We often hear how, for some people, being under the influence unlocks their hidden artistic souls. It might be true for some, and it might be an urban myth. We won’t know for sure, and each person can have different results. There is one example out there that might get us closer to understanding this phenomenon—self-portraits on drugs by Bryan Lewis Saunders.
Mostly known for his art on drugs, Bryan also expresses his artistic soul with performance art and poetry, videography, and stand-up tragedy. And it’s not your usual inspirational poems about life. He set out on his self-portrait a day journey in 1995, and since then, he hasn’t missed a single day. His most viral work of self-portraits under the influence is also part of this long-time commitment.
Bryan Lewis Saunders’ art is obviously on a more niche side; the painted self-portraits on drugs put him on the map, as no one has ever attempted something like this. For those who love that kind of art, these creative illustrations can act as a getaway drug into the world of Saunders. He is undoubtedly one of the most notable modern artists with a vast portfolio of different, thought-provoking art forms.
So dig into this list and explore the perception of the world by a brain under the influence. Share these portraits with your friends, and while you’re welcome to appreciate the art, we urge you not to attempt to recreate something similar. Stay safe and healthy!
This post may include affiliate links.
Psilocybin Mushrooms (2 Caps Onset)
Ativan / Haloperidol (Doseage Unknown In Hospital)
I do not get the fuss here (Bored Panda readers being offended by everything as usual .. :/) This is a psychoactive chemical substance too and if the artist had the opportunity to put in in the list as experiment, why not? The portrait has interesting informational value, he probably did not feel whole, like something is missing in his mind?
Alcohol
Marijuana (G13)
Morphine IV (Doseage Unknown)
What Motivates Bryan Lewis Saunders to Draw Self-Portraits Under the Influence?
After a hiking trip with his friend and a harsh experience living in a drug-infested building, Bryan had a psychotic break due to dehydration, which led him to experiment with drawing self-portraits on drugs despite never trying them before.
His experiment was just as successful as other mediums in addressing the mission of his art—tragedy. Saunders often addresses how he seeks to unearth emotions from his audience. Unlike many other famous paintings, he aims his art to make men cry publicly and make everyone feel the feelings of life many people know but choose to ignore for their own sanity.
Of course, the artist runs into those people who get “inspired” by his sometimes scary paintings, but not in the way he intended. He still tries to reach them, though, even if it’s too late for them.
1 sm Glass Of Absinth
Absinth was disappointing...esp. when I realised what it tasted like....
20mg Valium
Abilify / Xanax / Ativan (Dosage Unknown In Hospital)
The Birth of "Under The Influence"
In March 1995, artist Bryan promised himself to create a new self-portrait every day for the rest of his life. He has kept this promise; Saunders has made nearly 12,400 of them. Of course, nothing could rival the most famous portraits, but the concept alone sets the artist apart from everyone else.
While this sounds like quite the experiment, in 2000, he set out to create an even more radical subseries within the project. The artist painted tens of self-portraits while on mind-altering drugs, so "Under The Influence" was born.
Bath Salts
I read bath salts and was like “bath salts, ok...WAIT, BATH SALTS, how do you “take” bath salts”
No evidence of anything like that was ever found in the dudes blood, just weed.
Load More Replies...Opium
Makes me wonder what, if anything, other famous artists might have been on
4mg Dilaudid
Omg so this is what melting on the couch looks like! I'm gonna go tell my brother he's been doing it wrong. XD
What Are the Most Famous Books by Bryan Lewis Saunders?
Artist’s written media are not what they seem. The books contain writings and illustrations that scratch your itch regarding non-mainstream art. Bryan Lewis Saunder’s bibliography includes:
- 87 Dreams of a Sociopath
- The Reasons Why I Dream with Knives
- Channel Zero
- We Don’t Need Another Doctor, We Can Run Our Own Tests
- The Confessor
Saunders released 11 books, each exploring a different topic, but all holding the one and only style of Bryan.
2 Bottles Of Cough Syrup
Nitrous Oxide
1/2 Gram Cocaine
This looks like a wild dream. There's a Jet Ski and he's been doing mathematical calculations too!
Bryan Lewis Saunders and the Effects of the Experiment
Within weeks of undergoing this experiment, he became lethargic and suffered mild brain damage. Saunders even became a frequent guest at the hospital. Nevertheless, he continued drawing. The artist sought "experiences that might profoundly affect his perception of self," when you see just how different each of the drawings from "Under The Influence" is, you can't help but think he succeeded.
Saunders said the brain damage resulted in "psychomotor retardation and confusion," but at least it was repairable. He's still conducting this experiment, but over greater lapses of time, and with drugs prescribed by a doctor.
DMT (During And After)
Everything that we experience, and everything that we not capable of experiencing... damn that deep
90mg Abilify (After 3 Months Usage 3x Maximum Dose)
What Other Types of Media Has Bryan Lewis Saunders Published?
The artist partakes in a lot of different forms of art. Videography, audio works that include tape recordings of his sleep and even dreams. Bryan has adopted popular art mediums and adapted them into his own. Some of his latest audio and video works include:
- Stream of Unconscious Vol. 7 with Joke Lanz and Dylan Nyoukis (Stand-Up Tragedy Records, 2013)
- Bryan Lewis Saunders & James Hollenbaugh (Videography, 2012)
- The Confessor (Stand-Up Tragedy Records, 2013)
- Near Death Experience (Erratum audio works, 2010)
Most of Bryan Lewis Saunder's works are praised by those familiar with his message but hated by others. That's the life of an artist; the fear of being misunderstood often comes true in their lives. His self-portraits on drugs took the concept a step further, and those paintings reached the general population.
1 Shot Of Dilaudid / 3 Shots Of Morphine (In The ER With Kidney Stones)
Khat (Chew And Tea)
10mg Ambien
3mg Klonopin
Marijuana Resin
The Hike of Transformation: Nature, Art, and the Connecting Troubling Reality
To unwind, Saunders went hiking with his buddy Brandon Bragg, something he hadn't done before. "It was incredible," he said. "I had 5 pounds of art supplies with me! Every day, I saw tons of beautiful things in nature. I'm from the city and so every new kind of bark I saw, or toadstool, or wild animal gave me such a rich wealth of phenomena to draw and see myself in a totally different world. That experience was truly miraculous and healing.
“While Brandon and I were hiking one day, he asked me, 'Whatever happened with that documentary you were going to make with the veterans and the loonies?' And I told him how everything had happened so fast with the tragedies and how I thought the people would be really interesting to document, but in fact they were all on drugs, suffering in solitude, some too obese to physically leave their apartment, and for many, it was all they could do to get out of their recliners 3 times a day.”
“I told him how when I first moved in, a paraplegic in a wheelchair showed me an encyclopedia of pills and said he could find at least one of every kind of pill in that book in the building and that book was huge."
Carbon Monoxide Inhalation
Celexa (Dosage Unknown)
He must have taken a crap ton, cuz Celexa is a very mild anti-anxiety drug.
The Unraveling Journey: Art, Hallucinations, and a Radical Project
When Saunders and Bragg returned to NY, the artist unknowingly became dehydrated, hallucinating, and had a psychotic break. He ditched his friend at a monastery because he thought he was trying to poison him.
"I took the Greyhound straight back to Tennessee, where I had an epiphany. I thought, not only am I going to draw myself every day, but I'm also going to do a different drug every day. After all, there was one of everything in the building... And that was when I officially started the project."
A combination of dark sadness and easy access led Saunders to satisfy his drive to experience as many different things as possible.
15mg Buspar (Snorted)
1 "Bump" Of Crystalmeth
From Viral Controversy to Empathetic Connection: the Impact of Saunders' Experiment
He said the images first went viral in January 2011, and it was "excruciatingly distressing and morbidly terrifying." Saunders got quite a few hate mails. "They either wanted me to commit suicide myself, or they themselves wanted the honor of putting me down like an animal. Sleazy companies came out of the woodwork too," he recalled. "This time around it's been so much nicer and friendlier."
But the popularity of this one experiment is enormous. "It gives people an opportunity to discover some of the other things I do or have done as well. Things that I feel are a lot more important, both socially and artistically. And it's also opened the door to communicate with some other incredible people who feel that they are alone in the world, and in one way or another are suffering and having trouble. I'm older and like to think I can be of some help in that department."
Heroin (Snorted)
Huffing Lighter Fluid
Huffing Gas (During And After)
10mg Adderall
Adderall....I will clean your house, and your house, and YOUR house. Everybody's house.
Computer Duster (2 Squirts)
300mg Lithium
Marijuana (Kine Bud)
100mg Tramadol
4 Butalbitals (Doseage Unknown)
7.5mg Hydrocodone / 7.5mg Oxycodone / 3mg Xanax
10mg Lortab
Novocaine
7.5mg Percocet
250mg Soma
Valium I.V. (Doseage Unknown In Hospital)
25i-Nbome
Salvia Divinorum (Before And After)
By now this person is dead inside. They are going to live to, like, 60
Hash
Butane Honey Oil
4mg Risperdol
Oxycodone (Dosage Unknown)
1 Glass Of Pruno
Ritalin (Doseage Unknown-Snorted)
Ritalin suxx. Took it as a kid. Turned me into an emotionless robot boi.
Valium IV, (Albuterol, Saline & Oxygen Mixture)
2mg Xanax
Absolute Shatter
20mg Cyclobenzaprine
Hydrocodone And Oxycodone (Dosages Unknown)
100mg Trazadone
250mg Cephalexin (Painted W/ Watercolor Pencil, Water And Cephalexin)
60mg Geodon
50mg Zoloft (After 2 Weeks)
Interesting. But it can take 2-4 weeks to actually see the effect of Zoloft. Especially at a low dosage. This might still be placebo effect. Still interesting, though. Zoloft has allowed me personally to live a normal life. Many of these medicines, while dangerous if misused, can be life saving and greatly improve quality of life for people suffering from physical and mental ailments. I do realize this is supposed to reflect drugs that are habitually abused, however. It is very interesting to see the altered perspective and change in cognitive and motor function under the influence, though doing this is highly dangerous and should not be attempted by anyone.
10mg Zyprexa (After 2 Weeks In Hospital)
Kief
100mg Seroquel
2mg Nicotine Gum (After Quitting Smoking For 2 Months)
Nitrous Oxide / Valium I.V. (Doseage Unknown At Dentist)
Sodium Thiopental IV
I think he had some to begin with for even trying that.
Load More Replies...I think it would show the effects better if he had tempted to try to make the same style of portret every time. Now its hard to tell what the effect of the drug is cause they are all made in different style.
I understand what you’re saying however maybe even with that intention, that very framework morphed into a different prerogative upon each various effect of different drugs. In this state of mind perhaps we could make it a point to aim for consistency but get entirely sidetracked when our mind is altered off ‘normal’ course.
Load More Replies...Interesting notion... wonder how he would render himself sober?
Load More Replies...Nah, it has been done : "recettes pompettes" Canada and France. Cooking with a drunk celebrity, this was fake like this story.
Load More Replies...This does not seem like a good idea especially considering that he was in the hospital during most of these...
THere should be also one made while he was sober since his style seems to be a little bit surrealistic anyway. Also, Witkacy did this before it was cool :P
A lot of unknown dosage around here ... just sayin', not judgin', but ... man, be careful, don't rely on luck all that much ... I mean ... CO? Man... Don't kill yourself!
most, well pretty much all, dealers don't know how many milligrams of that active ingredient are in the drug they're selling. Hell they don't even know if it contains what they think it does at all.
Load More Replies...I aim to only take the drugs that I actually need and no more... I did overdo it with some alcohol a few weeks into the Lockdown here in the UK in April, but normally, I only drink a small amount and infrequently. I have tried weed and hash but it's permitted in my homeland (The Netherlands) and been prescribed various drugs throughout my life which I have not abused. Dangerous game to play for art's sake...
Cool art, but the fact of drugs is a big no no from me. Please don’t do this ever again. ☠️
He made cool art... but was it worth it? Did you only start taking drugs for the art? We’re you always a druggie? Why are you encouraging drugs? Was it worth it? WHY?????
mate jean M.B. was also a drug addict and one of his paintings sold for 110 million, so maybe it is worth it? if you dont die first like he did💀
Load More Replies...The thing is... he knows what drugs he's about to take. He clearly has experience taking them (a 4mg does of dilauduid is HUGE!!!), so he comes to the art with a preconceived idea. Valium = sleepy. LSD = psychadelic. So... I'm a little MEH about this one.
I think bullshit. A one time dose of most of these isn't going to change your perception that fast , that radically. Over time maybe when your brain gets to the Swiss cheese stage but not instantaneously.
I thought so too...some of these are just anti-depressants... how is this radically changing his art style? And the carbon monoxide one as well as a few others, I don't think you'd be drawing at all... It feels like a way for a mediocre artist to get attention.
Load More Replies...This is incredibly fascinating to me. It kinda looks into how the mind works when on these substances, and this project could even be used as actual research into what changes in one's psyche during this stuff.
I should also add I don't condone this particular stuff? This guy was incredibly irresponsible from what I can tell. I'll only praise responsible research
Load More Replies...Well, yes, very much of the violence of the US drug trade is exported to Mexico. If you don't buy/use the drugs, you do not feed the narcotraficantes.
Load More Replies...This would make a fascinating scientific study, if he had documented the time between paintings and drug taking it might have helped to document the affects of drugs. I kind of hope he did especially if he died. I wonder how much time he left between each drug... The concern for me is that he says the hospital doesn't know what dosage he was administered for some of the drugs.. surely a hospital would record that?
Now I know why I don't really like abstract art - I was never high enough for it.
i've done some wonderful abstract art. i have never taken drugs or consumed alcohol, I'm 13. The key to abstract art is to just let it create itself. if you try/think to hard, it won't turn out right. i've found music helps too.
Load More Replies...Ahhh, where to begin? I believe he did do a lot of the drugs he claims in this piece, but I do NOT believe for a second that those drugs influenced the drawings that dramatically. Having partaken in some of the "meds" listed, I feel it's a reach. That said, he is a talented artist though!
This guy is not exactly the role model, but I must admit that I have found this immensely interesting. The pictures provide limited information because it is not clear how much of the painting final form is the actual drug effect and what is current mood / artistic idea / mentioned brain damage (which was inevitable when you look at the used chemicals and dosage..) Still there is certain informational value in this. Similar although much shorter and more safe experiment was done with other artist. They gave him LSD and he kept painting portraits during whole trip. It was medically controlled and safe tho, unlike the guy in the article.
I agree - I doubt anyone who abused drugs on a daily basis would be able to stick to a rigid regime of artistic practice.
Most of these seem to be what he thinks it would be like. I am not sure I could do anything useful after a decent dose of psylocybin for instance
I kept waiting to see if snorting Tide laundry powder was coming up...
These are really good drawings, but I still don’t think he should’ve sacrificed his health for this. Don’t do drugs kids.
I know it’s “artistic” but this is so stupid. “I’m just going to do every drug I can think of FoR ArT” 🤦🏻♀️
Polish artist Witkacy was doing it almost 100 years ago. He was genius anyway :) www.culture.pl/en/article/witkacy-the-scandalising-portrait-artist www.twistedspoon.com/narcotics.html www.polandsite.proboards.com/thread/1974/witkacy-drug-inspired-artist
This is despicable. Bored Panda should not be promoting the abuse of illicit substances.
An overall very dangerous art experiment, one that I would never do, but it's really fascinating to see the effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and how it affects both motor control of materials and the artist's vision of self during. Interestingly enough, it really reminds me of some pieces I've seen from severely mentally ill artists, especially the ones under the influence of mushrooms, PCP, and cocaine.
Proof positive that talent and intelligence are one and the same thing.
4th december 1986 is 12400 days from today 14th nov 2020 but they said march 1995 not mentioning the day number so its 9391 days from 1st march 1995 to 14th nov 2020. oh wait i didnt read it all from 2000 he started making 10s of portraits per day so the number went up huh?
Look at me,i am an artist and i am sooo special...So special that i will make a performance,i will take drugs every day.Wow,i am so different and special becuase i am an artist and i take drugs and i draw myself...
A relative of mine was murdered when he was 21 by a drug addict who had combined some kind of synthetic drug with alcohol. He wanted to kill someone because he thought it would be cool to see what it was like - and my cousin's son happened to cross paths with him. I find this whole post offensive, and I am sure that everyone who has lost a relative or a friend to drug abuse or drug related violence agrees, as does everyone who is unfortunate enough to have a drug addict in the family. Shame on you, Bored Panda, for this one.
While I really do feel sympathy you shouldn't be offended by articles on drugs. Maybe it's down to you to stay away from them if they remind you of what happened. People are dying from Covid but it doesn't stop some of the Covid meme pages being amusing. Alcohol fuels lots of domestic violence, and death by drink driving, but articles about things people do when drunk are still amusing. There are people out there who have suffered horrific injuries from dog attacks. You wouldn't want BP to stop publishing articles about doggos. Recognize this article really has nothing to do with what happened to your relative. It's just reminding you of what happened and bringing back the feelings you had when it happened but that has nothing to do with the guy in this article or the substances he is taking. The villain is the guy who took your relative. And I hope I haven't offended you. I'm really not trying to.
Load More Replies...This guy is clearly an idiot and recidivist drug abuser, whose greatest impact on the world seems to be an enormous burden to the public health system.
many many modern artist use drugs to create more extreme art
Load More Replies...I mean, as a kid myself, I think that we already know plenty about drugs and the consequences. I can't speak for everyone of course, but I didn't see this art and think to myself, "okay this looks fun imma do drugs". Just my opinion, of course. :)
Load More Replies...I think he had some to begin with for even trying that.
Load More Replies...I think it would show the effects better if he had tempted to try to make the same style of portret every time. Now its hard to tell what the effect of the drug is cause they are all made in different style.
I understand what you’re saying however maybe even with that intention, that very framework morphed into a different prerogative upon each various effect of different drugs. In this state of mind perhaps we could make it a point to aim for consistency but get entirely sidetracked when our mind is altered off ‘normal’ course.
Load More Replies...Interesting notion... wonder how he would render himself sober?
Load More Replies...Nah, it has been done : "recettes pompettes" Canada and France. Cooking with a drunk celebrity, this was fake like this story.
Load More Replies...This does not seem like a good idea especially considering that he was in the hospital during most of these...
THere should be also one made while he was sober since his style seems to be a little bit surrealistic anyway. Also, Witkacy did this before it was cool :P
A lot of unknown dosage around here ... just sayin', not judgin', but ... man, be careful, don't rely on luck all that much ... I mean ... CO? Man... Don't kill yourself!
most, well pretty much all, dealers don't know how many milligrams of that active ingredient are in the drug they're selling. Hell they don't even know if it contains what they think it does at all.
Load More Replies...I aim to only take the drugs that I actually need and no more... I did overdo it with some alcohol a few weeks into the Lockdown here in the UK in April, but normally, I only drink a small amount and infrequently. I have tried weed and hash but it's permitted in my homeland (The Netherlands) and been prescribed various drugs throughout my life which I have not abused. Dangerous game to play for art's sake...
Cool art, but the fact of drugs is a big no no from me. Please don’t do this ever again. ☠️
He made cool art... but was it worth it? Did you only start taking drugs for the art? We’re you always a druggie? Why are you encouraging drugs? Was it worth it? WHY?????
mate jean M.B. was also a drug addict and one of his paintings sold for 110 million, so maybe it is worth it? if you dont die first like he did💀
Load More Replies...The thing is... he knows what drugs he's about to take. He clearly has experience taking them (a 4mg does of dilauduid is HUGE!!!), so he comes to the art with a preconceived idea. Valium = sleepy. LSD = psychadelic. So... I'm a little MEH about this one.
I think bullshit. A one time dose of most of these isn't going to change your perception that fast , that radically. Over time maybe when your brain gets to the Swiss cheese stage but not instantaneously.
I thought so too...some of these are just anti-depressants... how is this radically changing his art style? And the carbon monoxide one as well as a few others, I don't think you'd be drawing at all... It feels like a way for a mediocre artist to get attention.
Load More Replies...This is incredibly fascinating to me. It kinda looks into how the mind works when on these substances, and this project could even be used as actual research into what changes in one's psyche during this stuff.
I should also add I don't condone this particular stuff? This guy was incredibly irresponsible from what I can tell. I'll only praise responsible research
Load More Replies...Well, yes, very much of the violence of the US drug trade is exported to Mexico. If you don't buy/use the drugs, you do not feed the narcotraficantes.
Load More Replies...This would make a fascinating scientific study, if he had documented the time between paintings and drug taking it might have helped to document the affects of drugs. I kind of hope he did especially if he died. I wonder how much time he left between each drug... The concern for me is that he says the hospital doesn't know what dosage he was administered for some of the drugs.. surely a hospital would record that?
Now I know why I don't really like abstract art - I was never high enough for it.
i've done some wonderful abstract art. i have never taken drugs or consumed alcohol, I'm 13. The key to abstract art is to just let it create itself. if you try/think to hard, it won't turn out right. i've found music helps too.
Load More Replies...Ahhh, where to begin? I believe he did do a lot of the drugs he claims in this piece, but I do NOT believe for a second that those drugs influenced the drawings that dramatically. Having partaken in some of the "meds" listed, I feel it's a reach. That said, he is a talented artist though!
This guy is not exactly the role model, but I must admit that I have found this immensely interesting. The pictures provide limited information because it is not clear how much of the painting final form is the actual drug effect and what is current mood / artistic idea / mentioned brain damage (which was inevitable when you look at the used chemicals and dosage..) Still there is certain informational value in this. Similar although much shorter and more safe experiment was done with other artist. They gave him LSD and he kept painting portraits during whole trip. It was medically controlled and safe tho, unlike the guy in the article.
I agree - I doubt anyone who abused drugs on a daily basis would be able to stick to a rigid regime of artistic practice.
Most of these seem to be what he thinks it would be like. I am not sure I could do anything useful after a decent dose of psylocybin for instance
I kept waiting to see if snorting Tide laundry powder was coming up...
These are really good drawings, but I still don’t think he should’ve sacrificed his health for this. Don’t do drugs kids.
I know it’s “artistic” but this is so stupid. “I’m just going to do every drug I can think of FoR ArT” 🤦🏻♀️
Polish artist Witkacy was doing it almost 100 years ago. He was genius anyway :) www.culture.pl/en/article/witkacy-the-scandalising-portrait-artist www.twistedspoon.com/narcotics.html www.polandsite.proboards.com/thread/1974/witkacy-drug-inspired-artist
This is despicable. Bored Panda should not be promoting the abuse of illicit substances.
An overall very dangerous art experiment, one that I would never do, but it's really fascinating to see the effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and how it affects both motor control of materials and the artist's vision of self during. Interestingly enough, it really reminds me of some pieces I've seen from severely mentally ill artists, especially the ones under the influence of mushrooms, PCP, and cocaine.
Proof positive that talent and intelligence are one and the same thing.
4th december 1986 is 12400 days from today 14th nov 2020 but they said march 1995 not mentioning the day number so its 9391 days from 1st march 1995 to 14th nov 2020. oh wait i didnt read it all from 2000 he started making 10s of portraits per day so the number went up huh?
Look at me,i am an artist and i am sooo special...So special that i will make a performance,i will take drugs every day.Wow,i am so different and special becuase i am an artist and i take drugs and i draw myself...
A relative of mine was murdered when he was 21 by a drug addict who had combined some kind of synthetic drug with alcohol. He wanted to kill someone because he thought it would be cool to see what it was like - and my cousin's son happened to cross paths with him. I find this whole post offensive, and I am sure that everyone who has lost a relative or a friend to drug abuse or drug related violence agrees, as does everyone who is unfortunate enough to have a drug addict in the family. Shame on you, Bored Panda, for this one.
While I really do feel sympathy you shouldn't be offended by articles on drugs. Maybe it's down to you to stay away from them if they remind you of what happened. People are dying from Covid but it doesn't stop some of the Covid meme pages being amusing. Alcohol fuels lots of domestic violence, and death by drink driving, but articles about things people do when drunk are still amusing. There are people out there who have suffered horrific injuries from dog attacks. You wouldn't want BP to stop publishing articles about doggos. Recognize this article really has nothing to do with what happened to your relative. It's just reminding you of what happened and bringing back the feelings you had when it happened but that has nothing to do with the guy in this article or the substances he is taking. The villain is the guy who took your relative. And I hope I haven't offended you. I'm really not trying to.
Load More Replies...This guy is clearly an idiot and recidivist drug abuser, whose greatest impact on the world seems to be an enormous burden to the public health system.
many many modern artist use drugs to create more extreme art
Load More Replies...I mean, as a kid myself, I think that we already know plenty about drugs and the consequences. I can't speak for everyone of course, but I didn't see this art and think to myself, "okay this looks fun imma do drugs". Just my opinion, of course. :)
Load More Replies...