When is a Drawing Finished?
A while back, Abduzeedo published an article titled “A Design is Finished When… 23 Pro Designers’ Opinions.” It’s very insightful, however, for me it would be more appropriately titled “When A Drawing is Finished.”
One of my big problems with drawing is knowing when to put the pencil down. My biggest problem with drawing is knowing when to put the pen down. I have a love for permanent utensils, but it makes the decision to stop more crucial. I’ve had many papers ruined when I go just a little overboard with a certain detail.
Every piece needs some whitespace, but to what extent? Too much and it may seem incomplete or plain, but simplicity can go a long way. Balance is one of the most challenging aspects of art and the amount of whitespace is what determines if it’s balanced or not.
Intricacy is always something that I’ve been fascinated with, but how much is too much? I’ve noticed that, at first glance, almost all detailed pieces are impressive. It’s only after closer examination that you can notice the flaws.
How much detail and whitespace should be used definitely depends on the subject at hand, but even then there is no formula to determine the amount of anything. You need an eye for composition and some other organ for “feeling” when it’s done. In art, there’s a fine line between done and overdone. Literally.
Tips to decide when to call it quits:
- Look at it from other angles. Go for a new perspective so you can better judge the balance and completeness. Sideways, upside-down, from across the room…
- Trial and error. Maybe not the best option for those who prefer pens, but if you have a pencil, just trying out a few things. If they don’t add anything valuable to the piece, just erase it.
- Walk away. Nothing will help you decide when to stop better than getting a fresh eye. The longer you’re away, the more insight you’ll have when you get back to it.
How do you decide when to stop? What is your definition of a complete drawing?
Scan it. It’s what helps me most of the time. No matter how often I look at a drawing, I barely ever spot the major flaws until I can see it on a screen, resize it and mirror it. Another big advantage is the fact that you can always add/delete details with the digital version.
Share it. I know a lot of people (myself included) don’t like showing around unfinished work, but it DOES really help to have a non-artist look at your picture. Strangely enough they tend to be better at criticizing than most artists.
Color it. It’s one of the best ways to spot unintentional whitespaces and parts that are simply far to noisy.
I’ve never scanned a drawing to look for flaws but it sounds reasonable. I guess any kind of new perspective can help.
I do have a big problem with showing unfinished work. I think the reason sharing could help is that artists have spent to much time on a drawing to be able to judge it as it is. I’ve always thought of myself as extremely critical, but when you’ve put so much effort in a piece it’s subconsciously difficult to notice the flaws. I mentioned getting a fresh eye in the article - which helps a lot - and there are no fresher eyes than those of someone who hasn’t seen the drawing before. So showing your unfinished work to others makes a lot of sense.
I’m a horrible at coloring so I’ve found that it always ruins my drawings. Maybe I could try coloring it with my mind, examining the edges and filling in the spaces. With such close attention, it could help me see the flaws.
I’ll be sure to try these, Ben. Thanks for your comment.