"The most important ally in the study of painting is the art of thinking." Edgar Payne.
Problem solving.
![Sleepy Hollow a water basedoriginal painting by artist Eleanor Mann](/uploads/1/2/6/1/12613521/5634527.jpg?1418568862)
Ask yourself the following questions when analysing the success of your paintings...
Is it finished?
Has it been overworked?
Is it too fussy?
Does it say what I felt?
What could I soften?
What could I leave out?
What could I accentuate?
Is it balanced?
Could I crop it to make a better composition?
Does it look like a picture made with watercolour?
If you feel something is wrong but you're struggling to work out exactly what it is looking at it in a new light may help. Try the following...
Put a mount (mat) around it, move it around to see if the problem is compositional.
Look at it in a mirror.
Look at it upside down.
Photograph it in black and white.
Scan it onto your computer and use a programme to alter colours, tones, format etc.
Prop it up somewhere where you will see it in your peripheral vision.
Put it away for a while and re-evaluate it at another time.