When to finish an art work?

Question

This is one of the most difficult jobs to me when creating a work of art. It goes for paintings, photoshop work, music, antything. When do i leave things nicely rough, when do i work on all the details for days and days? And then most important: when do i stop working on it and call it finished. Sometimes i feel exactly when that moment is there, too often i spoil it by working too long on it. How to recognize or plan when to finish an art work?

Answer 1

i finish when i name it and sign it, once done never go back ,move on .
in my mind i very rarely give a piece of work a name not even a working title, when i start to think about the name thats when the work is finished. regards LF

Answer 2

One of my professors once said, "You're never done with a piece of artwork...you just stop messing with it."

So many pieces can be ruined by overworking. The best solution I've found is...sleep. Seriously! After working on a piece for a while, even if you don't feel like it is finished, let it sit and mature. Put in a drawer...walk away and do something else for a couple hours or for the rest of the day. Sleep on it. Then, go back to it the next morning and look at the piece with fresh eyes. You'd be surprised how much different it can look.

And as for when to leave things rough or plolish them till smooth? That is an aesthetic decision you have to make for yourself. Consider the message you're trying to get across, or the story the work is trying to tell. Each one is different. There can never be an absolute, cover-all rule in art.

I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 3

when you love what you have did, leave it alone I'm sure its beautiful just the way it is. You may spoil your work by tweaking it toooo much