This piece of work had many layers before I finally decided it was finished, (for now anyway)! I used two of my favourite techniques for getting some of the colours underneath to show through. They are - scraping, usually with an old credit card, and scratching through, using an old craft knife.
It is always difficult to know when to stop with a layered piece - you could go on and on adding marks and details, but then there is a danger of losing what you were trying to achieve. During the layering process there are times when I leave it to dry, or I have gone as far as I have inspiration for. I then look at it from afar. Sometimes, I prop it up at the end of my bed so I can wake up to it and look to see what needs to be changed or added. When I can look at it for a long time without the urge to make changes and can't think of anyway to improve it, then I call it resolved.
Sometimes I am not happy with an artwork at all and cannot see a way forward. In that case, I store it and bring it out, maybe months later, and look at it with fresh eyes. By then, I have had the experience and techniques of other works, so new ideas often emerge to find a different approach to finish it.
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