Why Stopping Too Soon Can Hurt Your Abstract Paintings

One of the biggest challenges in abstract painting is stopping too soon.

That’s because abstract work often gets its depth, richness, and energy from layers. And if you stop too early—especially because you’re attached to a beautiful first layer—you might be missing out on your most compelling work.

Betty Franks Krause, Ep.10, sees this happen all the time. Students fall in love with the early stages of a piece, and that attachment keeps them from digging deeper.

So how do you keep the momentum going without feeling like you’re destroying something good?

First-Layer Attachment: Why It Happens

Falling in love with your first layer is completely normal. Those initial marks often feel fresh, spontaneous, and full of promise.

But abstract painting is a process of exploration—and that first layer is just the beginning. If you stop there, you’re likely missing out on richer colors, unexpected shapes, and the complex textures that make a painting sing.

Krause believes the secret is having tools to keep going—even when it feels risky.

Put It to Practice:

Here are five strategies to help you move past the layer you love:

1. Build a repeatable process.
Krause uses a step-by-step system to guide her through the different stages of a painting. This helps her move through each part with intention, even when she’s tempted to stop early. A process provides momentum and confidence.

2. Work in a series.
Start several paintings at once. When you fall in love with a layer on one piece, set it aside and turn to another. This diffuses the pressure and helps you stay in motion.

3. Take a photo.
Preserve the part you love with a quick snapshot. That way, you’re not “losing” it—you’re documenting it. Then let yourself keep painting, knowing that layer still exists.

4. Let it rest.
If you’re unsure whether to keep going, set the painting aside for a while. Distance can help you see it with fresh eyes. You might realize it’s not as finished as you thought—or that you’re ready to move on.

5. Ask: “Is it finished?”
Walk past the painting over several days and notice your response. If it still feels alive and whole, great. But if it feels unresolved, give yourself permission to keep working. Either way, you’re tuning into your own creative instincts.

Learning to move past the first thing you love takes courage—but it’s worth it.

Because the next layer might be even better.

And the one after that? It might be the one you remember forever.

Let yourself go deeper. That’s where the richness lives.