http://www.painters-online.co.ukPRACTICAL
artistApril 2016 35
STAGE FOUR
I began to add a bit more detail, still keeping everything as loose as possible.
Several colours were applied in small marks, side-by-side. Touches of mauve
and pink were introduced into the sky and the path. I was aware that the
prevalent colour, green, was in danger of becoming a bit too overpowering
so began to add touches of blue and yellow. The buildings were a bit too
dominant and needed to be softened in some waySTAGE FIVE
Feeling that the painting was becoming a touch too literal, I
began to roughen-up some of the edges to give it a bit more of
a painterly feel. This was achieved by blending some of the
adjacent colours with my finger, and also carefully dragging
these colours over each other with the broadside of the pastel.
I also began to add little flicks of colour here and there to instill
some movement into the paintingFINISHED PAINTING
Dumworth Farm,pastel over watercolour on
Canson Mi-Teintes cream pastel paper,
13 16in (33 41cm).
Still not entirely happy with the painting,
I turned away from the subject and began
dragging more colours over each other,
introducing more tones of mauve and grey-
mauve, particularly in the areas of grass.
These colours were chosen intuitively –
sometimes a better result can be achieved by
using a degree of imagination, rather than
being too precisethe painting is becoming too fiddly, or
if I want to achieve a hazy effect,
although I try not to overdo this as it
can make the picture look a bit weak.
Generally, a variety of pastel strokes
works well and produces a lively and
interesting picture. I like to keep some
areas of the painting fairly obscure
whilst others have more detail. My
intention is to allow viewers to
complete the picture for themselves.
If the light begins to change
dramatically it’s best to stop painting,
as you will be forever altering your
colours. You can either return to the
location on a day when the light is
similar to complete the picture or,
sometimes by looking at what you have
painted a day or two later, a few marks
here and there will be sufficient to
satisfy you that you have done what
you set out to achieve when you first
put pastel to paper (or card).Kevin Scully
trained at Wimbledon School of Art. He has
worked in the theatre and television as a
scenic artist, and as an illustrator in advertising
and publishing. He is a winner of the Winsor &
Newton Painting Prize and the Clairefontaine
Art Award. Kevin’s latest book Still Life in
Gouachewas published by The Crowood Press;
a second book, Drawing and Painting on
Locationis due for publication this year. He
tutors on painting holidays at home and
abroad. http://www.kevinscully.co.uk.
TA