38 artistMay 2020 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
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had transformed with lusher greens
After a bit of bad-tempered adjustment,
according to my wife that is, I was able
to adapt to this challenge by optically
mixing warmer blues and yellows to
match the greens where necessary.
Having just enough breadth in the
range of pastels in your travel kit should
just about cover all eventualities!
Green can be one of those
troublesome colours; I know a number
of oil and watercolour painters who
prefer to mix greens rather than using
tube green. Pastels are similar in that
the especially bright and bold emerald
greens can look a little too much and
mixing optically can create a more
satisfying effect. For me, positioning
marks of colour next to each other,
rather than finger-blending, can create
a fresher look for the type of painting
I do. A selection of really juicy deep
darks is vital in my colours; I do love
violets and blues that are so dark that
they are almost black.
It is easy to go too light too quick
and end up with a chalky finish to the
painting; punchy darks used judiciously
in the earlier stages help avoid this
problem. Other than scenes where
your subject is deliberately high key,
confident darks can be the key to a
successful painting. Do not imagine that
pastels can only deliver soft delicate
tones as there are plenty of deep,
powerful dark colours available in most
artist-quality ranges.
The other overlooked section of the
palette is neutrals. Those seemingly
boring greys and soft earthy colours
are just as important as the sensational
saturated pinks and turquoises. This
supporting cast of neutrals really
allows the brighter colours to sing. I
do blend and smudge the early layers
of pastel, like a dry underpainting – a
necessity with La Carte Card as it is
not tolerant of any liquid. However, as
the work develops, I limit blending to
preserve the velvety surface unique
to pastel and also to allow the marksto add a freshness to the painted
surface. Over-blending can lead to an
overall softness, especially with plein-
air landscapes, eradicating a sense
of depth and resulting in a rather
diminished, flat painting.Restriction
One of the restrictions I put on myself
when travelling by air is that all my
painting equipment must fit in my carry-
on hand luggage. This does restrict my
painting size but in turn encourages
me to work faster and looser and, as a
consequence, I do produce more pieces
whilst on a trip.
This light travelling set up I use
when abroad is more or less the same
as the one I use at home, with the
addition of a small box of well-used
but not always seemingly appropriate
favourites. Having a limited set of
colours for painting on the go means
you get to know that colour selection
intimately and are able to anticipate
colour choices more fluently when
working in front of the subject. Let’s
face it, there are enough challenges
when painting en plein air so this kind of
forward planning makes the process a
little smoother and consequently more
enjoyable. Inevitably the surprises that
nature throws us – such as a very green
Spain – makes us think on our feet and
hopefully this discipline filters into the
way we work in the studio. You can find
yourself feeling more adventurous and
less precious about every decision you
make. It certainly did for me.p Sierra Espuna, Spain, pastel, 9¼ 3 12½in (24 3 32cm)p Near Lorca, Spain, pastel, 9¼ 3 12½in
(24 3 32cm)
TA