another gem, and it's
one of my favourites as well, because it's so much MORE than it looks like it is at first glance. And
I mean, what it looks like at first glance is already gold. The fact that it's priced at $69
is just the cherry on top of this, because not only is that a bargain, it's also just objectively
integral to communicating the message of the piece. I would unironically buy this and hang it in my
living room, and that's just based on the front alone. But the fact that the back of the canvas
also has "hail Satan", "666", and what appears to be a legitimate detailed list of self-care instructions
makes the whole piece even more valuable. I wish I could see a better quality photo of it just to
read the actual instructions, but I can understand why only the buyer should have the right to read
them. I feel like whatever self-care routine is contained by something this iconic could change
my life all on its own, and the more I talk about it, the more I unironically consider trying to
track this down and buy it. Actually, moving on and definitely not saving that to look into later, here
we have something very different than the last one, but no less iconic. A museum says they gave
an artist 84 thousand dollars in cash to use on artwork. He delivered blank canvases and titled
them "Take the Money and Run". And, okay. I don't know if this is real, but honestly, if it is, this isn't
delusional, it's genius. If this is a true story, the artist is a f*cking legend and deserves nothing but
respect and admiration. I wish I had energy that smug and chaotic. Now, I wouldn't include this next
one if it weren't for the description, because as I said, the point of this video isn't to insult
art, and true to that, I'm not going to. What made me adamantly and aggressively feel the need to talk
about this piece is that it's called "Face of Shock", and is described only as "this one-of-a-kind art
piece is a beautiful representation of happiness and sadness together", and I just... I had to show
it to you, because if this isn't me, I don't know what is. When people ask how I am, I'm just gonna
start sending them this picture, because I identify with it so deeply and viscerally that words cannot
adequately express it. This is another one that's particularly good because of the title, which is
"Self-Painted Acrylic on Canvas Signed by Me". First of all, the implication that this would
have otherwise been assumed to be a print or reproduction if they hadn't said "self-painted" is
a degree of boldness and confidence that I can only hope to someday achieve, but "signed by me"
really drives that vibe home. There are also some intricacies that I'd like to bring your attention
to, like-- all of these symbols clearly have meaning to the artist, but then what is the black circle?
What does it mean? What does it represent? Why does it say "999"? Is it upside down Satanism, or are they
a big Zero Escape fan? Finally, the top corner has what looks to be a cut off portrait, and the
fact that it's cut off and I am being genuinely deprived of my basic human right to bask in its
glory is upsetting me. I'm upset. Okay, when I first saw this next one, my first thought was just "what
the f*ck, that's adorable, why is that on here? I unironically would buy that," and then I saw the
price. Like, based on art alone, I never would have included it in this video, nor would I have thought
it deserved to be on r/delusionalartists, but 600 bucks for a notebook? Like Jesus, 600 bucks
for ANY notebook is just absolutely f*cking wild, no matter how good the art on the cover is. That
said, I can appreciate that they didn't go straight to $600 - they knew that would be unreasonable. That's
too far. The bold, generous choice to offer it to us at only $599 is admirable and appreciated. Now
it's affordable. Oh god, oh GOD, we're at the hot dogs... The hot dogs have actually kept me up
at night, and not just because they're horrifying - although they ARE horrifying - but because based
on the description provided with the listing, the artist - if we can call them that - is not
joking. This person genuinely believes that raw, cut-up hot dogs holding hands are not only art,
but are worth $150. And they are so confident in this belief that they're not just selling ONE -
they have a whole business model built around it. They have different prices for customizations,
like the type of meat the hot dog is made of, or the personalized pose and characteristics
of the hot dogs. They specifically give examples of options like mini hot dog babies, pregnant hot dog,
rock star hot dog, etc. Okay, that alone, I feel like, is just... such a jump. Like, mini hot dog babies? Okay,
that's weird, but okay. Pregnant hot dog? That follows the theme, alright. Rock star hot dog? Where did
that come from? God, I just-- the longer I look at this listing, the more questions I have. Can raw
meat even be considered a statue? Can cut-up hot dogs really be put into the category of "condition:
used - like new"? What made an actual human being sit down and think not only "I should make two hot dog
lovers holding hands", but "I should make a business based on selling hot dog lovers holding hands"? Is
one of them wearing another slain hot dog as a hat, or is that supposed to be hair? Does that mean its
hair is just made of skin? Why is the second hot dog missing pieces in the middle? Is it supposed
to be a thinner waist because that's a lady hot dog? Oh, oh no, oh god, I just noticed the faces, I
need to stop looking at this-- Okay, okay, this this one is a lot tamer by comparison, but in fairness,
I feel like almost anything would be. First of all, this listing is a prime example of my belief that
our definition of the word abstract when it comes to art has to have some kind of a limit. Like, there
has to come a point where throwing paint on a canvas is just wasting paint and a canvas, and
not a genre of art, but it's so hard to define when that is, because a lot of abstract art IS
absolutely gorgeous, and it's gorgeous BECAUSE it doesn't follow any rules. But while I'm sure
most of us can agree that it's very hard, if not impossible, to define the point where it's not
abstract art and it's just a mess, I'm sure most of us can also agree that wherever that point is,
this piece has gone far, far past it, to the point that this was listed in my script as "paint pile".
And while I obviously do not believe that this is worth fifty thousand dollars based on artistic
merit, I might believe that they did use fifty thousand dollars worth of paint. I also think it's
worth mentioning that its condition is "used - normal wear", and I'm so unbelievably curious as to what
that even means in this context. Now, this NFT is priced at over a million dollars, but I genuinely
believe that that price is unironically reasonable, and just hear me out. I'm 90% sure that this whole
piece is just social commentary about the nature of NFTs, like-- it's titled "I am rich". It literally
just says "I am f*cking rich", and the description legitimately says "if you buy this, you are indeed
f*cking rich. Congrats, and f*ck you". Like, this person is clearly just mocking NFTs and the
people that buy them, and that makes it easily the most self-aware and accurate NFT I have ever seen.
This isn't delusional, it's just the best possible version of what it is, and while I don't support
anyone minting any NFTs at all, I do respect that the artist paid whatever the cost of minting one
actually is just to make this point. Okay, now, this one, I'm just overwhelmingly in love with.
More than I love the art itself, I love the title, because "Painting of an Old Friend on Unicorn"
is just so perfect. I feel like if I die someday without having a friend paint me on a unicorn--
not by my request, but as a way to fondly remember me or commemorate our friendship --
I will have failed. In that way, this old friend has achieved the greatest victory of them all.
And honestly, just look at his vibes. They're so strong. I genuinely envy his power. Look at his
subtle, self-satisfied smirk. There's something so impressive to me about a dude just casually,
shirtlessly enjoying a beer while riding a literal unicorn, because it's like he doesn't CARE that
he's on an actual, physical, mythical creature. He's just having a good time. The fact that a
unicorn happens to be there is irrelevant to his good time, and it's that level of self-assured
apathy that truly inspires me. I don't honestly think this belongs on r/delusionalartists,
either, and I mean that in all seriousness. They're only charging 25 bucks, and while that IS probably
a lot for a portrait of a stranger's old friend on a unicorn, I don't think it's crazy enough to
warrant its posting here. Alright, this next one - the, uh, Danny DIvito-inspired artwork,
uh-- I'm fairly positive that this one is actually a joke, because while this is obviously a masterpiece,
I cannot truly imagine unironically charging one million dollars for any piece of art
on what looks like Facebook Marketplace. The fact that the description is "valuable art, first edition
painting, one out of one in collection" does very little to dispel that suspicion, either, nor does
the fact that this signature is half the size of the actual art itself. All of that said, if you can
look me in the eye and tell me that this isn't worth every cent of the money, 100%, you're wrong. I
don't know what else to say. Someone needs to buy this and give the artist the glory they deserve.
Okay, finally, our last piece for the video is one that I'm happy to end strong with as a big Team
Rocket fan, because let's be honest: any member of Team Rocket would be honored to own this beautiful
piece of art. Imagine Giovanni in all his brooding, intimidating, elegant glory, with this beauty
proudly displayed behind his desk, and tell me that that mental image doesn't give you serotonin. That
said, given that the artist's name is Rowan, I'm gonna hazard the wildest of guesses and say that
rather than honouring the second best villain team in Pokemon, the artist is literally just
selling art of the first letter of his name for $365.76 simply because it being the first letter
of his name gives it that much value, and I really respect that confidence. Alright, that brings us,
finally, to the end of this episode of r/delusionalartists. I honestly had so much fun making this,
because if you manage to go through enough of this subreddit ,you can find so much funny sh*t
that's funny not exclusively by way of being bad, but usually because of how incomparably,
unbelievably bold it is. I hope you guys enjoyed the video, and please let me know in the comments
if you'd like a sequel to it in the future, because I definitely wouldn't be against making this into
a series if it's something you enjoy. Thank you for watching, and special thank you as always
to channel members Cafe Soleil, Lotus Dreams Art, Joseph Solomon, Adel Juarez, and Fionapollo for
their support. I hope you had as much fun with this as I did, and I'll see you in my next video!