I keep track of my painting sessions with a time log, I use a simple sign in – sign out system with a place for a note. This allows me to see how long I spend on each work, and how much of that time is actually painting, testing ideas, or just staring at it while I think. I also track my confidence level by giving each session a value rating from 1 to 5. At the end of each painting session I take a photo. The following video show all the photos from my most recent 4 by 6 foot painting. (Scroll down to see the log of painting sessions.)
In the log below, the first number on the left is my confidence rating. This is entered as I sign out of that work session (the system won’t submit the session without the rating) and is an immediate emotional response to how I think the painting is progressing. The general breakdown is: 1 = I hate it, 2 = I dislike it, 3 = I don’t know, 4 = I like it, 5 = I love it. The following fields are the date, time I signed out, total minutes in the session, and my note.
5 19 Nov 2019 10:35 9 mins Plan first marks
5 20 Nov 2019 9:12 70 mins 1st mark, looks like a turkey
4 20 Nov 2019 10:44 29 mins Test figure
4 21 Nov 2019 8:55 14 mins Test figure
4 21 Nov 2019 9:41 41 mins Test figure
3 21 Nov 2019 13:38 8 mins Think
4 22 Nov 2019 8:29 23 mins Test figure
4 22 Nov 2019 9:14 37 mins Test figure
5 24 Nov 2019 8:43 10 mins Test figure
4 24 Nov 2019 9:21 34 mins Test figure
4 24 Nov 2019 10:27 47 mins Test wings
4 25 Nov 2019 9:02 20 mins Think
4 25 Nov 2019 9:37 24 mins Test
4 25 Nov 2019 10:04 24 mins Test legs down and new wing
5 25 Nov 2019 10:19 7 mins Images
5 25 Nov 2019 11:18 46 mins Test bottom wing folded and tail over head
4 25 Nov 2019 19:45 35 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 8:48 28 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 9:04 15 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 10:45 64 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 18:31 21 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 18:49 15 mins Think
3 27 Nov 2019 9:08 42 mins Paint turkey
5 27 Nov 2019 9:35 21 mins Images legs
3 27 Nov 2019 10:22 41 mins Paint turkey
3 27 Nov 2019 11:14 14 mins Think
3 27 Nov 2019 11:46 20 mins Splatter images
3 27 Nov 2019 14:25 38 mins Paint sky
3 27 Nov 2019 17:03 40 mins Paint legs
3 28 Nov 2019 10:23 27 mins Paint figure
3 28 Nov 2019 11:07 7 mins
3 29 Nov 2019 9:02 19 mins Think
3 29 Nov 2019 10:23 47 mins Test figure
3 29 Nov 2019 10:37 11 mins Older drawings for reference
3 29 Nov 2019 11:34 49 mins Test figure add wing and heart
5 29 Nov 2019 14:27 26 mins Images of turkey wings
4 29 Nov 2019 15:50 47 mins Test wrap wing halo
4 30 Nov 2019 9:00 46 mins Test wing and lower arm
4 30 Nov 2019 9:42 32 mins Test land
3 1 Dec 2019 9:23 70 mins Paint yellow
3 3 Dec 2019 9:05 35 mins Paint near horizon
5 3 Dec 2019 10:32 74 mins Paint
3 3 Dec 2019 11:34 33 mins Test tail
3 3 Dec 2019 15:49 46 mins Test wing feathers
3 3 Dec 2019 19:48 62 mins Paint sand
3 4 Dec 2019 8:38 16 mins Test wings
2 4 Dec 2019 10:31 32 mins Test new wing and tail,
2 4 Dec 2019 11:15 27 mins Feel bad about abandoning prev idea but afraid looks like appropriation
3 4 Dec 2019 12:50 75 mins Think
3 4 Dec 2019 13:19 26 mins Feeling better about turning into peacock
3 5 Dec 2019 8:40 31 mins Paint
3 5 Dec 2019 10:18 69 mins Paint sky sand
3 5 Dec 2019 11:28 10 mins Paint sand
3 5 Dec 2019 14:39 34 mins Paint
3 5 Dec 2019 16:07 39 mins Paint sky
3 5 Dec 2019 17:33 17 mins Paint
3 5 Dec 2019 19:40 55 mins Paint sand sky
3 7 Dec 2019 10:45 56 mins Paint sky
5 8 Dec 2019 10:30 21 mins Paint sky
3 10 Dec 2019 8:50 40 mins Prep to paint bird
3 10 Dec 2019 9:23 11 mins Bird illustration books
3 10 Dec 2019 9:40 17 mins Mix paint for bird
3 10 Dec 2019 10:35 48 mins Paint bird
3 10 Dec 2019 14:13 30 mins Paint bird
3 11 Dec 2019 9:07 47 mins Paint bird
3 11 Dec 2019 9:31 22 mins Peacock images
3 11 Dec 2019 10:20 47 mins Test bird head and fig
3 11 Dec 2019 16:48 49 mins Test figure
2 11 Dec 2019 17:22 30 mins Paint bird, getting discouraged about figure
2 12 Dec 2019 9:15 51 mins If I had another canvas ready I would take a break
3 12 Dec 2019 13:15 32 mins Paint bird, feeling better about smaller head
3 12 Dec 2019 13:32 16 mins Paint sky
3 12 Dec 2019 14:11 12 mins Paint bird
2 12 Dec 2019 17:33 54 mins Test figure this is not going to work
3 13 Dec 2019 11:14 25 mins test new figure
2 13 Dec 2019 12:00 36 mins Test multiple figures
3 13 Dec 2019 15:21 39 mins Test figure w legs
3 13 Dec 2019 15:36 8 mins Just legs
3 13 Dec 2019 18:20 17 mins Test legs, better without faces
3 15 Dec 2019 9:51 38 mins Test fork and rope
3 15 Dec 2019 11:07 11 mins Paint bird
3 15 Dec 2019 15:30 26 mins Test fork and knife
4 15 Dec 2019 15:58 22 mins Test arms for legs, liking this better
4 16 Dec 2019 10:06 46 mins Test arms and rope
3 16 Dec 2019 11:28 74 mins Paint land
3 18 Dec 2019 9:09 61 mins Paint land
3 18 Dec 2019 16:05 44 mins Paint ground
3 18 Dec 2019 16:21 13 mins Paint land
3 19 Dec 2019 10:05 53 mins Paint
3 19 Dec 2019 10:05 45 mins paint land
3 20 Dec 2019 9:12 9 mins Paint
3 20 Dec 2019 9:40 18 mins Paint land
3 20 Dec 2019 15:36 29 mins Paint
3 22 Dec 2019 9:14 23 mins Paint blue
5 22 Dec 2019 10:05 22 mins Paint yellow glaze
3 22 Dec 2019 10:24 19 mins Paint can Duke glaze
3 22 Dec 2019 17:12 22 mins Paint glaze and blue
3 23 Dec 2019 19:52 27 mins Paint glaze and blue
3 24 Dec 2019 9:14 56 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 10:05 46 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 11:41 23 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 15:34 34 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 16:28 28 mins Paint white
3 27 Dec 2019 10:05 64 mins Paint white
3 27 Dec 2019 10:38 27 mins Paint white
3 27 Dec 2019 11:55 32 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 9:38 42 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 11:51 45 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 14:00 68 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 15:17 55 mins Paint while on phone to Meg
3 30 Dec 2019 19:30 25 mins Test
3 4 Jan 2020 9:16 14 mins Test
3 4 Jan 2020 10:06 43 mins Test
2 4 Jan 2020 19:19 12 mins No longer like where I was going
3 5 Jan 2020 10:57 72 mins Feeling better about this
4 5 Jan 2020 16:18 41 mins Test bulk and white outlines
4 6 Jan 2020 8:47 22 mins Test shadow
4 6 Jan 2020 9:09 15 mins Test comb again
3 6 Jan 2020 11:16 126 mins Mix dark over layer
3 8 Jan 2020 9:00 37 mins Paint begin darken land
4 8 Jan 2020 9:58 43 mins Paint while on phone to Kim
3 8 Jan 2020 17:24 81 mins Paint
3 9 Jan 2020 9:24 9 mins Prep
3 9 Jan 2020 10:30 55 mins paint
3 9 Jan 2020 11:20 44 mins Paint
3 10 Jan 2020 13:22 50 mins Paint
4 10 Jan 2020 14:43 64 mins Paint
3 10 Jan 2020 16:51 49 mins Paint
3 11 Jan 2020 8:35 25 mins Paint
4 11 Jan 2020 9:49 49 mins Paint
4 11 Jan 2020 10:39 44 mins Paint
3 13 Jan 2020 9:12 34 mins Paint
3 13 Jan 2020 10:08 51 mins Paint comb
3 13 Jan 2020 10:33 17 mins Paint
3 13 Jan 2020 11:33 21 mins Paint
3 15 Jan 2020 9:28 66 mins Paint comb beak
3 15 Jan 2020 10:33 17 mins Paint white
3 15 Jan 2020 15:29 49 mins Paint white
3 16 Jan 2020 10:21 36 mins Paint
3 16 Jan 2020 11:08 36 mins Test string and egg
3 17 Jan 2020 8:57 20 mins Paint glazes comb
3 17 Jan 2020 9:52 39 mins Paint
3 17 Jan 2020 10:20 21 mins Paint white
3 18 Jan 2020 9:28 45 mins Test reds
3 18 Jan 2020 10:26 31 mins Test legs
3 18 Jan 2020 11:07 32 mins Paint legs. Still not sure but maybe I like them…
4 19 Jan 2020 10:55 36 mins Paint touch up legs
4 19 Jan 2020 11:20 21 mins Test arms
4 19 Jan 2020 13:50 21 mins Test forks
4 20 Jan 2020 13:46 14 mins Think
4 21 Jan 2020 14:40 52 mins Test blue for arms
4 21 Jan 2020 16:28 58 mins This is crazy but I think I like it
4 21 Jan 2020 19:13 13 mins Test arms w dots
4 22 Jan 2020 15:20 56 mins Strings for guides
3 26 Jan 2020 11:05 43 mins Re-tape fallen strings
3 29 Jan 2020 9:35 58 mins Paint dots
3 29 Jan 2020 10:07 25 mins Repaint front dots
3 29 Jan 2020 14:29 25 mins Touch up and mix blue
3 30 Jan 2020 8:40 35 mins Paint glaze dots
3 31 Jan 2020 11:10 18 mins Think
3 31 Jan 2020 12:15 38 mins Paint green
4 1 Feb 2020 9:42 45 mins Paint green
4 1 Feb 2020 10:19 22 mins Paint
4 1 Feb 2020 14:29 91 mins Paint
4 2 Feb 2020 9:20 29 mins Paint
4 2 Feb 2020 9:47 17 mins paint
4 2 Feb 2020 10:16 13 mins Think
4 3 Feb 2020 8:58 52 mins Paint
4 3 Feb 2020 9:43 38 mins Paint and think
4 3 Feb 2020 10:08 15 mins Think
4 3 Feb 2020 14:18 48 mins Paint
4 3 Feb 2020 19:39 11 mins Think
5 4 Feb 2020 9:02 49 mins Paint knife arm, this looks better than the tracing paper
4 4 Feb 2020 16:32 70 mins Paint fork arm, still needs work
3 4 Feb 2020 18:43 38 mins Paint white on arms
4 4 Feb 2020 19:07 24 mins Remove white from fork arm
4 4 Feb 2020 19:14 7 mins Paint fork and black in eye
3 5 Feb 2020 14:39 14 mins Think
3 5 Feb 2020 15:15 30 mins Paint fork arm
4 5 Feb 2020 15:24 9 mins Paint white eye
4 5 Feb 2020 18:49 19 mins Touch up blue
I was particularly indecisive while painting this one, and went through far more ideas on tracing paper than usual. I haven’t touched it since the 5th of February, so I think it might be finished, but I haven’t signed it yet, so I’m not 100% committed. Also, this time log is for painting sessions only, and doesn’t include building, stretching, or priming, which I track as separate activities.
