I have a wise friend who is both diplomatic and honest. She told me that a few of my paintings didn’t reflect my usual care, or perhaps she said they weren’t up to my usual standards— “lacking in detail and clarity”. (There were a couple of paragraphs so I’m summarizing here.)
I blamed the old scanner, but then decided to retouch the paintings after studying them in person. I can always add more detail to a painting! The difficulty is in knowing when to stop. Most painters say that they don’t stop soon enough; I say most painters need to keep going.
Sawtooth #68
Here are the old scanner and new scanner versions, both before retouching.


The scan was poor, and the painting could use more detail. Some people paint blurry, but I’m not in that club. Not on purpose, anyway.


Here is the do-over and the scan on the new scanner. Still doesn’t look as good as it does in person. You’ll have to trust me on this.

Maybe it’s more evident if I put old and new side-by-side.


The color and detail still aren’t accurate, but it is better.
Sawtooth #69
It was definitely time to replace the old scanner.


Three progress photos for you.



Let’s do a side-by-side before-and-after of this one. And again, the color isn’t coming through very well, so trust on your part is required here.


2 Comments
Such a friend is nice to have, especially if she’s diplomatic about it! I can see that you added more detail, and it’s beautiful – but I also thought it was beautiful before. I’m the friend who will offer praise at all stages, and mean it 100% with all my heart – but I don’t know enough to offer any advice or insights.
She is a real blessing in my life!
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