It is difficult to finish a picture but even harder to start one well. Beginning a picture with thoughtfulness, intuition and control are skills that require performance training. Performance training is more often linked with music than with the visual arts, however, a large part of art making is really performing. The product of the artistic effort is only a record of the performance. Making images under rigid time constraints is one way to master a performance approach to image making. Another way is to work with a medium that does not easily permit correction, such as ink. Both of these activities force the artist to be confident and have a strong intent for every mark they make. The value in being able to expediently and efficiently capture the essence of a subject or scene is that you will have more options and make better decisions as the image is developed.
In works that go beyond the initial study, the majority of time spent will be directed towards developing the image. It requires time and labor to build up form, lighting, structure, detail or whatever is called for in a given work. During this stage the hand works more than the mind. Towards the end of a pictures creation, though, artistic judgement plays a greater roll than technical skill. At this stage the artist must carefully reconsider all aspects of the work and then make necessary adjustments or refinements. This is essential. Many times a work is ruined and all nuance destroyed because elements are developed but not reconsidered. The finishing of a picture should be treated just as the beginning. The artist must touch the work with bold intent and certainty about what must be.