Monday, March 31, 2008

First Time Using Pastels


I was told by someone that one could be arrested for not using art materials. Not wanting to get sideways with the law, I broke out these cheap oil pastels. I also had a tablet of tinted pastel paper in 11x14 size. This is a first for me. I'm using pastels and this is the largest size I have ever worked. As I worked I wasn't sure about the subject. It is another view of Mt Shasta from my recent trip. The foreground is all greens and pretty dull when you get down to it. I commited to it so I decided to continue on. During the process I even broke a few of the sticks. I had no idea what they would do, or for that matter how to even use them. Guess I'll get a book and read about them. Anyway, for everyone's amusement. I present Alan's first ever pastel landscape. Ughhhh.

10 comments:

Margaret Ann said...

This is a really fun piece...so icy and clear and lush-just like I would imagine the mountains in the northwest to be.

Pastels are an interesting art medium...they make color blending very interesting. Nice job here! :)

E-J said...

Well, Alan, if this is what you can produce with the cheapies, I'm excited to think what you'll do with artist's quality oil pastels! You've used a variety of strokes and blended colours effectively. Nice work!

quirkyartist said...

The quality makes a huge amount of difference with oil pastels. Also the different brands have different textures. Senneliers, for example, are soft, and should go on the top layers.

Unknown said...

Wow this is great!

Anetka said...

great job Alan! I've never tried oil pastels before...I like the way you managed the grass and foreground.

Sherry Pierce Thurner said...

No?! WIll the art police come get me because my oil pastels get used about once a year? :) Your Mt Shasta is nice and bright. Is there any way you can take some of that blue and use it in the foreground? Or bring some darker colors into the mountain for modeling? Just thoughts.

Sandy said...

Fantastic first here! - I have never worked large either, nor with pastels.

Anonymous said...

Nice work, I see Mt. Shasta every morning but Ive never been brave enough to draw it, maybe now Ill have the courage to try. Isn't it lovely? I hope you had a chance to drive through Mt. Lassen when you were here. Its very inspiring.

Margaret McCarthy Hunt said...

Nice job...love all the texture you got with the cross hatching...and nice color variations in the greens...GREAT job...I think you have a definite talent for this...

soulbrush said...

i don't like oil pastels much and i don't like landscapes, but you did well...