Cliché Subject Matter to Avoid

A cliche in art is an object or theme this is overused and so overdone that it loses meaning. Though they can be hard to avoid in art, if you have an original approach or an unexplored subject matter it is possible. In other words, you need to figure out a fresh way to express the idea you want, or discover/ conceive a subject matter that hasn't been trampled into a stereotype. Here is a great article on how to avoid clichés in art

SUBJECTS TO TRY AND AVOID:

Section 1 –LANDSCAPE

1A. (Natural)

· Sunsets, (especially with M-birds)

· Fluffy Clouds

· the Moon (often with a mysterious reflection in the dark water)

· the sun in the corner of the paper

· Palm trees

· Rainbows,

· Lightning bolts

· waterfalls

· Rain

· Beaches (with or without silhouetted couples walking along the shore)

1B. (Man-made)

· Castles

· Cabins nestled in the woods (usually with a warm glow emitting from the window and a puff of smoke coming from the chimney)

· Cities depicted as gray, polluted, hostile and cold (usually with a simultaneous reference to how colorful, warm, beautiful and/or threatened Nature is)

· Railroad Tracks fading off in the distance

· Snapshots of cottage and vacation

· Villages (usually in poor countries) with brightly colored huts

·

Section 2-ANIMATE

2A. Humans

· Family (esp. grand-parents)

· Boyfriends/Girlfriends

· Clowns

· Poverty stricken children

· Rock Stars (Alive or Dead).

· TV and movie stars

· People slouched in corners depressed,

· Sport Stars

· Native people with feather headdresses

· Inuit with igloos

· Hunky, shirtless guys

· Hot chicks in scantily clad outfits

· Pin-Up girls

2B. Human Anatomy

· Eyeballs- staring, crying, floating, bleeding, sad eyes

· Fetuses/umbilical cords

· Hands making a peace sign, flipping the bird, hang ten

· Hearts- full, broken, stylized (“heart-shaped”) anatomically correct

· Skulls

· teardrops

· Blood dripping or in puddles

2C. Human-like Beings

· Aliens (also see UFOs)

· Angels

· Comic Book Characters

· Manga/Anime style characters

· Devils

· Elves

· Fairies (with or without fairy dust)

· Fantasy Characters

· Hobbits

· Mermaids

· Vampires

· Videogame Characters

· Werewolves

· Wizards

2D. Animals (real)

· All sleeping animals (esp. kittens)

· Any two different species of animals cavorting together

· Bats

· Family Pets

· Eagles

· Horses

· Lizards

· Ponies

· Seals

· Starfish

· Wolf howling at the moon

· Butterflies

2E. Animals (imagined)

· Dragons

· Stuffed Animals (also see Dolls)

· Unicorns

SECTION 3. INANIMATE

3A. Objects

· Beer Bottles,

· Bongs, Joints, Pipes and Syringes

· Flaming guitars

· Roses, fresh, dead, red (for love), white (for death, or purity)

· Album Covers,

· Wine Bottles,

· Pills and prescription bottles

· Razor blades

· Love letters

· Dear John letters

· Candles burning quietly in the darkness

· Song lyrics

· Watches, clocks, and hourglasses to symbolize the irrevocable passage of time

· IPODS and Cell phones

· UFOs (also see Aliens)

· Feathers

· Soap bubbles

· Dolls

· Guns/Bullets

· Cars- especially “fast” looking cars

Obvious Symbols

· Peace and Anarchy Signs

· Pentagons and crosses

· Ohm symbols

· Initials, numbers, letters or words

· Music notes (to represent the sound of music)

· Starry Night, Van Gogh and other Calendar Artwork copies

· Anything to do with lost innocence, or impending death