Points to consider before judging whether a painting is finished

● Does the composition work?

A successful painting should have an effective focal point –such as the colourful marker flags in Fishing Boats, Whitby Harbour (over the page)..

● Does the tonal sequence work? Tone is all-important. In Fishing Boats, Whitby Harbour the extremes of light and dark made this far easier than a painting with more subtle tonal changes.

● Does the colour harmony work? After tone it is important to ensure that the colour harmony works. Again, the limited palette of colours used in Fishing Boats, Whitby Harbour made this easier than normal.

● Do the edges work? Too many hard edges scattered around the painting will destroy the balance and lead-in. In general, eliminating some of the harder edges around the focal point will benefit the painting in this respect. Squinting your eyes will in some instances help you to determine which edges to adjust. By softening a few edges and retaining some of the harder ones, you will be able to move the emphasis and strengthen the focal point.