I did not intend to convey the idea that “details don’t matter”. The idea is that as an artist, one is easily lost in details that the client doesn’t actually need and would not intend to pay for.
I suggest to you the following experiment on another project: Take a snapshot of the work, then put in some more hours adding in the “finishing touches”. Show the client the snapshot and see if they’re pleased. If they are, you know exactly how many hours you could’ve saved. If not, then you’ve already done the work on the next iteration, so you can go crack open a cold one with the boys.