Hold On
"As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints, is a step forward." -Vincent van Gogh
It is so easy to get caught up in all of the little things that you miss entirely the progress in front of you. Sometimes, we need to step back out of the weeds, look at the painting as a whole, and realize how far we have come.
There is no easier way to run yourself and others down than by nitpicking every little thing that you or they do. Yes, critique given in the proper manner can be constructive and helpful. However, if you don't have anything nice to say, it might be a good time to remember the rest of that saying and not say anything at all.
And I'm not talking about just critique for other artists! We critique ourselves BEFORE we ever get the chance to have someone else look at the painting.
So, stop. Take a step back and a deep breath. Now, appreciate how far you have come, how hard you are working, and how much you have accomplished.
There is no sense in tearing yourself down, but I know that is one of those statements easier said than done. So, just do me one favor, okay? If you find yourself really frustrated or just having a lot of negativity (everyone has those days), hold on before you throw away that painting.
I know how it is, and I've been there. I've thrown away countless paintings because of frustration and convincing myself they weren't good enough. But before you sentence your painting to the trash, get a jury. Ask people that you trust and that care about you first and your art second to critique the painting.
You might be surprised how many only needed fresh eyes and a little consideration.
Hand-painted in Adobe Photoshop CC using a Wacom Intuos Pro and the Wacom Art Pen.
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