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About this quote

What does it mean?
Artistic improvement comes from repeated iteration and revisiting work multiple times.
In plain terms
Keep redoing and retracing your work to refine it.
What can you take from it?
Iteration is key to mastery.

Where it applies

  • learning a skill
  • drafting
  • editing

Putting it to work

  • Redo drafts
  • Trace over mistakes
  • Practice repeatedly

Questions to consider

  • Are you willing to redo your work?
  • What stops you from starting over?

Another view

Constant revising can sometimes lead to diminishing returns.

More from Edgar Degas

  1. Drawing is not what you see but what you must make others see.

    Permalink to quote #33
  2. You must do over the same subject ten times, a hundred times. In art nothing must appear accidental, even a movement.

    Permalink to quote #35
  3. Even working from nature you have to compose.

    Permalink to quote #32

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