• Pastels
I use several brands of soft pastels as well a couple of pastel pencils for the initial basic drawing. I very rarely use pencils after that.
-Schmincke: Yellows:
Permanent Yellow Deep – 4-H, 4-D & 2-0 for the Lights. Gold Ochre 14-D; Olive Ochre 28-D & 29-D: Neutral Grey 98-N & 98-0: Caput Mortuum 23-0, 2-40, 24-H: Pozzouli Earth 21-M Burnt Green Earth 33-D: Greenish Umber 30-H: Olive Green 85-D: Orange Light 10-H:Vandyke Brown 36-B:
-Terry Ludwig: Neutral No 100:
A range of Cobalt Blues, shades ranging from 158, 160,
162, 164, 190, 194, 196
– AS Artist’s Soft Pastels:
Flinders Red Violet: D517
– Rembrandt: (which are a tad harder): Burnt Umber 409-8
Diane Townsend Terrage: No 85 & Yellow Ochre No 75″
• Paper
I prefer to use a variety of papers, depending on the subject I am painting:
-Canson Mi-teintes (variouscolours)
-Tex (various colours)
-Stonehenge (Black & Beige)
-Art Spectrum Colourfix (mostly Burgundy or Beige)
STEP ONE
On Black Stonehenge paper, I lightly drew in some basic lines, scumbling in a few colours here and there to establish the composition and placement of the larger masses of my subject.
STEP TWO
I scribble in a little more colour, using both the end and flat side of the pastel, mainly to establish where I want to place the trees and the river.
STEP THREE
I continue to add more colour, lightly still at this stage, as the subject begins to emerge. Being aware of the tonalvalue throughout the painting process is important, as well as keeping the layers of colour fairly obvious.
STEP FOUR
Now more confident that the composition is working, I start to work the pastel in slightly heavier, but I still keep a good bit of the paper showing through. This leaves me room to make changes later if necessary. I place in some of the background, remembering to keep it soft, to create good aerial perspective.
STEP FIVE
Preferring not to work on any single section of the painting for too long at a time, I continue to work all over, bringing the subject to life,allowing it to emerge slowly. I build up the pastel as I go, pressing in harder, though not necessarily putting in too much detail yet.
At this stage I like to live with my work for a while, detach myself and come back to study it later. I can then decide whether I need to make any major changes, because with fresh eyes, the problems usually pop out.
STEP SIX
Having had a break overnight, I continue to work on the painting the next day. I add more foliage, detail in the water and on the banks, as well as adding some extra tree branches. I felt now that possibly the painting was finished, and put it aside for a week or so.
FINAL STEP
Upon returning a week later, I realised it needed more work. I was still unhappy with what I had done, and studied the painting at length.
It suddenly hit me; the dark tree branch crossing the bank on the right hand side was a distraction! What to do? I used a size 3 hog hairbrush and went to work, lightly flicking off the pastel over the area of the horizontal trunk. This allowed me to rework that area. I added the detail on the bank and slightly reworked the foreground water and dry grass in the righthand corner. I also worked the background a little more before I decided it was finally finished.
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• Endeavour to keep your painting as fresh and paintly as possible. Overworking can lead to a flat and uninteresting painting.
• Always be aware of the composition and balance within the painting, as well as perspective and aerial perspective. Hard and soft edges also need to be considered.
• Try to capture the essence of the subject first. Avoid too much detail, especially in the early stages, adding only what is necessary in the latter stages. Squint your eyes down, as this helps with the elimination process.
• Consider carefully your choice of subject! This can have a lot to do with making a successful painting.
• Use a mirror to check work for slanting horizon lines, tonal values, perspective, etc.
• Do several thumbnail sketches before deciding on your final choice of subject.
• If you have a problem, consult nature. It is your best teacher!
• Be true to yourself and create your own individuality! Don’t copy others’ work unless it is for practice, then throw it away. Remember all artists’ works are copyright. Practise various techniques, then create your own. When I visit art shows, I can usually pick the tutor of some artists in question, and who he or she is taking lessons from.
• When framing your pastel painting, consider that the glass has a slight greenish tinge and can sometimes flatten the colours in the painting. These days, I add a little extra colour and contrast to compensate.
