Redd is a crook. Let’s just start there. If you’ve spent any time on the secret beach at the back of your island, you already know the sinking feeling of handing over 4,980 Bells only to have Blathers tell you that your "masterpiece" is a total sham. It’s annoying. It’s honestly insulting. But that’s the game. Dealing with the ACNH Redd art guide essentials means learning how to spot the tiny, microscopic tells that separate a genuine Van Gogh from a cheap knockoff made in the back of a dingy boat.
Most people think it’s just about looking at a picture online and comparing it to the screen. It’s not. It’s about the lighting, the orientation, and sometimes even the time of day. Some of these fakes are actually "haunted," which adds a cool layer of creepiness to your home decor but won't help you finish that museum wing.
Spotting the Fakes Before You Buy
The first thing you have to understand is that Redd isn't just selling one type of fake. There are static fakes and "shifting" fakes. If you’re looking at the Scary Painting (Ohtani Oniji the Third as Yakko Edohei), look at the eyebrows. In the real version, they’re arched and angry. In the fake? They’re slanted down in a way that makes him look sad or worried. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s the difference between a museum donation and a trash can filler.
Then you’ve got the Moving Painting. This one is famously tricky. You’re looking for a birth of Venus vibe, but in the fake version, there are no trees on the right side of the canvas. It’s just open air. Why did Nintendo do that? Who knows. It makes the painting feel empty once you notice it.
The Statues are Even Harder
Statues are where most players lose their shirts. The Valiant Statue (Nike of Samothrace) is a prime example. On the real one, the right leg is forward. On the fake? It’s the left leg. If you aren't paying attention, you'll miss it every single time. And don’t even get me started on the Ancient Statue. That weird little alien guy? If he has antennas coming out of his head, he’s a fake. Plus, the fake one glows at night. Honestly, the glowing eyes are kind of a vibe, so some people buy the fake on purpose just to put it in a graveyard build.
Why Some Art is Always Real
There is a small mercy in this game. Some pieces of art are never fake. If you see these on the boat, buy them immediately. No questions asked. No zooming in until your eyes bleed.
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The Great Statue (King Kamehameha I) is always the real deal. So is the Sinking Painting (Ophelia). If you see the Common Painting, the Flowery Painting, or the Nice Painting, just grab them. Redd is a scammer, but he’s not always a genius. Sometimes he just sells the real thing because he hasn't figured out how to forge it yet. The Calm Painting and the Glowing Painting are also safe bets.
Buying these is the easiest way to make progress on your Nook Miles achievements without having to cross-reference a wiki every five seconds. It’s basically a free pass.
The Haunted Art Secret
Nintendo added a weird layer to the ACNH Redd art guide meta: haunted paintings. These are always fakes, so Blathers will never take them, but they’re highly sought after by players who do horror-themed islands.
Take the Wistful Painting (Girl with a Pearl Earring). In the fake version, her eyes close at night. It’s deeply unsettling if you’re walking through your living room at 2:00 AM and see a painting blinking at you. The Ancient Statue floats. The Graceful Painting has a shadow that changes shape. These aren't just "wrong" art pieces; they’re intentional Easter eggs. If you’re trying to finish the museum, stay away. If you want to freak out your visitors, they’re a gold mine.
How to Get Redd to Show Up More Often
Redd is supposed to show up once every two weeks or so on his Treasure Trawler, but the RNG can be brutal. You might go a month without seeing that dingy boat.
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The "pro" way to handle this is the Harv’s Island expansion. Once you pay the 100,000 Bells to get Redd his permanent stall at the plaza, he’s there every day. Well, almost every day. He still won't be there if he's actually visiting your island.
The trick with the Harv’s Island stall is that his inventory only refreshes once a week—unless you buy something. If you buy a fake on Monday, he’ll replace it with a new piece on Tuesday. This is the fastest way to cycle through his stock. If you have the Bells to burn, buy his garbage just to get it out of the way. It forces the game to generate new items, increasing your odds of finding that one elusive Wild Painting Right Half that everyone struggles to find.
The Most Common Mistakes People Make
Most players rely on low-res screenshots. That’s a mistake. The lighting in Redd’s boat is intentionally dim and sepia-toned to hide the colors.
For the Academic Painting (Vitruvian Man), look for a coffee stain in the top right corner. If it's there, it’s a fake. It sounds simple, but in the dim light of the boat, that stain looks like part of the parchment. You have to use the zoom-in feature. Don't be lazy.
Another big one: the Serene Painting. In the real one, the ermine (the little white animal) is all white. In the fake, it has a grey circle around its eye like a raccoon. It’s a tiny detail. If you’re playing on a handheld Switch Lite, you might miss it entirely. Dock your Switch or use the handheld magnifying glass tool to be sure.
Checking the Back of the Art
Once you actually buy the art and it arrives in the mail the next day, there’s one final check. Real art has a certificate of authenticity on the back of the frame. If you drop the item on the ground and look at it, or "place" it and rotate it, you can see a small slip of paper taped to the back. Fakes are blank. Of course, by the time you see the back, you’ve already spent the money, so this is more of a "confirming your disappointment" phase than a prevention strategy.
Dealing With "All Fakes" Days
It happens. You walk onto the boat, excited to finally get the Motherly Statue, and every single piece of art is a counterfeit. It feels like the game is cheating.
In this scenario, you have two choices. You can walk away and wait for next time, or you can buy a fake anyway just to trigger the "Furniture" slots. Redd usually carries two pieces of high-end furniture in limited colors. Sometimes the furniture is actually more valuable than the art, especially if it’s a 2.0 update item that costs a fortune at Nook’s Cranny.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Visit
Next time you see that Ginkgo leaf icon on your map, follow these steps to ensure you aren't wasting your time:
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- Zoom in immediately. Don't even look at the price. Every piece of art has a specific tell. If it’s the Famous Painting, check the eyebrows. If it’s the Gallant Statue, check if he’s holding a book (he shouldn't be).
- Check the "Always Real" list. If the Sinking Painting or Great Statue is there, your job is done. Buy it and leave.
- Visit Harv's Island daily. If you're serious about finishing the museum, you cannot rely on the boat alone. Emptying his stall at Harv's is the only way to beat the RNG.
- Use the "Scammed" art for decor. Don't throw away your fakes. Some fakes, like the Robust Statue (the one with the watch), look hilarious in a modern-themed gym or park.
- Talk to your villagers. Sometimes they’ll mail you art. It’s usually a fake because your villagers are easily fooled, but Smug and Cranky villagers have a slightly higher chance of sending the real thing.
Getting a five-star museum rating takes months of patience. Redd is designed to be a bottleneck. But once you know exactly what the Amazing Painting is supposed to look like—hint: the man in the center should be wearing a black hat, not a white one—the power dynamic shifts. You aren't a victim of his scams anymore; you're just a collector waiting for the right deal.