The question is a bit complex. You might not expect the most accurate answer. Even an experienced artist might take time to answer how long he will take to make a painting. Each painting is different, and each artist is not the same as well.
Therefore, it might not be possible to say how long an artist will take to make a painting. When some take several hours, others might take many years. It will mostly depend on the complexity of the work and the experience level of the artist.
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What Determines The Times It Takes to Make a Painting?
As stated earlier, the two key determining factors are the skill levels of the artist and the complexity of the painting. Some paintings will have their mind and personality. We can say that they paint themselves without any additional effort.
If it happens, then the painting can be done fast and will come out impressive as well. However, some paintings are slow. When the paintings are slow, you cannot decide on a timeframe. It will take its own time and will demand a lot of effort.
What Are Effortless Paintings?
Effortless paintings are the ones that do not demand much effort. However, it does not mean that these are easy and not impressive.
An effortless painting can be one of the best paintings. But the difference is that here an artist knows what he will do and how to do it right. The artist is clear in his mind. He can visualize the painting before starting the actual painting work.
Most experienced artists can do an effortless painting. Even inexperienced and beginners can get the perfection without having years of experience. In brief, we can say that when an artist knows how to do it right, he can get perfection regardless of the skills and experience levels.
What Are Complex Paintings?
Complex paintings are the ones that demand a lot of effort, consideration, and time. It is not because the artist does not want what he wants. But the issue is with the painting. It becomes so complex that the artist needs frequent inspiration and ideas to get perfection.
Some projects take several years to complete. The painting that takes several years to complete becomes one of the most popular paintings for years especially when it is done by an experienced artist.
Can You Say How Long It Takes to Make a Painting?
No, it is impossible to say how long it takes to complete a painting. In addition to the ideas and inspiration, some other factors will contribute to the result. Some specific paints will have some technical issues. For example, the drying time will vary depending on the painting type.
The drying time of the oil painting will vary from the acrylic. These are the technical differences. You can predict the timing when it comes to the technicalities. However, you cannot visualize the painting time especially when you are struggling with the ideas.
Some popular and well-known artists take months to years to complete a painting project. We can take the example of Ernest Meissonier, the 19th Century French artist. The artist took around thirteen years to paint Napoleon’s victory.
What Will Happen If You Take Too Long to Paint A Painting?
As mentioned above, some take several years to complete a painting project. Most of these projects are complex and demand more attention and time.
If you are taking years to complete a complex project, you can expect perfection. However, if you take years to complete a simple project, you can expect adverse results. When we fuss with our painting for years, we can overdo it.
You might put more effort to get a better result. But overdoing might make your painting a bit complex. Similarly, if you want to finish it fast, you might not get enough time to work to your full potential. If you are doubtful about a specific painting, you should consider creating a new version instead of working on the last one. You can create a series on a particular subject as well.
The key is to make the result impressive. If you are satisfied with the outcome, it does not matter how long you took to complete a project. Completing a painting within less time is not an achievement if you cannot get perfection.
If you are a professional painter, you might have more works. If you are selling your paintings for a living, then you might be forced to complete them fast so that you can make more money.
Additional Things to Consider
Paintings demand careful attention. If you are a beginner, you might take more time. So, the key is not to focus on the time. Instead, you will have to focus more on creativity. Some try for years to make a painting. Therefore, you should not be concerned even if you are taking a few years to complete your painting.
Once you are done with your painting, you might want an extra stroke to make it more appealing. It will demand a bit more time. Some end up painting more than a couple of paintings to get the perfection. They do not feel satisfied and keep trying to work to their full potential. These are going to demand more time.
You might need to change the composition and color and eliminate some colors to get the desired look. Therefore, it might not be possible to have a specified time limit for a painting even if you are experienced. It might take shorter or longer than your specified deadline.
Wrapping Up. We all have our painting style. Our style, experience level, and the painting itself will decide how long it will take to make a painting. When some are action painters, others are contemplative painters. A few combine them both.
Some painters take months to years to complete a project. Others follow a different approach and take a few hours to paint a painting. But in the end, each painting demands time and effort. When it comes to how long it takes to make a painting, it might take two hours to twenty-five years. Some paintings cannot be completed as well.
