TheArtistApril2016__

34

that once you start to apply pastel

there is an immediate juxtaposition of

colour that adds a lively appearance to

an area, and subsequent small touches

of colour add further to this sensation.

Once dry, I can begin to apply the

pastel in light, broad strokes over the

main areas, suggesting the local colours

without worrying too much about

accuracy. It’s important not to fill in too

much of the surface with pastel, as this

can make further applications of colour

rather difficult. When painting outside I

tend to start with the sky. By setting the

tonal value here, I can assess how light

or dark to make the other larger areas

of colour. Even when I choose not to

use realistic colours, getting the actual

tone right is important. If some areas

appear the same tonally, they can be

separated by using different colours,

whilst still retaining the same tonal

value.

Palette choices

I use a very basic palette of watercolours

for the underpainting, which includes

ultramarine, cerulean, cobalt blue,

cadmium red, cadmium yellow light

and burnt sienna. I have a selection of

pastels from different manufacturers

including Unison, Jackson’s, Sennelier

and Schmincke. Deciding which colours

to take with me depends on the time of

year and sometimes the weather. In

spring I include a selection of blues

artistApril 2016 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

DEMONSTRATIONDumworth Farm

STAGE ONE

The main areas of the grass verges were indicated very loosely in black Conté,

whilst the farm buildings were drawn with a little more care. A mixture of burnt

sienna and Winsor violet was washed over the sky and path and the mass of green

painted with a mixture of cobalt blue and raw sienna, keeping the washes as loose

and as simple as possible

STAGE TWO

For the darker foliage in the distance I added a little

Hooker’s green to the cobalt blue and raw sienna mix.

The buildings and wall were painted with burnt sienna

and ultramarine, and a few areas of grass were indicated

with a darker version of the original colour. The whole

process so far was completed in about 15 minutes, and

while the paper was drying I set about organising the

pastels I was going to use for the painting. I estimated

that the painting would take about two hours to

complete from this point, and as it was the middle of the

day, the light wasn’t going to alter too much. There was

some sun but not enough to create too many shadows,

so the painting could be done at a leisurely pace

STAGE THREE

Most of my initial marks were made with the pastel

dragged lightly and sideways-on. After some pale blue

was dragged over the sky, I distributed other colours in

their various positions all over the page without trying

to finish any part of the picture until the very last stage. I

tentatively added some hatching marks to the distant

trees to assess the effect of these colours on top of the

watercolour wash. By keeping the whole painting

moving at an even pace everything remained unified

and adjustable

and greens, violets, mauves and subtle

in-between colours, as well as paler

yellows, creams and pinks. My palette

in winter will be different but will

include some greys and browns. In

summer and autumn I include colours

that are warmer and richer in hue. By

overlaying colours and placing them

side-by-side you can achieve an effect

just as good as, if not better than,

having exactly the right colour with you.

Working process

I apply colour using a variety of strokes;

some are light and hatched diagonally

or horizontally, others are heavy and

applied with more vigour. Occasionally

I use a finger to rub over parts if I feel

