After 4 years of overworking my digital paintings, I finally learned to stop at 90%

I used to spend 10 to 15 hours on every piece, adding layer after layer of detail until it looked like a photo. A buddy in my art group pointed out that my early sketches had more life in them. So for the last 6 months I've been setting a strict 4 hour limit per piece and forcing myself to stop when it feels 90% done. The results are way better and I'm not burning out anymore. Has anyone else fought that urge to keep noodling with a piece past the point where it actually improves?

2 comments

2 Comments

benbrown25d ago

Oh man, @rowangonzalez that cooking comparison is perfect! I used to think more time always meant better results, but you guys totally changed my mind on that. Now I see how stopping early actually keeps the energy alive.

rowangonzalez25d ago

That's the same thing with cooking honestly. I used to keep adding spices and simmering forever till everything tasted muddled and brown. Learning when to pull the pan off the heat was harder than learning the recipe itself.