Cryptic crossword clue
Artist is too cruel, represented with no end of hope 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word COLOURIST

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
O
L
O
U
R
I
S
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Artist" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case artist = colourist.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does COLOURIST mean?

COLOURIST noun
  1. One who colours; an artist with a talent for colouring
  2. A hairdresser who is a specialist in colouring and tinting hair.

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