Had a week where every brush stroke just clicked

I've been messing with this fantasy cityscape piece for about two months now, and last Tuesday I finally hit a groove. Usually I'll spend hours fighting with colors or getting the perspective to look right, but that whole week every choice I made just worked. I painted a market square with cobblestone texture that actually looks like stone instead of a gray blob, and the lighting on a tower came out so warm I almost felt the sun. My buddy at work even noticed and said it was the best thing I've shown him yet. It was such a relief because the month before was just deleting layers and starting over constantly. I guess sometimes you just need the right mood or maybe enough failed attempts to clear your head. Has anyone else had a stretch where their art suddenly felt effortless?

2 comments

2 Comments

briancampbell1mo ago

Honestly I've had that happen a few times and I just lean into it, take lots of screenshots to study later what was working. For me those smooth weeks usually come after I've been grinding through a bunch of failed attempts, so it feels like my brain finally connects the dots. Definitely enjoy it while it lasts though, you earned that groove.

emma7681mo agoMost Upvoted

Hate to be the downer here but honestly those perfect weeks can trick you into bad habits. I've found that when everything feels effortless I stop actually learning or pushing myself, and I end up coasting on old tricks instead of growing. The frustrating weeks where I'm fighting with every layer are usually the ones where I actually figure something new out.