What do you think a painting needs to have to be a successful painting?

Question

The question is what it is Dr Watson but let's ask your question and see if we get similar responses.

Answer 1

It needs to have HEART.

It should also successfully contain at least some of the main elements of design (should be balanced, have harmonious colour, design leading to the focal point and not out of the frame, yadda yadda, you know all that stuff...)

but if it doesn't have heart - if it doesn't MOVE YOU, it may not move anyone else.

The paintings I loved painting are always the first to sell.

Answer 2

As Old Dog has already mentioned, it depends on your personal definition of success.

Just because it hasn't sold or become famous doesn't mean it isn't 'successful' from the artist's point of view. I've painted many paintings that I thought came out as perfect as possible according to how I wanted to do them. But these haven't always sold or been favorites. I've also done paintings that I knew would be so-called crowd favorites and I knew those would find buyers. But that doesn't make them any more successful, from an artist point of view, than the ones that he or she doesn't sell.

Perhaps the question should be: What do you think a painting needs to have to be a popular painting?

Answer 3

Define success!
Success is a state of mind, and many artists have a different perspective of success.
There are artists who consider an unsold painting a flop.There are artists who think that the longevity of the work is a success.
Other artists consider the composition the successful aspect of their work on canvas.
Then there are the colourists, they aren't really concerned about that stuffy old rule, they want the colour to scream!
Classically a successful painting involves the proper alignment of colour, composition, draughtsmanship, and quality, that will sell for a good price. To many that is a sign of a successful painting.

Answer 4

While not necessary, a painting should have a subject that the rest of the painting lends itself to. Whether using a particular theme, or heading into abstract, the painting should portray a mood. This is why paintings are successful, such as the Mona Lisa, or Dali's works. This is my personal opinion of course.

Answer 5

I think what makes a successful painting is the same thing that makes a successful novel, play, poem, song, dance, sculpture, lecture or anything else. It has to be interesting.

Answer 6

Depends on how you define success. For some, it means that someone liked it enough to purchase it. For the artist, it might mean that it satisfied it's intended purpose. To me, a successful painting is one that provokes thought, satisfies the need to create, and is never quite finished.

Answer 7

For me a successful painting is one I can look at over and over again and still find something new in it. It holds my attention.

Answer 8

All I know is, when I look at a painting, I want to be able to tell what it's supposed to be.