Finish, then refine some more

Paint until you think that the image is finished, then take a break before coming back to it and painting some more. This is where you’ll advance your technique and develop your eye for the new and exciting in subsequent pieces. Here, I’m not entirely happy with the alien object, but I run out of time to depict something that looks cool and will read clearly as other-worldy. The trick is to start your projects well before the deadline, of course!