Knowing when to stop

"I can't do it never yet accomplished anything; I will try has performed wonders." - George P. Burnham, -writer and editor

Daily Painting: Day 16

5x7 Quick Study

Ugh!  Day 16 and I feel like progress with landscapes is slow. Sometimes I even feel like I'm digressing.  I've painted only a small handful of landscapes my entire life and never felt satisfied with the results but I will not succomb to my frustrations and overly high expectations after all it has only been a few months using this new medium and only a few years painting since my 20 year+ away from painting.  Each time I learn something new or something I do or don't like.  

I also need to learn when to stop.  The timer for 20 minutes went off and I took the above picture.  After looking at the photo on my phone, I noticed a few things I didn't like so I went back in.  I like how I fixed the water line but I continued to add more and fix and add and change and while some things were good, I think I would have been better to stop sooner.

So, today's take away - stop sooner than you think.  Step back or even away from it for a while.  If/when you come back start very slow with only a few strokes at a time.  Take a photo.  I have found looking at your art from a photo shows things you just didn't see at first.

with a few too many heavy handed strokes

If at first you don't succeed

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

I joined a painting challenge.  It was to paint a painting in 20 minutes for 5 days.  First of all, I am finding this scene difficult to begin with.  I've not painted too many scenes with lots of green grass so I am struggling to find the right greens.  Then I'm trying to give the illusion of the path traveling down a hill.  I've been trying to incorporate some of the tips from John Carlson's book Landscape painting, such as warm colors in the foreground and cooler colors in the distance.  I may try this one again and again until I get something I sort of like.  I do see some improvements from the first one.

Daily Painting:  Day 15:

Same scene as yesterday
5x7 Quick Study

Same scene as above - first time painting it
5x7 Quick Study