depressing

paint a (some kind of) picture of (something)

To give an elaborate or detailed description of something that portrays it in a specific way. The board meeting painted a pretty grim picture of the company's future. Jonathan always paints an idyllic picture of our childhood, glossing over the bad memories of our father.
See also: kind, of, paint, picture
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

paint a terrible, depressing, rosy, etc. ˈpicture (of somebody/something)

describe something in a particular way; give a particular impression of somebody/something, often a negative one: You paint a depressing picture of your childhood! People who don’t like students paint the worst possible picture of their behaviour. The book paints a vivid picture of life in the city.
See also: paint, picture
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • paint a (some kind of) picture of (something)
  • paint a terrible, depressing, rosy, etc. picture
  • answer to the description (of)
  • answer to the description of
  • a blow-by-blow description
  • beggar description, to
  • (something) doesn't ring a bell (with one)
  • (something) rings a bell (with one)
  • portray
  • portray as
References in periodicals archive
Depressing because in throwing a protective arm around the Chief Whip, Mr Cameron accommodates the unruly behaviour and by extension, vile sentiments of Mr Mitchell.
Probe the plebs yob
She doesn't seem to want to know how or why she is depressing herself; she refers to this as indulging oneself in meaningless pain and suffering.
In defense of happy pills
There is nothing in the corporate world more depressing than a stock price that resolutely refuses to move out of the basement.
Take the points
It is depressing to tweak my resume to tailor it more exactly to fit the criteria in a help-wanted ad.
Life after work: who are you when you lose your job?
Additional restraints on output included the depressing effects of a strike at a major supplier of industrial equipment and persisting declines in the production of defense and space equipment.
Record of policy actions of the Federal Open Market Committee
In the near term, concerns emanating from the war, reduced credit availability, and financial fragility were expected to continue to damp consumer and business confidence and, by depressing private domestic demand, to push manufacturing activity still lower.
Record of policy actions of the Federal Open Market Committee