Hi friends! Today I am sharing a painting I struggled with. I’d been out of sorts all week and I found it hard to focus or even decide what to paint. As I worked through this painting there were many times I just wanted to toss it in the garbage and I probably would have if I didn’t need it for work. This brings me to the thought that there are several ways we can deal with a problematic painting. You can pitch it in the trash, you can set it aside to return to at a later date when your might has had a chance to forget the struggle (probably the best option but you may risk losing interest in the project) or you can do what I usually do which is to fight through and finish it. How do you deal with this?

The real time version of this tutorial is up in Critique Club if you want to see the struggle in real time and see how I solved the many issues that came up in this painting. You can also watch the time lapse below.
Supplies:
- Paper, Paint, and brushes (except giant ones) in my Turner signature Set from Jerry’s Artarama
- Arteza Pastels *if you want to try pastels out for less try this half stick set of 64 I’m pretty sure they are the same thing but smaller size (and a 5th of the price)
- Pastel pencils (Generals) *This brand is a top pick, affordable and Made in the USA, and perform as good or better than more expensive ones I own
If you want to learn more about soft pastels I have a course: Soft Pastels for Beginners you might like and you can save 40% on that class, or any other class in my Teachable school by using the coupon code LOVE40 now through 2/20/21. The pastel class link above should contain the discount but if you don’t see it click “add coupon” at checkout and type in LOVE40 to get the Valentines sale price! Happy crafting!