The Curse of the Incomplete

[SailorVera]

Does anyone else suffer from a large collection of incomplete ideas and drawings?
I sometimes feel that I have a larger folder of quick concept sketches instead of a body of complete work :

What motivates you to keep going to the end? Why do you stop if you can't seem to see it through?

I usually need to do a drawing a single sitting these days otherwise I have a hard time finishing it. I'm okay with sitting for 9 hours working, but if I stop for more than a bathroom break my motivation dissipates fast...

[Itchy the Hatter]

There's no reason to finish things if you're not getting paid to do them and you don't want to finish them. If you'd get more work done or learn more about whatever it is you're studying by not finishing, then don't finish.

[MooMooJuice]

I have plenty of art that I sit and work on for a day but don't finish, only to return to it and decide I no longer like it. When that happens I just... let it go and move on. If I liked the concept I had, I might revisit the idea, but start completely fresh. Sometimes I'll open the image again months or years later, and wished I had completed it, but what can you do. Nothing good could come from forcing yourself to finish.

[[XblackfireX]]

I used to call it my "Two-day curse". If I hadn't finished a drawing after working on it for two days, then it wasn't going to get finished, ever.

Nowadays I'm a bit better about that, but it's still pretty hit and miss for me to actually finish things.

[glitteryfool]

Well, i have lots and lots of incomplete drawings and they are mostly digital works. Even though i really like working on computer, it's just most of time it doesn't work. Everytime i open sai, my drawing's only complete part would be his/her face and i don't even touch other parts. I suppose i don't feel confident enough with the body and background. However, i don't have these kind of problems with traditionals.

For example, like several hours ago, i started drawing my oc karo on sai, and his face didn't satisfy me and then i stopped painting. But after that i dooddled some chibis on paper with my new pen and had no problem. Maybe it's also because of time? Digital works make me spend more time than sketching, doodling or watercoloring. I guess i become bored with the time being.

And everytime i close sai i say, "I'll look and continue this after i do blablabla". This never happens. :c

[Lychee Fruit]

I like to think of it as fermenting or aging. If I can't find it in me to finish something, it could be because I'm not ready to. Haven't had a certain life experience, haven't felt the right emotion, would rather play on Tumblr have other obligations that prevent me from working on it...

[SailorVera]

Lychee Fruit

I like to think of it as fermenting or aging. If I can't find it in me to finish something, it could be because I'm not ready to. Haven't had a certain life experience, haven't felt the right emotion, would rather play on Tumblr have other obligations that prevent me from working on it...

I think I can kind of agree with this. Occasionally something happens to me during a day and I feel compelled to go back to something I started a while ago. (sadly doesn't happen as often as I wish it would)

[Ephas]

I value practice (practice/learning is my motivation), in that that I see completion as practice thing too. I don't finish up everything, but once in a while I gotta sit down and "practice" completion. Otherwise I'd never get anything done and commissions might lack something necessary that I missed learning with a good sit down.

edit: re read some parts of the op
If it helps, I don't fuss over the mass of incompletes. not every idea is worth the time and effort. it's the same way in virtually every kind of creative drafting process. like writing a novel can go through maybe 5 drafts and rewrites before a publisher picks it up. In the meantime the writer has tossed dozens of ideas to get to the major piece. Anyone might want to refine an idea over and over again if they really want to see it through.

[TUFFtales]

I've got tons of work that isn't finished. I usually for some reason stop when I see I've made progress in some way. At that moment I'm proud andfeel like taking a small break.

However I hardly ever start on that work again.
I do try to tho, specially since some weeks I've been working more on finishing products to use for my portfolio aswell.
I feel a bit guilty not finishing art. Specially because I don't have that many finished artworks.

[bye losers]

this same thing used to bother me a lot but honestly it doesn't really matter because when you produce any amount of work the majority won't be your best or complete. i don't worry about it anymore because it's totally normal to have incomplete projects.

usually those ideas end up getting scrapped or reworked into something new or better anywyay, so my philosophy is to just move along.

[mr baconsy]

i hardly finish anything, to be honest

[paradoxdish]

If I don't see the idea as being one of my favorites then I move on and leave it incomplete. I'd rather spend the time to develops the ideas I'm really into. I too have lots of incomplete works but when I'm really bored/am having an art block I pull them out and work on them. :

[thante]

I usually need a target or deadline. If I don't NEED to have it done or I'm not being payed for it, it probably won't get finished.

I don't actually see it as a major problem. I finish what I need to do the rest is just practice or for fun. If I stop working on it, it's obviously lost its fun. If I'm not being payed for it, it's not pushing my skills and I'm not enjoying it, why continue.

[BoHimeChella]

MooMooJuice

I have plenty of art that I sit and work on for a day but don't finish, only to return to it and decide I no longer like it. When that happens I just... let it go and move on. If I liked the concept I had, I might revisit the idea, but start completely fresh. Sometimes I'll open the image again months or years later, and wished I had completed it, but what can you do. Nothing good could come from forcing yourself to finish.

So true. This is exactly what I go through.