What is your opinion on going back after you've signed a piece of your work and reworking it?

Question

I just finished a drawing that was commissioned by a guy here in town. I thought I was finished so I signed it; then afterward I saw some things that I wanted to change about it, so I did. Have any of you artists out there done that? Gone back after signing and reworked a piece? I would like to hear your opinions on the subject. Thanks.

Answer 1

I know what you're talking about, you look your work eve revise it then you sign it. One day before you see a mistake, or think is better in an other way and modify it. Well here is what I think:

The moment of sign an art piece seem to be the last, a pact made with your self that breaks the work time. But it is only the routine you've created for work. Isn't cheating or unethical to continue working after that. Even I've erased the signature area and worked it again and then signed it again.

We artist are always perfectionist. No artist could tell "This piece is perfect, nothing could be changed" some even try no to look at old work because they seem ashamed of it! that's because art is an evolving work forever changing. With time, our abilities and styles changes, so we see our primitive art as incomplete and imperfect, but it is normal. Some get used to the finished work, and some get satisfied, but I bet not entirely. Learning to Live with that ever changing artist inside you makes you a growing artist.

At least, we could justify everything as artist jajaja sorry but it is true. Some people make art with elephant dung or plastified corpses and elaborate a complicated manifesto to justify their works. I don't think we couldn't justify an amendment or a retry.

Answer 2

Most artists are by nature perfectionists. I know I, and many others have a tendency to work and re-work art projects. I discussed this early on in my career with on of my instructors. He said he had encountered the situation, or problem (however you perceive it) often during his teaching years.

He shared that one student continued to work and re-work projects so much that assignments were never turned in. The artist never felt that they were completed. His suggestion to the student was that when he completed a project that he write "finished" at the bottom and sign his name. It enabled that artist to move on to something else.

Since I had already noticed that I had this tendency, I adopted the same procedure. It did help me to let loose of the project. Then, if I wanted something different, I started a completely new piece. Multiple works of art can come from one starting point, and there have been many artists in history who are proof of this.

Another thing I intentionally did to increase my production was to work for a newspaper in the advertising department for a few years. It was very demanding with a high work flow and limited time. I had to be able to quickly come up with a concept, execute it, and move on to the next project.

Today, I do not have to sign "finished" along with my signature, but the discipline did develop a sense of ending with each project. Now, if I decide I might like something done differently, I just naturally start a new project to incorporate that. It is really interesting to see the changes various ideas can produce given that you are able to see the progress.

It is not a matter of ethics if you re-work a piece of artwork that was once deemed "completed," rather a matter of how you want your work to be able to progress, or not progress by being bonded to the same project through some unknown number of re-works. I would just suggest that everyone try to "finish" a work, and then start a new one and see what develops. I was a good discipline for me.

Best wishes!

Answer 3

There is no "rule" that states that your signature closes off any further work on the piece.

There is no reason you cannot sign a blank canvas and THEN do the drawing.

For my commercial clients, rework is, almost, to be expected. I always allow for rework in my estimates for ALL projects and commissions. It is one of the reasons I went, nearly, totally digital for my illustrations. Reworking only has to involve the specific areas needing changes. This saves time and, I've said it many times, for a freelancer, time actually does equal money.

Answer 4

There's nothing wrong with that. I think it really depends on what it is, and who it's for. If it's a gig I've gone back in and tweaked things because I'm getting paid for it, my names on it, and since they came to me I'll give them the absolute best I can. I usually keep things for a day or two before I release it to make sure it's cool. I put it aside out of site then when I look at it again it's like looking at it for the first time. I have a different mindset then. It's a "done" piece not in progress so I see it differently, I can see all the woulda, shoulda, coulda things and yes if it's going to make it truley better I'll fix it.

If it's something that I'm toying with or doing for me I may not redo things because it's for me. Sure as with gigs you'll still do the woulda, shoulda, coulda things but for some reason it doesn't seem as drastic. It's not being lazy as much as being more forgiving. I guess it's because a lot of the stuff I do for me may never see the light of day for long periods of time anyway and I'll just make a note of things I should do next time.

Answer 5

Personally, whenever I do this, I do feel like I've cheated or something. It does seem untruthful based on the fact that you fixed it and were really finished on a later date. But to be honest, it doesn't seem to matter much because people don't care, especially if it's good work. If the signature and date are already there, leave it be, don't worry about messing it up. Maybe you could do something like this, if it bothers you :
whenever you go back after it's signed, simply add the date that you revised it. You can put something like," Revised : October 28, 2007" or whatever. That gives you a better sense of integrity, and I just thought of it, so I'm thinking about starting to do that whenever it happens to me.

Answer 6

My opinion is that most art is actually a work-in-progress. What gets sold or seen are similar to snapshots of a process, an example of where the artist's train of though led him or her.

I rarely sign my work, but even when I do, I usually find myself revisiting it months later and fixing something, adding a few lines or deepening a shade, unless of course it's a project I have already submitted and will not receive back.

I think it's a very admirable quality to go back and rework. It takes humility and ambition to aspire to improve oneself, and too many people settle with works they deem "complete" simply because they've signed it and feel that they don't want to work anymore.

Answer 7

It is your work of art. I don't see anything wrong with changing something you've created especially if it enhances it. I bet I've done it too. Not something Ive really thought about.

Answer 8

I've done it all the time. Sometimes years later.

Don't worry. It's not like cutting the tag off your mattress, or anything serious like that..