Finally finished a digital painting after 3 years of stopping halfway

I started this fantasy landscape piece back in 2021 during a trip to Asheville, got frustrated with the lighting, and just closed the file. Last week I opened it again, spent maybe 4 hours fixing the shadows and sky, and actually finished it. Has anyone else gone back to an old piece and found it way easier to complete than you remembered?

2 comments

2 Comments

evahenderson7d ago

Oh man, I actually totally disagree with you on this one! Going back to old work always feels harder for me, not easier. I think when you first start a piece, you've got that fresh energy (you know, the excitement of a new idea), but coming back later always brings the baggage of knowing exactly what went wrong before. The lighting frustrations you had in 2021? For me, those old technical problems feel even bigger when I reopen them, like I'm fighting the same battle but now I remember losing it. Plus my style has probably shifted over three years, so trying to finish something old feels like forcing two different versions of myself to cooperate. I usually just end up scrapping the old file and starting fresh instead of salvaging it.

keith_bennett7d ago

Nope, hard disagree. That old project energy feels like a weight, not a spark. I'd rather chase a new idea than wrestle with past failures.