When Your Painting Isn't Going Well
I find that with nearly every one of my paintings there is a point, usually near the beginning, where it just looks terrible and I want to throw it in the garbage and start over. I think this is a hurdle that a lot of new artists never get over, so I want to discuss what to do when you're at this point, and how to get through it.
By far the biggest part of knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em is experience, of course. I had to struggle through a lot of paintings to know that this, or this:
....will eventually turn into this and this if I keep at it:
However, I do botch paintings occasionally and end up having to start over from scratch. Knowing if it's not a keeper early in the process saves me time. Until you have this experience, it can be frustrating to see a painting through to the end when it's not going well at the start. Here's what I've learned:
Don't give up too early!
My best piece of advice is not to leave a painting when it is in its bad stage, unless you are too tired or frustrated to go on. If you leave it at a point where you're unhappy with it, it'll be hard to pick it up again. Try to work through the bad stage. It might help to step back and kind of squint at it, so you can see the general picture and not the small details that are bugging you.
Look objectively at your painting and try to evaluate what the problem is. Does it look bad, or does it just not look like how you originally envisioned? Something is only a problem if you don't like it - after all, it's your painting.
What You Can and Can't Fix
You can usually fix issues of contrast (too little or too much) bad color combinations, and lack of a focal point. You can't usually fix (or cover) major perspective errors or physical damage to the canvas or paper, such as erasing too hard into your paper. It's easier to just live with it, or start again.
Beware of Art Books
Some people like step-by-step art books that guide you through how to paint a specific picture. Personally, those never worked for me. I could never get my painting to look like in the book, which added another level of frustration. Trying to get your painting to look exactly like a photo or drawing is a losing (and pointless) battle. You're not a photocopier, you're an artist. The books, like this blog, can be useful for getting an idea of the process, but I don't recommend trying to follow anyone's step-by-step tutorials exactly.
Do Your Own Thing
My last piece of advice: look at other artists' work for inspiration, but paint by yourself. Painting with someone else when you're learning can be intimidating or cause you to lose your focus if you feel rushed or pressured. If you're having problems with your painting but can't diagnose the problem, think a little about why you feel it isn't going well.