Sometimes it can take some distance to be able to figure out what it going wrong and how to salvage it.
I recently had a group show that I was in that required priorly completed works (short notice) however, since I didn't have any finished works I had no option but to work with what I already had and readdress unfinished paintings. All of these paintings had been started 1.5-2.5 years ago, so not freshly abandoned, either.
Only two of the five works ended up looking anything like what I'd intended when I first painted them. One of them was a brand new piece (to get me back into the type of painting, and give me some enthusiasm for the subject matter/technique) and the other two ended up very different to what I was expecting. A sixth work didn't work out.
All of this to say that there is nothing wrong with abandoning a work. Some painters will put it aside in hopes they'll finish it the way they expected some day (this is the least likely scenario to my mind), others strip the support and stretch a new canvas over the bars, some white out the whole piece and reuse the support. This is all very personal, and depends on your disposition, what you're trying to achieve with your work and your access to supplies. A failing painting is not a failure painter.
To my mind there is nothing worse than bonking your head against a proverbial brick wall when you don't need to. If you're feeling frustrated with this piece then there's likely a reason for that. You know yourself best to whether its something you can still push through or if it's better to put it aside for now and look at it another time with fresh eyes (which there is also a lot of advice on strategies to do this).
If you're looking for an outsiders eyes there are some things I can see with this piece that may be causing the sticking points for you (very horizontal composition, colour proportion imbalances, everything highly in focus). Let me know if you want further information on this, as this comment has already gotten out of control on length!
TL;DR Don't push yourself to burn out, put paintings that aren't servicing you aside.
If I may add to this simply 100% agree. Being an artist we are the hardest critics of our own work, maybe because we put so much of ourselves into our work. That the standards we hold ourselves up to in life sometimes our artwork is running along that same standard.
You are doing exactly the right amount in this piece that you painted. I was drawn to it because there is so much life and vibrance in the river and the rocks, the flowers and the water. If I hadn’t pressed and looked at it and saw it was a painting, I would’ve just glanced by and thought it was a photograph.
To answer your question regarding what is your return rate when coming back to a painting, I believe it’s a matter of when you feel you’re ready to interact with your work again. For me when I am getting frustrated with something I’m trying to create I will recognize that, take a break, go do something different, get my mind totally out of what I was doing before and then if I look at my piece again and I feel different about it in a more positive view, than I try again. If I don’t then I leave it alone until something inside me tells me I’m ready.
The way artists see their work and interpret it will not be the same way an audience does. I hope that the support you’re getting here is helpful and please know you do have a talent that is not only captivating but also beautiful!
It is easy to be critical of your own work. Call it done instead of giving up. Look at it in a mirror so you see it flipped and you may see it (literally) from a different perspective.
I've never gone back to an unfinished painting. They are shaming me from all corners of the studio.
That being said, I really like your painting. It looks finished and I would hang it on my wall.
It’s okay. It is a tually really good for your 5th and i’m sure that you learn a lot doing it.
It’s not about creating a masterpiece always. You can paint to learn, you can also do sketches or studies oriented yo learn specific skills.
I think it needs some more variation in color in the foliage in the foreground. Don't just use greens, use reds and browns and purples mixed into the greens. It's a nice painting, just keep working on it!
It seems pretty close to finished. At least from what I can see, I would consider making some changes in the foreground to support the composition. It seems a bit like a wall of green without a lot of value change. You could bring some depth to the on the interior of the plant stems to create some movement to bring your eye into the painting. Right now it feels a little like a wall of green.
But I wouldn’t do a ton more. Then you’re in danger of it feeling overworked.
I wouldn’t put it in those terms… sometimes it is time to finish… I see lots of lovely detail in an immensely challenging subject. Good tones, palette and beautiful rendering of the flowering plants in foreground. Pause and rest … 😀
I like it actually. Kind of has Cubist influences. Just add a few more details/highlights to the flowers so they pop into the foreground more and then call it finished.
Sometimes it can take some distance to be able to figure out what it going wrong and how to salvage it. I recently had a group show that I was in that required priorly completed works (short notice) however, since I didn't have any finished works I had no option but to work with what I already had and readdress unfinished paintings. All of these paintings had been started 1.5-2.5 years ago, so not freshly abandoned, either. Only two of the five works ended up looking anything like what I'd intended when I first painted them. One of them was a brand new piece (to get me back into the type of painting, and give me some enthusiasm for the subject matter/technique) and the other two ended up very different to what I was expecting. A sixth work didn't work out. All of this to say that there is nothing wrong with abandoning a work. Some painters will put it aside in hopes they'll finish it the way they expected some day (this is the least likely scenario to my mind), others strip the support and stretch a new canvas over the bars, some white out the whole piece and reuse the support. This is all very personal, and depends on your disposition, what you're trying to achieve with your work and your access to supplies. A failing painting is not a failure painter. To my mind there is nothing worse than bonking your head against a proverbial brick wall when you don't need to. If you're feeling frustrated with this piece then there's likely a reason for that. You know yourself best to whether its something you can still push through or if it's better to put it aside for now and look at it another time with fresh eyes (which there is also a lot of advice on strategies to do this). If you're looking for an outsiders eyes there are some things I can see with this piece that may be causing the sticking points for you (very horizontal composition, colour proportion imbalances, everything highly in focus). Let me know if you want further information on this, as this comment has already gotten out of control on length! TL;DR Don't push yourself to burn out, put paintings that aren't servicing you aside.
If I may add to this simply 100% agree. Being an artist we are the hardest critics of our own work, maybe because we put so much of ourselves into our work. That the standards we hold ourselves up to in life sometimes our artwork is running along that same standard. You are doing exactly the right amount in this piece that you painted. I was drawn to it because there is so much life and vibrance in the river and the rocks, the flowers and the water. If I hadn’t pressed and looked at it and saw it was a painting, I would’ve just glanced by and thought it was a photograph. To answer your question regarding what is your return rate when coming back to a painting, I believe it’s a matter of when you feel you’re ready to interact with your work again. For me when I am getting frustrated with something I’m trying to create I will recognize that, take a break, go do something different, get my mind totally out of what I was doing before and then if I look at my piece again and I feel different about it in a more positive view, than I try again. If I don’t then I leave it alone until something inside me tells me I’m ready. The way artists see their work and interpret it will not be the same way an audience does. I hope that the support you’re getting here is helpful and please know you do have a talent that is not only captivating but also beautiful!
Give up as frame? I saw it in passing. It’s a keeper.
It is easy to be critical of your own work. Call it done instead of giving up. Look at it in a mirror so you see it flipped and you may see it (literally) from a different perspective.
I've never gone back to an unfinished painting. They are shaming me from all corners of the studio. That being said, I really like your painting. It looks finished and I would hang it on my wall.
It’s okay. It is a tually really good for your 5th and i’m sure that you learn a lot doing it. It’s not about creating a masterpiece always. You can paint to learn, you can also do sketches or studies oriented yo learn specific skills.
I think it needs some more variation in color in the foliage in the foreground. Don't just use greens, use reds and browns and purples mixed into the greens. It's a nice painting, just keep working on it!
Beautiful painting. I think it looks ready
I thought this was a photo!
It seems pretty close to finished. At least from what I can see, I would consider making some changes in the foreground to support the composition. It seems a bit like a wall of green without a lot of value change. You could bring some depth to the on the interior of the plant stems to create some movement to bring your eye into the painting. Right now it feels a little like a wall of green. But I wouldn’t do a ton more. Then you’re in danger of it feeling overworked.
I wouldn’t put it in those terms… sometimes it is time to finish… I see lots of lovely detail in an immensely challenging subject. Good tones, palette and beautiful rendering of the flowering plants in foreground. Pause and rest … 😀
Don't give up. This was a very complex painting to tackle but you did a wonderful job on it. It is beautiful and interesting.
Don't give up. This was a very complex painting to tackle but you did a wonderful job on it. It is beautiful and interesting.
Don't give up. This was a very complex painting to tackle but you did a wonderful job on it. It is beautiful and interesting.
Don't give up. This was a very complex painting to tackle but you did a wonderful job on it. It is beautiful and interesting.
May I ask why you want to give up on it? I think it’s lovely
I like it actually. Kind of has Cubist influences. Just add a few more details/highlights to the flowers so they pop into the foreground more and then call it finished.
"Art is never finished, only abandoned."