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# What to Do With Paintings You Hate: Turn Rejects Into Collage
- URL: https://craftedbyrobert.com/what-to-do-with-rejected-paintings-collage/
- Published: 2026-10-25T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T15:59:59.000Z
- Description: Don’t throw away paintings you hate. Learn how collage interrupts a reject, changes the mood, and turns a failed painting into a mixed media experiment.
- Author: Robert Joyner
- Tags: Mixed Media

Most artists throw their rejected paintings away. Some of my favorite work starts right there.

In this mixed media demo, I show how I use collage to rescue a painting I’d given up on, and why I stopped seeing rejects as failures.

### Rejects are a playground

These paintings aren’t failures. They’re a new playground. Instead of trying to fix a reject, I **interrupt** it.

### Why collage works

Collage is how I interrupt a painting. It:

- Breaks the pattern
- Changes the mood
- Gives me something new to react to

That’s where the shift happens, from trying to finish something to actually exploring.

[![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ee/ee/eeee3f8a-028a-4efa-99e3-5af9bc505602/content/images/2026/10/learn-mixed-media-painting-4.webp)](https://craftedbyrobert.com/learn-mixed-media/) 

****Want to Create Loose Mixed Media Art, Slacker?** Learn the fundamentals, experiment with collage and layers, and develop your own expressive style.

[👉 Learn Mixed Media With Me ](https://craftedbyrobert.com/learn-mixed-media/) 

### From frustration to a pile of ideas

I used to be frustrated by all of this. Now I see a stack of rejects as a pile of ideas waiting to happen. This is where you build freedom, confidence, and your own style.

### Try it yourself

Before you toss your next reject, cut or tear some paper and glue it right over the parts you dislike. Don’t try to fix the painting. Just react to what the collage gives you.

Want to make your own paper for this? See [handmade collage paper from leftover paint](https://craftedbyrobert.com/handmade-collage-paper-leftover-paint/). For another way to reuse old work, try [turning old sketches into art](https://craftedbyrobert.com/collage-acrylic-still-life-painting/). If you’re new to painting loose, [why it takes practice](https://craftedbyrobert.com/how-to-paint-loose-takes-practice/) goes deeper on the exploring mindset.

Learn Structure. Paint Loose.

**Construct. Deconstruct. Explore. Repeat.**

### Rejected painting FAQ

**What should I do with a painting I hate?**  
Don’t throw it away. Collage over it, paint over it, or cut it up and reuse the pieces.

**Can you collage over acrylic paint?**  
Yes. Glue paper right on top of dry acrylic. Add the glue you use here.

**Why do artists keep their rejects?**  
They’re free materials and a source of ideas. Painting over them removes the pressure of a blank page.