A painting needs the right amount of balance. Too much and the artwork is bland, too little and it is chaotic. Getting it right takes time and practice.
1 Ensure there are quiet parts to the painting where the eye can rest, which balance the busy areas. Do not attempt to make every inch of the canvas stimulating.
2 Avoid being asymmetrical, or off-balanced - a lot of elements on one side and little on the other.
3 A mixture of soft and hard edges. Some blending is good, but do no blend every brush stroke.
4 Ensure your light and dark hues are spread evenly throughout. Difference in value is more important than the colour used.
5 Use contrast and variety with balance. A painting that is too balanced will not be visually stimulating. Too much contrast will be jarring to the eye. To ensure you have the balance right, sketch your composition first. Keep sketching, moving your elements around until you have got it right.
This painting was too busy, with marks covering the entire canvas, so it was improved by painting over some of the detail in the lower part of the painting - giving the eye a place to rest.