- Artist Lewis Rossignol has over 197,000 followers on TikTok where his drawings often go viral.
- But viewers aren't sure if he's an art star or an unskilled scribbler.
An experimental artist keeps going viral on TikTok, but viewers can't decide if his surrealist style is packed with talent, or just a load of primitive scrawls.
On March 15, Lewis Rossignol, a working artist based in Portland, Maine, posted a TikTok which showed him creating a close-up sketch of a car, complete with wonky lines, and sporadic crayon color.
@lewisrossignol Replying to @mc.chancho thank you #artprocess #drawingprocess ♬ The Fun Lovin' Criminal - Fun Lovin' Criminals
The video included a popular comment left beneath an earlier upload shared by the artist, where a viewer wrote Rossignol's work was the "definition of 'trust the process'" as they resembled "scrawlings at first" but ended up "poetic somehow."
The March upload received 5.5 million views and over 1,600 comments from followers who were torn on the merits of the final piece. While many wrote they loved the style and could recognize his ability, others felt it looked like it had been drawn with the artist's weaker hand, and suggested they were unimpressed with the end result. One commenter said the artwork was so bad it made them want to throw up, while another compared his ability to that of a child.
Rossignol, seemingly undeterred by the criticism, has used the negative comments as introductions to some of his more recent videos. Along the way, he's found his defenders.
"I have never seen anything so bad yet so good that I like it, it's like being a professional child," one viewer wrote in a comment, which Rossingol later included in a follow-up video.
@lewisrossignol Replying to @Meg thank you i am a professional child #artprocess #drawingprocess ♬ Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones
On July 11, Rossignol appeared to directly acknowledge the feedback when he shared a video with an on-screen caption that said trolls kept telling him he drew like a three-year-old, "as if I'm supposed to take it as an insult," alongside a crayon and pencil sketch of a farm.
In a statement on his website, where he sells original pieces and prints and offers lessons, Rossignol described his art as "surrealist and experimental contemporary drawing and painting" and wrote he's inspired by interesting people, architecture, and music. In 2019, he worked with musician Tyler, the Creator, to produce artwork for the vinyl release of the album "Igor," Billboard reported. According to his website, he's also sold work to actor Frankie Muniz and Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers.
Despite engendering heated debate over his talent, Rossignol continues to collect followers and has more than 197,000 on TikTok. He did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
This isn't the first time an experimental artwork has sparked a debate on TikTok. In May, 21-year-old tattoo artist Mykhailo received over 3.2 million views and caused a stir on the app when he asked viewers if an abstract tattoo he'd permanently etched onto someone's back was worth the $961 price tag.
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