Pastel course

Misty Morning

Setting the scene
Morning Sail, was painted on an atmospheric day,  threatening rain clouds and soft mist in the mountains and a still reflected lake.

The horizon line is approx. 1/4 of the paper, this will aid a dramatic sky in the composition and create distance in the mountain scene.

 Colours were kept subdued working with tonal hues rather than exact colour shades, this will help to give a peaceful harmony to the painting.

Working on Fisher 400 pastel paper, this is project two on my online pastel course.
 It is a perfect course to start painting with pastels, with many handy tips, step by step instructions and clear photographs, materials explained  and above all personal feedback with each project and Video Demonstrations of each project. I have painted with Pastels for over twenty years, and find them such an exciting medium. 

Why not start painting pastels this Autumn and sign up to the Pastel Online course

The price of the course is £75.00 , there is no time limit to the course.

Winter Landscape in Pastels

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.

Pastel Online course

Autumn Pastel Demonstration

Rydal Water

Stage One 

I started with an under painting using watercolours on a piece of Pastelmat. I'm quite surprised at the effects you can get with this brilliant paper, but a word of warning you don't have much control with the watercolour wash, but this can make happy effects!! My giant cauliflower back run in the front of the lake was one such happy effect!

Once the paper was bone dry I then applied pastel in the background, wanting to give a soft hazing atmosphere on a cool Autumn morning.

Adding the Pastels is such fun and so tactile. Cool Blues and Greens in the middle distance and just a touch more detail. Leaving the front Island of Autumn colour, to take all the glory.

Stage Three

Nearly finished just a few more marks and thinking about the bottom right hand corner.

It's good not to rush!!! I'll let it sit happy on the easel and wait for a thunderbolt moment to strike.

Fancy painting in Pastels?

My six project course with personal feedback will show you everything you need to know.

Pastel online course

Pastel Online course

The first project an easy seascape.

Fancy painting in  Pastels, no idea where to start, what paper or Soft, Hard or Oil Pastels?
This unique Pastel course will guide you through techniques, materials, composition and how to create subtle yet dramatic paintings. Fancy a change from watercolors, this is the perfect medium.

Painting in pastels has given me so much confidence with tonal values, painting light and dark and creating the images I see in the Landscape.The pastel course includes six projects with individual feedback with each painting you produce.

I know you will be delighted with your paintings that you will produce, it will open up a totally new dimension to your work.

Number two a tonal lake scene,

Three and we see a little tree action and reflections

Poppy power is number four, I know you will love this one

Number five, warm subtle shades to create a harmonies and evening glow.

Finishing with a scene that brings everything you have learned together.

With regular email updates this six project course is going to be so exciting and 

a perfect start to Pastel painting.

Summertime Pastels

Derwentwater painted in Pastels

 Fisher 400 paper

Summertime Fells, Derwentwater

Painted in Pastels

Fisher 400 paper

 

Delighted with a massive capital ' D 'to see my article about Pastels in this months 'Leisure Painter ' magazine. One of my favourite mediums and probably my favourite Lake.

I've realised that I do paint the seasons as they pass by. The colours that inspire me everyday help to bring the paintings to life. It also helps to paint things you love, I feel that these precious feelings help to give a plain piece of paper some meaning.

I've painted now daily for around fifteen years, you would think that I would be all 'painted up' and looking for new inspiration. But for those that paint, you'll know ideas are endless, and time is the culpit. I do often run around with many ideas popping in my head to be painted.

 

I will keep you posted with the new Pastel Online course due to begin in September.