daubster
UK: ˈdɔːbstə | US: ˈdɔːbstər
n. 1. An unskilled or clumsy painter; someone who applies paint crudely or carelessly.
n. 2. (Derogatory) A person who produces art of poor quality.
The word "daubster" combines "daub," derived from Old French "dauber" (to whitewash or plaster, later generalized to mean applying paint crudely), and the agentive suffix "-ster," of Old English origin, used to denote a person associated with an action. Historically, "-ster" was gender-neutral (e.g., "spinster" for a female spinner), but in "daubster," it emphasizes the performer of a crude or unrefined act. The term emerged in the 16th–17th centuries, reflecting societal disdain for untalented artisans.
The critic dismissed the artist as a mere daubster with no grasp of technique.
His walls looked patchy, as if painted by a daubster.
She refused to exhibit alongside daubsters who lacked formal training.
The term "daubster" was scrawled across the rejected canvas.
Medieval guilds often excluded daubsters from prestigious commissions.