Monday Mini Pastel Demo:Mountain Meadow with Alcohol Wash

'Pink Haze'             8x10          pastel         ©Karen Margulis
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You have to have some dirt!  Nothing can grow without the dirt.  I love starting a pastel landscape with a value alcohol wash because it lays down some dirt.  I can build upon the value masses and add the greens and the flowers. It gives them a base to grown on! 

 I began this painting with a dark blue Nupastel. I massed in the big simple shapes of darks, lights and middle values and washed them in with some rubbing alcohol and a brush. The painting went through a color transformation near the end because I decided to add some pink instead of orange.  Follow along and see the progression of the painting!  It is 8x10 on Uart 600 grit.

 My reference photo (very very green) and the value alcohol wash. I'm ready for pastel!

I begin my reinforcing all of the dark shapes using several dark value pastels. A bit lighter and cooler in the distant trees.

I complete the sky using a few blues and pale yellow pastels lightly layered. I break up the tree with some sky holes.

Now I add some greens to the big tree. A lightly applied mix of warm/neutral greens. I love my Terry Ludwig greens!

Next I add the mountain using a mix of blue and blue-gray pastels. I make 'mountain holes' in the tree.

I need some more colorful dirt for my greens so I choose several values of orange. (secret of green)

I begin to layer some green in the grasses using lighter, cooler greens in the distance.

I add some chunkier greens in the foreground and a lighter green on the mowed path.

Here is where I decided to make a color change. I like the peach....but I just used this same color palette in yesterday's painting. To mix it up I decided to go with pink. I layer some pinks in the grasses and add some pink to the sky.

Finishing touches: I spray the tree and foreground with workable fixative so I can get some texture. I add more greens and pinks in the tree and meadow. I put in some hints of pink flowers and grasses in the foreground. Finished!

If you would like to try the value underpainting I have a pdf demo available showing this technique using turpenoid.  You can see details in my Etsy shop here.