Hey guys,
Will here, bringing you some wisdom from my 35+ years in the art world. Today, we’re diving into a common pitfall that plagues new artists of all ages and experience levels: Rushing to the details or finishing process.
Now, I’ve seen this mistake time and time again, whether we’re talking sculptures, paintings, drawings, resin, acrylics, prop making—you name it. The root cause? Impatience. You’ve got a brilliant idea in your head and you can’t wait to see the finished product. But here’s the thing: impatience can be the enemy of quality.
Picture this: You’re sculpting a face. You’ve barely started and already you’re carving out a mouth, eager to add those impressive fangs and teeth. But wait! You haven’t even added the nose, chin, or eyes yet. What happens next? Those delicate details get smashed and bashed around as you work on the rest of the face. Before you know it, you can’t even tell there were teeth there in the first place!
It’s not just sculptures, either. I’ve seen this happen with paintings and drawings too. Artists start adding shadows before the basic shapes are in place or splashing on color before defining the facial features. And when I gently point it out, I always hear the same responses: “I just wanted to see what it would look like” or “I’ll be careful not to mess it up.” Spoiler alert: they always do. And then the frustration sets in because they’ve spent more than five minutes on it, which feels like an eternity to a young or new artists’ mind!
Take the artwork shown in the photo above. This artwork was created at another studio and the client came to me for help. She asked what I thought and told me to be brutally honest with her. I told her that it can be fixed but that it might be easier to start from scratch. She was deflated but once I explained the reasons why… she said, ” And that’s why I came to you. You have given me more information in 5 minutes than my last teacher did in an 8 week term!”
As part of the consultation, I created the Photoshopped image on the right, so that she knew what she needed to correct in order to fix the major issues. Mind you these were the only fixes that were possible with the base as it sat already. Unfortunately, the client ended up taking the piece home, because she wasnt going to be able to finish the piece in the time that she had alotted for herself.
Details and finishing touches are critical steps in the art creation process. If you jump past them the outcome can be catastrophic for the artwork.
Think of them like the window frames in a new house. You wouldn’t put in the glass and then try to add the frame, would you? The same logic applies to art. You need a solid foundation before you dive into the finer points.
So next time you get the urge to jump ahead and add the hair before knowing where the eyes should go, ask yourself, “Would Will do that?” Probably not!
Remember, patience is key. Take your time, build your foundation, and save the details for when the time is right. Your art will thank you for it.
Keep creating and stay inspired!
