Knowing When Your Work Is Done

How to Avoid Overworking Your Project

Knowing when your work is done can be a tricky thing. Have you ever had the main course in the oven and somehow, while you were busy preparing your side dishes, your main course went from done to a charred mess in the blink of an eye? Well the same thing can happen to your artwork. But how do you know when to put your pencils or brushes down and call it complete?

Is your work done or overworked? (Photo credit: 123rf.com Елена Сайдулина)

Here are 3 methods I like to use with my own projects:

1. Walk away. Yep, you heard me. Walk away from your work for at least a day or two. Sometimes we get tunnel vision with our work. It has a way of skewing our vision because we’re so close and so invested in our work that lines start blurring, values are no longer registering accurately in our brains, and the whole thing seems to be terribly lacking. When you take a much-needed break, you can come back to your project with fresh eyes.
2. Step back. Putting some distance between you and your canvas allows the muscles in your eyes to relax, which allows you to gain a different perspective. For most of us, we’re literally working within inches of our work. That means we only have a clear image of very small portions of our work. By backing away by several feet or even halfway across the room, you get to see your project in its entirety. The distance allows you to more easily identify areas where perspective is off, where values need to be adjusted, or other fundamental basics are just not up to par.
3. Use digital technology. Use your cell phone or a digital camera to take a well-lit photo of your project. Oddly enough, you might see things in the photo that you totally missed with your own eyes.

Notice how I didn’t mention just asking someone their opinion? In most cases, if you ask a non-artist, they’ll give you a false positive. Not that your work isn’t good. It’s simply that non-artists are usually blown away by anyone who has the slightest bit of talent or skill. However, if you do have other artists that you are comfortable asking, then go for it. They will give you an educated answer.

Do you have other methods that you use to tell when your project is done? Comment below and enlighten us! Also, if you like what you’re reading, please subscribe, like, and share. And now, you can stick a fork in this post cuz it’s done!