Overheard a gallery owner say "your brushwork tells the story, not the details" at a show last night

I spent 6 weeks trying to get the perfect eye reflections in a portrait and realized she was RIGHT, so now I am painting looser and actually finishing pieces in 3 days instead of 3 weeks, anyone else struggle with over-detailing faces?

2 comments

2 Comments

chen.adam4d ago

Wait, do you find yourself second-guessing every brush mark now or does it feel more natural after a while?

kim.zara4d ago

The eye reflection thing is exactly where I got stuck too. Spent a whole month on one iris once, trying to catch every little sparkle and shadow. Stepping back and just blocking in the major light shapes with a flat brush changed everything, now the eyes actually feel alive instead of overworked. Details are for the viewer to fill in, not for us to spell out for them. Have you found that working faster helps you stay more honest about what matters in the piece?