how do I finish things

[piskorz]

Hello.

I have a problem with finishing pictures. I come to this part (picture 2) when I would love to just leave it like this and move on.
But I'd love to learn how to finish stuff. So I sit and try to go into more detail, and I get to part (picture 3) where I look at the whole picture and it feels like it only got worse. I have urge to just go back to picture 2 and start over but I'll probably end up the same way.
Help, I have no idea what am I doing.

[DPFX]

I'm curious...what do you mean by finished? Your paintings look like perfectly respectable studies to me. Are you pursuing more photorealism? Seeking to describe the textures a bit more? I'm sure the heavy-hitter painters on this board might have more sophisticated advice, but perhaps you've gotten what you needed from this piece. Maybe just call it done, give it to your mom who, beaming, puts it up on the wall. Then move on to the next learning experience.

[I STRaY I]

I look forward to seeing responses in this thread. I too feel like I hit this point, and mostly credit it to lack of education and experience in actually finishing a piece. I would like to think that I simply do not understand the technique to complete the finishing points. The form and base colors and values I seem to manage as best I'm able, then it really comes apart for me. Backgrounds and landscapes etc? Forget it.
But I agree with DPFX, I think to be honest you're nearly there. You just need a bit more texture work if thats what you want to include and work on. It requires a bit more fine detail, and a good eye I suppose. For instance the table fabric and it's shadows, the porcelain lighting(handle), and fruit texture. Picture 3 to me does look better though.

[RangerX]

The only thing I see for my taste is you need to adjust the edges ,soft and hard edges this way the focal point will be more obvious , this is what is missing

[Frida Bergholtz]

I think that you seem to be doing just fine, it's just a study so don't be afraid to push it. And picture 3 is more refined and less flat than picture 2. I'm curious though if you had a reason for changing the colours from your reference. Maybe you just though ah! pear=green? Look at the colour of the lighting again. I'ts not the same as in your reference. The light falling on the items is cold but it bounces back from the red wall. In your painting the light on the pear is cold but the other objects are reddish.

[piskorz]

Hey, thank you guys! Seeing as you don't share my opinion, that I'm making this worse, encouraged me to go on and see what will come from it. And I gotta say, it feels much more finished now.
Also I think that my problem is that when I zoom I lose my sight of the whole thing, so I opened it in 2 sizes at the same time and wow, it's far easier!
I just wonder what to do with the pear texture now. I guess I'll just go into smaller and smaller shapes, but maybe that's not the best idea to approach it?

I STRaY I Thanks!

Frida Bergholtz Hey, you have nice eyes! I wanted to make this whole thing very violet but I just couldn't resist to put that green there. I need some more study of light.

RangerX Yes! I think you are right. I think my edges look a little better now.

DPFX People just usualy tell me that my works feel unfinished. I think this may have something to do with edges or lack of texture. Probably both.

[Black Spot]

If you want to 'finish' it, you're going to have to push it and that means getting the colours right - the pear and jug are no where near the right colour. I do things the wrong way round digitally, so you can take this with a grain of salt, but to get the texture, lower the opacity and size of the brush and scribble - do it on another layer just in case it's crap. You do have nice form going for it.

[Velocity Kendall]

yeah two sizes is really useful, to do detail and literally keep an eye on the big picture.
your pear is a lot bluer than the ref, which has a lot more greyish yellow on it, but in terms of finishedness, its up to you where you stop. I stop when the image doesnt bug me anymore.then its NEXT!

[piskorz]

Velocity Kendall Thanks! I'm glad to hear that.

Black Spot Thanks, you may be right. I need to practise more with colors.

Okay I've tried my hand on texture. That was a wild ride looking at those tiny shapes. And second picture is after toning down some of it. How does it look?

[Black Spot]

Tons better, even if it still too green. So how far are you going to push it?

[fersteger2]

It looks great, maybe all you need to make it look 'finished' is spend a bit more time with the details. I think the latest version is an excellent study, now take what you've learned and start the next one. As long as you've learned something, it's a successful piece, just keep building momentum by doing more studies and you'll naturally develop the confidence and technique you want!

[DPFX]

Looking really good. On my screen the more subtle texture looks a little better. My only thought for next time is keep an eye on the specular nature of the highlight on the pear...it really helps sell the tactile information. In your reference photo it looks very slightly bumpy. You've described the shiny surface of the grape very successfully.

Nice work!

[piskorz]

I'll be moving on then.
This been a nice eye-opener for me, thank you everyone!