As artists, illustrators, and designers, we've all been there. We're in the middle of the creation process when you take a step back expecting to love it, but you don't. It either looks weird or unbalanced or maybe you don't even know why you don't like it. Don't panic, here are five tips that I use to help!
TIP #1 - LEAVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS! This is something I always do. I will leave a piece of artwork for a few days to let the frustration subside and then come back to it with fresh eyes. The majority of the time I do this I can instantly pinpoint why I don't like it and can start working on it to "fix" it!
TIP #2 - CRITIQUE FROM FRIENDS! You've been sat wondering why you don't like this piece but you just can't put your finger on why that is. Show it to your friends or post it on social media asking for people to critique it. This is a great way to get multiple ideas on how to move forward with the piece.
TIP #3 - INSPIRE YOURSELF! Hop onto Instagram or Pinterest or even you favourite artist's website! Looking through work you love and admire helps you to realise what you like and how you can implement it more! Don't compare yourself to other artists though, doing so will only frustrate you more, you just want some fresh inspiration and ideas!
TIP #4 - START AGAIN! Sometimes it feels like a piece is too far gone so starting over again is a good option. Sometimes when I dislike one of my paintings I will just paint over it and end up liking it so much more!
TIP #5 - MOVE ON! There are times when a piece is just not working and it has frustrated you to a point where you just can't bear to continue with it. That's okay! We're all doing this because we love to be creative so don't force something if it doesn't feel right. Move on to something else!
These are just a few of the tips that I utilise in my own art practice and find useful. I hope that they can help you too! Do you have any tips to add? What do you do when you're struggling on a piece?