5 SIGNS YOUR PAINTING IS DONE

-

 5 SIGNS YOUR PAINTING IS DONE

Although a lot of people think it is hard to get a painting started, what most artists really struggle with is bringing themselves to stop painting. This article will cover five ways to recognize when you can call it quits. 

1. You keep repainting the same areas

One thing you'll begin to notice when you start coming to the end of a painting is that you keep going back to rework the same areas. Whether it is that one clump of grass in the corner, or the left nostril, if you continually find that you just keep going back to one area, it may be time to stop. There is a difference between working until you get an area perfect and going back to repaint an area just because you don't know what else to do. 


2. You can't tell if the painting is getting better or worse

You've been painting for hours on end, and you start to realize that the more you paint the less you even know what you're looking at. This is a great sign that you should stop painting and come back with fresh eyes to reevaluate what you actually need to change (if anything). 


3. You've started using your smallest brushes

I've noticed that most painters (me included) tend to work from their largest brushes down to their smallest. This is because it is often easier to block in big shapes first, then divide them with progressively smaller brushes. So if you've been painting for a while and you're still using your biggest brushes, you probably have some more work to do. But on the other hand, if you can't quite tell if you're finished but you're using a paintbrush that's thinner than the tip of a pencil, you're probably done.


4. The painting makes sense in b&w

Another good sign that you're painting is done is that it makes sense in black and white. Just take a picture of what you're painting using your phone and turn the saturation down to zero. If your painting makes sense in black and white, this is a good indication that the composition and value are strong. 



5. Nothing breaks your gaze

Lastly, if you can run your eyes across your painting without a significant interruption, you're most likely finished.  After all, one of the main goals of painting is to recreate a subject in such a way that is pleasing to the eye. If you can look all over your painting and nothing jars you, this means that you've covered your bases to the best of your eyes ability.



Photo Credits (Unsplash):

Sarah BrownElena MozhviloJelleke VanooteghemBP MillerStåle Grut

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 Tips to Stay Safe while Painting Outside

-
Image
Photo by Chase Baker on Unsplash  Since 2020, Plein air painting and Urban Sketching seem to have had a boom in popularity. The popularity of Plein air and urban sketching videos on YouTube have caused many people to try it for themselves. And while this is great for the art community and individuals alike, I feel like a lot of us fail to recognize the etiquette and safety concerns that need to be addressed. In this Article I am going to cover some Plein air and Urban sketching etiquette that should be maintained, as well as tips that will keep you safe while making art outside. 1. Mind People's Privacy I know we have all see videos on YouTube of sketching people from life or sketching someone's house from life, but, many people aren't going to like that if they catch on to what you are doing. While you may have wholesome intentions of improving your art skill, not everyone knows that. And in a world where many people are isolated from their neighbors and hold their privac...
Read more

Artist Review: Duke 209 Fude Nib Pen

-
Image
  Duke 209 Fude Nib Pen When looking for affordable beginner fountain pens, it can be hard to find good-quality a pen not made out of plastic. One of the more attractive pens in this niche is the Duke 209 Fountain pen. This text review will give a general overview and give my genuine opinion of whether this pen is worth the price. Nib      The Duke 209 comes with a "Fude NIb" meaning that the end of the nib is bent upwards. The nib is bent to an angle of approximately 45 degrees, allowing for both broad and fine lines. It writes rather smoothly and does allow for upside-down writing to make even finer lines. Build      While the Nib itself is said to be made out of stainless steel, the rest of the body is aluminum. This makes the pen quite light, weighing only 23 grams. A notable feature of the build is that the threads of both the male and female sections of the pen are made out of metal. On cheaper pens, this midsection of the pen (when made out of p...
Read more

What's up with Limited Color Palettes?

-
Image
In the internet art sphere, limited palettes have been pretty popular for quite a while. Limited color palettes are exactly what they sound like. When painting or drawing, instead of using a large amount  of colors (12-24), a limited palette only relies on a small amount of colors (2-5). Because limited color palettes are so 'limited' (obviously) they rely heavily on improvisation and color mixing. Both limited and non-limited color palettes have their pros and cons, this article aims to explain some of them. If you've never used a limited color palette, you may be wondering to yourself, why would someone want to use less colors when they could use more colors. While painting with less colors may seem like and unnecessary handicap, I promise it does have its benefits.  For one, when you use less colors, you begin to get very comfortable with how those specific colors interact. And, if you chose a yellow, red and a blue, you will learn everything you need to know about how t...
Read more