Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Art? Do This…

Here’s a question for you – Is your biggest struggle trying to make everything perfect? Maybe you hesitate to use that nice sheet of watercolor paper because you’re afraid of messing it up? Or you buy sketchbooks but never draw in them because you don’t want to ruin the pages?

Sound familiar?

Well… I’ve got news for you… you’re probably a bit of a perfectionist 🙂

I’m going to share 7 tips and personal observations to help you break free from perfectionism. The good news is by the end of this, you should be able to enjoy your art again and finally let go of those unrealistic expectations holding you back.

Ok, yes… I admit it!

I’m still a perfectionist!

I think this goes hand-in-hand with my introverted nature. I like to concentrate on details – get into the nitty gritty of a subject.

I also think in some ways this makes me better at certain things 🙂 

But perfectionism in art isn’t necessarily a good thing. At best it’s very time-consuming… and at worst it stops you from doing anything at all!

Over the years I’ve learnt to be less of a perfectionist with my watercolor paintings, and art projects, and to concentrate less on the details (either that or my eyesight has got so bad I can’t even see the details anymore – I guess age does have some advantages!)

So…

Does any of this sound familiar?

Many of my students who come to me for help have told me things like this:

“I’m struggling with my inner critic due to being an extreme perfectionist”

Or:

“I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I struggle when things don’t turn out as perfectly as I imagined in my watercolor paintings.”

Or even:

“My art isn’t improving because I can’t let go of perfection…”

This makes me sad.

Because it means people are missing out on the sheer joy of painting or drawing… So today I thought I’d share my ideas and personal insights about how I overcame being such a fusspot in my artwork 🙂

1. Suggestion is Better than Accuracy 

I think one of the first things that helped me free myself from perfectionism in art is the realization that my artwork looks better when things are “suggested” rather than painted with “absolute accuracy”. You’ll be surprised how the human eye fills in the details!

I think… Yes, the power of suggestion can make artwork so much more interesting. It’s like when you paint soft edges and only “suggest” the shape of an object and leave room for the viewer’s imagination to fill in the rest.

Watercolor, by its nature, is a fluid medium – it flows, blends, and surprises you! Trying to control every detail with watercolor can feel like trying to hold water in your hands. 

Instead, I’ve learned to embrace its unpredictability. Sometimes, leaving things unsaid in your painting, and letting the viewer’s imagination fill in the gaps, can have a far more powerful effect than hyper-detailed nit-picking precision. 

In my early artwork, I would spend HOURS drawing every tiny detail before even starting the painting. Now, I find pleasure in suggesting things and letting the paint do the rest 🙂

Although… maybe it’s just my glasses acting up again – did I mention that earlier?

2. A Preference for Loose Painting:

Letting go of the details led me to a personal preference for a more loose painting style. It’s possible to portray a subject with just a few simple strokes.

I no longer feel compelled to capture every little thing. I prefer to concentrate on a few well-placed brush strokes of color to try to make my artwork more convincing.

I think looser painting brings a sense of freedom and spontaneity, which, if you think about it, is especially important with watercolor, where the beauty lies in its transparency and the flowing movement of pigments on the paper.

So instead of aiming for perfection, try this: use a bigger brush than you think you need!

This naturally forces you to paint broader brush strokes and focus on the overall shapes rather than getting caught up in tiny details. You could also try limiting your palette to just a few colors to keep things simple – not only will this improve the color harmony of your painting, it also avoids over-thinking your color mixing!

And let the water do some of the work for you. Allow the colors to blend and flow on the paper. That unpredictability is part of the magic. 

3. Impatience:

Let me ask you this… Do you really want to spend days painting a single watercolor only to get bored with the process and never actually finish the artwork? 

I used to, but not anymore 🙂

These days I like my paintings to progress pretty quickly. Like… I want to see a finished result in one painting session! 

So yes… I’ll admit it – I’m impatient! 

A lot of the time impatience is seen as a negative… but it can sometimes lead to positive outcomes.

This impatience is also why I trace a quick outline for my subjects instead of spending forever drawing them by hand. And let me tell you—tracing is NOT cheating! There’s so much more that goes into making a good painting, so don’t ever think tracing means you’re not being creative. It just saves you time for the fun part 🙂.

I also find watercolor lends itself to this quicker painting approach. It dries fast. And if you’re impatient like me, you can even use a hairdryer to speed things up!

I guess this desire for quick results helps me fight perfectionism, because it forces me to accept the unpredictability of watercolor. Things don’t always turn out how I planned, and that’s totally okay!

4. Perfectionism vs Being Gentle with Yourself:

It’s no fun being hard on yourself! 

I used to be extremely critical of a painting that didn’t turn out the way I had imagined. 

Actually, paintings rarely turn out the way I imagine!

But I realized that this constant self-criticism was holding me back. 

Sure… things could always be better. But if, when you look at a finished painting you think to yourself “I could have done that better” or “that was a mistake” then that’s great! Because that’s how you make progress. Someone once said to improve at anything you have to “double your rate of failure”. Each little mistake leads to learning and progress.

So now, I remind myself that mistakes are part of the learning process. Watercolor can be unpredictable, and rather than beating myself up for it, I try to approach each painting session with kindness. 

So give yourself permission to make “mistakes”.

Or you can just carry on being a grumpy critic – the choice is yours 🙂

So for example you could try this: If progress is something you’re striving for, try painting the same subject several times. After each painting, take a step back and think about what you’d do differently. Then paint it again, keeping those observations in mind. It might just be changing the colors, softening an edge, or making your watercolor mixes more transparent.

5. The Blank page Paradox

Are you the kind of person who loves the idea of a brand-new sketchbook or expensive, fancy watercolor paper, but when it’s time to actually start painting or drawing, you feel stuck? 

The fear of messing up that perfect blank page stops you in your tracks. 

Sound familiar? 

This is a classic perfectionist artist dilemma – you’re so worried about ruining the paper that you don’t even begin. So, what happens? You end up with a pile of untouched sketchbooks that feel too precious to use. 

I’ve known artists that have stared at their watercolor palettes for years (yes years) for fear of starting a new painting!

The key to getting past this is just letting go of the idea that everything has to be perfect. Give yourself permission to fill those pages, even if things don’t go exactly as planned.

Here are a few things you can try—start by using separate sheets of paper. For example, use cheap watercolor paper for practice, or cut your good-quality sheets into smaller pieces and work on little projects. It takes the pressure off! 

And don’t feel like you need a ton of colors to get started. Stick with just three primary colors to mix from – you’d be surprised how far you can get with just a simple color triad.

(As an aside – here is the gamut of warm vs cool primaries – suggest cool primaries because more even rage of mixing possibilities – for example a better range of bright greens)

6. Remember to Embrace “Happy Accidents”

This one is more related to watercolor paints, but I guess it sometimes applies to other mediums…

One of the most beautiful things about watercolor is the unexpected way it behaves on the paper.

Colors combine together, creating interesting blends that you couldn’t possibly have planned. These “happy accidents” are something I’ve come to appreciate. When I let go of the need for control and embrace the surprises, my paintings come to life in ways I didn’t anticipate. 

This can be a big one for beating perfectionism—acknowledging that not everything needs to be controlled, and in fact, some of the best parts of your art often happen by chance!

7. Done is Better than Perfect!

Progress always feels better than standing still. 

I think we all crave a sense of accomplishment, and I’ve discovered that getting something done, even if it’s not perfect, is better than not starting at all. 

If you’re always chasing perfection, you’ll find you never actually finish anything. I used to fall into this trap all the time – spending hours fussing over less important details. But at some point, you’ve got to decide to get things done. 

And honestly, it feels so much better to have done some painting or drawing, even if it’s not flawless, compared to not even starting, or having work that’s half-done!

So perfection is overrated, and anyway – sometimes, it’s the little imperfections that make your artwork unique. 

So remember – done is better than perfect.

Bonus tip: Make Art Every Day!

Yes.. I know – lots of artists advise things like “you have to practice everyday to get better at “drawing” or “painting”…or whatever…

But there’s a good reason I included this tip in this video.

Practicing your art frequently makes your art seem less precious. And consequently, it takes the stress out of making things that are perfect!

Does that make sense?

So try to get into the habit of making art regularly …you’ll find that the more you create, the more confident and relaxed you’ll become. It’s not about perfection – it’s about enjoying the process and letting your skills develop naturally over time 🙂

Okay, so… if you’re looking for a simple, structured way to build your art habit and take the pressure off, my watercolor masterclass course is designed for exactly that! It’s a step-by-step program that helps you create beautiful art without the frustration. 

If that sounds like what you need, you’ll find the link is in the description below.

Happy painting everyone…