Rip it Up and Throw it Out?

We’ve all arrived there. You look at the progress on your drawing or painting and you see no way to salvage it. You see no way but to throw it out and start over again. The above painting arrived at that point. I saw no other way. Chuck it in the garbage and throw it away.

‘But there is an advantage to going ahead and finishing the painting. You take a look at what you have and decide. What do I need to add to this painting to get it to work? Do I need to add some rich darks? Do I need to paint over the unfinished parts of the painting to cover up the white of the paper so I can more fully see the values? Do I need to refine some of the shapes? Maybe lift off in places?

There is an advantage to just finishing the painting. There are things to be learned by the completion of your project. Sometimes the refining process at the end of the painting takes some time and patience. That may be what you need to learn.

And so I finished the painting. There is a very nice mood to this painting. Something I would have missed if I had thrown it out. It captured the age of the old rusted metal wheelbarrow. And once again the words I tell my students and workshop attendees came ringing back into my ears, “Why don’t you just finish the painting. Just get it done and then hide it in a drawer for a week and take a second look at it “

WARNING: Some paintings might have to be hid in a drawer for longer than a week. But it will be finished. I’m glad I didn’t throw this one out.