I'm loving working on the Pastelmat pastel paper. This week I thought I would paint a classic Lakeland winter scene. Full of drama, colourful and also on a bigger scale. Something to really get the teeth into, so to speak!! I started with a white piece of paper and then added watercolours, very loosely to get the main mountain shapes and rich tonal colours. I then let this dry to see what magical effects would take place.
Working on the pastelmat with watercolours is very different to watercolour paper. This velvety touch paper is a little like blotting paper. Soft edges rather than hard edges seem to form.
With the paper dry I started with the sky making a few adjustments, getting a few colours down but not thinking about finishing this area. I like to start on the background first. It's a personal thing. Cool colours first and not too much details, gaining in momentum as we move forward richer tones, a little more detail and I'm finding my way through the scene.
Silly me I forgot to tell you where we are. It's a Saturday afternoon in February, bitterly cold and about two o'clock. We've been to the summit of Great Gable and now we are stopping for a late lunch on Green Gable and admiring the magnificent view down into Ennerdale Valley. Pillar the mountain on the left is demanding all the attention with the light catching rocks and cliff edges. We turn and head down the mountains following footsteps in the snow and make it safely back to the car in Seathwaite valley.
If you fancy painting landscapes in Pastels why not try my Pastel online course. This wonderful medium is easy for anyone, you just need a selection of soft pastels and the right pastel paper.
