What to Do When You Don't Want to Finish a Painting

I think there is a lot of false guilt in the art world.

We feel guilty for buying art supplies, and then guilty for not using them.

We feel guilty for registering for a class and then forgetting to watch the replays.

We feel guilty for starting a painting and then not wanting to finish it.

You know what that false guilt does? It totally and completely stifles your creativity.

Have you ever felt that happen? I know I have!

So, let’s get rid of the guilt and talk about what happens when we don’t want to finish a painting. I’ll start with a question:

Is it okay to walk away from a painting?

Well… yes!

Sometimes it’s okay to completely walk away from a painting, and sometimes the answer is to just put it away for a little while. There are paintings I’ve started and then set aside for months.

In fact, I can think of more than one that I started years ago, and I still plan to get back to them when the time is right. There are also lots of others that I’ve let go of completely.

The decision to walk away from a painting comes down to one of my core philosophies as an artist and as a teacher: The goal is always to learn something new and take it with you to your next painting.

The goal is not perfection. It’s not a finished, framed painting. It’s not about making every piece museum-worthy.

The goal is just to learn something new.

Sometimes that lesson happens in the first few minutes of a painting and sounds a little something like:

“Well, I learned that I do not like painting this flower.”

“I learned that nothing good comes from mixing those two colors together.”

“I learned that this cheap paper is terrible, and I’m going to listen to Alex and invest in good paper because I’m worth it!” 😉 (Here, I’ll make it easy for you. This is the paper I recommend!)

Did you learn something? Good job.

It’s also okay to set aside a painting until you feel ready to return to it. That might happen because of difficult life circumstances that make it hard to focus for a time, or because you recognize that you need to work on a specific technique, or simply because a different piece grabs your attention.

That’s okay. Come back to it in a few weeks or months. It’ll be there waiting for you.

And when is it not okay to stop?

I think this is an important question, too!

As your friendly neighborhood watercolor teacher, let me gently challenge you with this:

If you’re stopping because of fear or frustration, pause for a second.

If you’re putting your painting down because:

You think it’s not “good enough”
You’re afraid of messing it up
You’re telling yourself you’re not talented or creative or skilled enough

…then that’s the moment to keep going.

At the very least, I encourage you to get curious and ask yourself, “Wait a second, what am I really afraid of?”

I mean, what’s the worst that happens if the painting turns out wonky? You’ve used some paper and paints, and you’ve learned, you’ve grown, and you’re more prepared to try again.

If frustration is what’s holding you back, that’s your cue to reach out. Ask for help. Head to our incredible Facebook community and post a question. Go for a walk. Take a breath. Come back tomorrow with fresh eyes.