Pastel Basics I

It was an interesting weekend at KAGS with various pastel artists doing demonstrations for those of us wanting to learn the basics of pastel painting.

I have samples of seven ways of putting pastel down on the paper. The first was called "scumble", it is layering one colour on top of the other and letting the pastel mix on the paper.

Scumble

The second method that was shown is called "dry wash", it is put down in a similar way as scumble but then it is blended with either a stump or fingers. This gives a softer look to the image.

Stumps are usually preferred over fingers which will leave oil from the skin on the drawing surface.

Dry Wash

The third method shown was called "stroking".  This consists of long and short lines, which may be straight or curves to help show the direction of movement or the shape of an object.

An example would be straight lines in flat objects and curved lines on round objects.


Stroking

The fourth method is called "stroking and blending". This can be done in two ways; the first by putting down  an area of "dry wash" (see above) and putting stroking over top or by putting down all stroking lines and blending some of them to soften an area. 

This would be ideal for fur, feathers or wood grain.

Stroking and Blending

I will post the other three ways of applying pastel at a later date.

Relaxing - Sketches 1 and 2

These are the sketches I did for Relaxing in the Portrait class (see post on 10 October 12) at KAGS earlier this month.

The Portrait class starts by having three 10 minute sketches in order to warm up as well as to decide which position they would like to have the model hold for the rest of the time.


Relaxing Sketch 1

I liked all three poses and will probably develop the other two sketches at a later date, but first I had better finish the one I started.

I will post those at a later date.





Relaxing Sketch 2

Exotic Fruit - A Work in Progress

Today I was at the Still life class at KAGS where we had a number of different displays of fruit in wicker baskets as well as in glass bowls and plates.

I chose the one with papaya, Japanese pears, grapes, pomegranates, strawberries and lemons.

I will post this painting at a later date once more work on it has been completed.

Spotted Eagle Rays - A Work in Progress

I have marked in some of the larger coral and sponges on the closest reef face (see posting 24 July 2012).














Then I painted in the hard coral on the upper part of the reef  adding a little fire coral at the bottom of some of the purple coral.

A little lower down the slope of the reef I added a cluster of yellow tube sponges.














I will post this painting at a later date once more of it has been completed.

Yellow Sky A-C - Three Works in Progress

Yellow Sky A

Using various strengths of raw sienna I washed in the background sky colour. On one I added a couple of birds.


















Yellow Sky B

I will posts these backgrounds sky paintings as I complete them at a later date.


















Yellow Sky C

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010. 

Rays of Light - A Work in Progress

I was sorting through some paintings I had started a while ago (see posts on 26 October 2010 and 28 December 2011) and decided to do a little work on this one.

Using a dark mixture I put the markings on the fins of the first fish, and then mixed a greyed green and put in the darker areas of the fish's body.












I will post this painting at a later date once more of the fish are completed. 

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Feeding Time - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I started in a workshop with Art Cunanan last month.

Instead of following along with his red barn I chose to do a painting of my barn with a few changes.













It is still a work in progress and there are a number of things I still have to think through and decide on how many other things I wish to add to the painting.

I will post this painting at a later date once more work has been completed.