I found this old post of mine and thought I would share it again. It seems to be a continuation of yesterday's post.
Here Comes Trouble
The most dangerous time in my painting process is the finishing
stage. That last hour or so when I need to decide what to leave in and what to
take out. The time of final corrections, the addition of highlights and accents
that can only be added at this stage.
When I reach this point, strange as it sounds, I find I’m not
seeing the painting as a whole presentation anymore. After working intensely
for hours, my focus has slowly shifted to the individual elements and I could
be heading for trouble. I have to force myself to stop, put the brush down and
leave my studio for awhile. And often that isn’t easy. I’m tired and I want to
finish. “Just one more stroke. Let me fix that spot, etc.” ….. Here
comes trouble.
A successful painting is a sum of all it’s elements all working
together, balancing and complementing each other. All working together to
support the story line or focal point. When you begin to concentrate on each
element separately you risk throwing the whole painting off balance. A few
times I have gone beyond the point of no return and had no choice but to wipe
the whole painting away. Frustrating! Especially when it had a good start and I
just couldn’t stop fiddling.
Now I try to keep reminding myself of what my painting is about
and ask if the element I am working on is important or a distraction. Discipline!
The most important element in your studio.
Quotes that I read a long time ago and need to bear in mind.
- “A painting is finished when you have simplified or taken out all you can.”
- “If it looks good, leave it alone. Trying to make it better never works.”
- “Working in stages lets the paint dry and your brain rest.”
- "A painting is finished when you think it is 85% done."
Worth thinking about. Happy painting.
Celene
www.CeleneFarris.com
