How to Improve a Painting
The wonderful thing about being an artist is that one faces new challenges with every new painting and to conquer those one step at a time, is always a rewarding process. So with that in mind, here is a little trick I employ to check up on how I am performing.
Using Photoshop, I turn the original image into black and white. Once my painting is at the stage where minute adjustments are required, I photograph it and turn it into black and white as well. Then I make another copy and place all three side by side.
Now that's when magic happens. Values that need adjusting pop up, drawing error make themselves known and on and on it goes. Just as I was thinking I might be done this little check up reminded me to work towards perfection!
On the third copy, I placed little red dots for areas that need attention. One can go pretty overboard with this, but as an artist this is the time when you have to ask yourself what is important to achieving a nice painting. What really needs to be corrected, where is it ok to part from copying every detail and lastly to sneak in colors that are within the same values, but make the painting come alive.
