The unnamed Artist is the primary character of Layers of Fear, controlled by the player. He is married to the Wife and the presumed father of the Baby, both of whom are also never named in the game.
He is sometimes referred to as {Scratched Out}, because any time his name would appear in a piece of readable text, it is obscured and simply translated as such.
As the game progresses, the Artist slowly descends into madness and begins suffering from visual and auditory hallucinations akin to severe schizophrenia which manifest in various and macabre ways.
History
Not much is known about the artist, as his identity is hidden or scratched out throughout the game. He was a very well received upcoming artist who was getting married and having a child, both with unknown identities. The family moved into the house in which the game takes place, and for awhile lived happily. After a horrifying fire which scars his wife, The Artist suffered from creators block and was unable to paint any more art that was as well received as his early paintings. The Artist became an alcoholic, and as time went on the negativity from the critics and the care for his disfigured wife causes him to delve deeper into madness. Every time he is mentioned in a newspaper or shown in a photograph, the same with his wife, it is either scratched out or burned preventing the player from seeing his identity. After his child was taken away by protective services and his wife passed away, the Artist decides to create his Magnum Opus, a way to "take back what life took from him".
Fate
The Artist has three different fates, three different endings.
In the Neutral Ending, he fails at creating his Magnum Opus and tries again, having the player remove the drape from the canvas once again, and having "Continue" be replaced with "Finish it" on the title screen.
In the Selfish Ending, it is presumed that he overcomes his anguish and madness and regains his ability to paint non-terrifying things once more (due to him being able to paint a wondrous self-portrait).
In the Selfless Ending, the Artist dies by self-immolation when he throws himself into the fire he creates by all the paintings of his Wife.
Trivia
- Although the player's identity is not shown, it is possible to see his face in the mirrors in the bathroom and studio room.
- The Artist was involved in some unknown accident resulting in him wearing a prosthetic leg.
- The Artist may suffer from late-onset schizophrenia, yet he believes that it is his wife who suffers from the condition.