Undo Button

[Lon Haverly]

"Undo" is one of my favorite options on the computer. Some programs have unlimited numbers of "undos." Some only let you do it once back. I would settle for that. Or even a "Checkpoint" which saves the work to that reference point.

How many times I have accidentally touched the brush down on the canvas in the wrong spot when the painting was almost done. Usually it occurs in the face, around the eyes, or the teeth, where each stroke is a major thing. Then you have to clean off the spot, usually messing up the underlying paint, requiring a touch up which takes ten times longer than the original work on that area.

If someone could just come up with one for painting! Perhaps there is some book that teaches it, like those speed reading courses you hear about on the radio which, for $39.95, teach people to read a page at a scan in some magical way like a scanner. Or perhaps there is a seminar in Mexico where for $2500 you can fly there and spend a week learning the "undo" methodology. Or perhaps there is an art teacher on TV painting with spatulas who has the "undo" theory down pat with his instant art package.

What do you think, Cynthia? Any resources out there?

[Joseph Brzycki]

Lon,

I know how you feel. I had finished a painting on Friday. Then, I started looking at the face, noticed some slight imperfections and then got my brushes back out to start tinkering with it. One hour later the face was completely gone. Wish I had access to one of those undo spatulas you speak of.