Well, I went out of my comfort zone again… but it was worth it for the knowledge I gained.
First published November 4, 2023: Soft Pastels are a lot like charcoal: messy and unpredictable. They are also challenging when trying to make crisp lines, which is a way I like to finish off my pieces. So when I perused through the Art Bundles for Good choices for this week, and saw Karol Oakley’s “Five Steps to a Finished Painting” using pastels, I knew I had to try again to get into pastels — and landscapes. I have to admit I have not — yet — made a successful landscape piece, and I thought why not try pastels and see if the practice brings me some new tips and tricks?
Karol has a great Australian accent, and an excellent delivery of her subject. Her videos total about 90 minutes and they are extremely detailed and well narrated. One of the things I have noticed in taking these classes, is that some artists bring execution tips and tricks into their class, while others just show you how they do their thing. Karol talks about mixing colors, blocking the page, finding dark and light, all of the things that we need to remember when we make art, no matter what is in our hands.
The hardest part for me was making the foreground appear in front of the background. I found it hard to portray the shapes of the needles on the pines in the foreground, while the snow capped peaks in the background drew me in. This is where I find it easier to work in acrylics, where you can provide lots of line detail to get the perspective you need. Karol does not have that trouble. She used her own photo reference, and by the end of the class the foreground was chockful of delicious details, while the background lent the supporting information to make her painting pop.
Mine was not anything I would brag about, but practice, practice, practice, right?
Then, I went off on my own (surprise, surprise) and tried a floral scene from my camera roll. This was a wall in a park with lots of dainty flowers on it. I am also going to try this in acrylics and watercolors and will be posting on Instagram the three types of mediums.
My big challenge with this was to get good contrast. And definitive shapes. I didn’t want it to look like something I did with crayons in my sleep :). Like I said, practice, practice, practice.
About Pastels? If you like layering and getting messy this is fun. I like getting messy, so I enjoyed this, and Karol’s teaching style made this a very fun day indeed.
Happy Pastelling!