Leaving Parts Unfinished

I just put the finishing touches on this painting: Kedron Park Sunflowers.

I left the background and sky a bit vague and rough. In isolation, it almost looks unfinished. But it felt like enough in the context of the whole painting.

Leaving these areas vague has two key benefits:

First, it focuses your attention on the bright foreground and the sunflowers (the focal point). Does it matter if the background appears unfinished if I don’t really want you to look there?

Second, it gives a painterly appearance. I’m a sucker for this. I enjoy paintings that look like paintings.

It was also efficient in the sense I was able to say what I wanted to say with fewer strokes. Sure, I could have rendered the background areas with more clarity and detail, and I’m sure it would have looked alright, but I’m unsure if it would have conveyed my ideas any better.

This is a good lesson for you. There’s no need to fully render every detail you see, particularly when it comes to background areas. Sometimes it’s okay to leave things a bit vague and unfinished. Simplify!

Want to learn more? Check out the ​Painting Academy​.

Kind regards

Dan Scott

Drawn Paint Academy

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