An Interesting Technique for Creating Texture in Clouds

'Drama on the High Plains'          11x14          pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $165

My focus for the month of April will be Skies and Clouds. I will be crossing Texas on the way to Tucson for the Plein Air Convention (more on this soon) and I hope to experience some beautiful skies! I will also be teaching a mini workshop in June for the First Coast Pastel Society and our focus will be on the sky.

I thought I'd get a head start and paint some clouds today. I selected a stormy sky reference photo and decided to do an underpainting with some new supplies. I have had this set of Cretacolor hard pastels for awhile and haven't had a chance to use them. I selected a piece of white pastel premier and got to work.

I layered some blues and purples in the sky and some dirt colors on the ground. I had limited colors in my started set.  Next I did an alcohol wash to liquify the pastel with the hopes of getting some interesting cloud shapes. Then my underpainting took an interesting turn.

I had a baby wipe in my hand and I used it to dab a big drip. It removed a bit of the pastel as well. It got me thinking. What if I used the baby wipe as a tool? What would happen? So a bunched up the wipe and pressed it into the paper. It removed pastel and left some interesting textural marks.  I dabbed some more...the alcohol in the baby wipes was having an effect on the surface of the paper. Parts of the sanded surface were moving around.

This might have been a problem but I embraced the movement. It might create interesting effects when the pastel is applied! The underpainting was quite interesting!

The alcohol wash with baby wipe texture

 The result.....It was interesting and I love when things get interesting. There was definitely a feeling of irregular texture when I applied my pastel layers. The paper took on a different feel and my marks looked rougher than usual. But I enjoyed the change. And the Cretacolor hard pastels were very nice!
I think I will continue exploring this technique!

Five Tips for More Painterly Bluebonnets

'Time for Bluebonnets'          5x7        pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $75

It's all about expression. I want to capture the essence of a flower. I am not interested in a photographic likeness or a botanical illustration. I want to use color and value and marks to suggest the flower. There are some things I do to help me achieve a more painterly flower and I will share them with this pastel demonstration of some Bluebonnets.

Tip #1  It begins with study. It is important to get to know the flower. What colors are they? What are their growth habits? What kind of foliage do they have. Sketching them and observing them from life is a good start. Photos don't tell the whole story so real life observation is important. I paint from my photos but I make sure to spend time observing in real life too.

Tip #2 Start the flowers as simply as possible. Look at the overall shape. Draw an imaginary outline around the flower head to get an idea of the typical shape. In the case of Bluebonnets, they are upright shapes of various heights. They are comprised of individual petals that grow from the center stem. The petals resemble the bonnets pioneer women wore hence their name. I start a bluebonnet by lightly drawing the overall shape. I will refine the individual petals as the painting progresses.

Tip #3  Begin the flower with the darkest blue pastel you see. Bluebonnets range in color with a mix of blues to even pink and sometimes even white. When painting the typical 'Blue' Bluebonnet I always use blue or purple to block in the flowers. I rarely underpaint the flowers with a color other than blue or purple. I don't want to dilute the intenseness of the blue. I begin with the darkest blue-violet I have. I know I can get lighter so I want a nice rich dark base.

Tip #4  Create a small set of Bluebonnet colors. I like to choose the sticks of blue and purple that I will use for my flowers and line them up from darkest to lightest. I start by blocking in the darkest blues and purples and then gradually layer the lighter colors. I allow some areas of dark to peek through to give variety. I am still keeping the flowers heads simple upright shapes. I will begin to refine them after layering several colors.

Tip #4 Use Negative Painting to define the flowers. I paint the background and allow it to carve and define the petal shapes. I use the colors in the background like a knife....covering chunks of the blue to create petals. This is a great way to have suggested petals rather than stiffly painted petal shapes. I will paint some petal shapes using thick chunky strokes after I have refined the flower heads.

Tip #5 Use lines to define a few petals. I use lines sparingly but sometimes a well place linear mark can call attention to a petal and pull it forward. I don't want every petal to have the same level of detail....only on the flowers that are the most important.

With a few simple tips I am able to get a more painterly flower. Remember too that practice goes a long way in making bold and confident marks.

A few colors that I used for my Bluebonnets

It is not to late to come paint the Bluebonnets with Marsha Savage and me in Dripping Springs Texas. We just had two cancellations and would love to fill the openings. The workshop is plein air and is open to artists of all experience levels. The dates are April 9,10, 11. Email me for more information. karenmargulis@gmail.com

The Importance of Sprinkles

'Summertime in Maine'          8x10         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $150 

 What would we do without sprinkles? Cupcakes would be boring for one thing. Ice-cream would be missing something. Sprinkles add the finishing touch to dessert.

A painting needs sprinkles too.

 I am preparing for a pastel demo for a local elementary school and was trying to find a way to describe the painting process in terms they could relate to. The cupcake and sprinkle analogy makes a lot of sense and not just for children! Today's painting illustrates this idea perfectly.

the painting before the finishing touches

I uncovered this older painting when searching for a painting of Maine for a collector. It was a nice concept and I enjoyed the colors but it was lacking something. The values seemed good and I didn't mind the composition so what was wrong? It was like a nice piece of cake but it wasn't very appealing. It lacked the frosting and the sprinkles. The frosting was needed to add contrast and the sprinkles were needed to bring the painting to life!

Often we stop painting just short of adding the sprinkles. We end up with a nice cupcake but we could make it even better with some well placed sprinkles.

To make this painting come to life I started at the top and added fresh pastel to the sky. I used a lighter green applied with a heavier hand to push the distant grass back. I used heavier marks for my final marks. Next I sprayed fixative on the foreground to darken it. I added more intense blues and purples to the Lupines so that they stood out from the grass. Finally I added a vibrant green to the grass where I wanted the viewer's eye to go.

Now scroll back up to the newly decorated painting. I love adding the sprinkles to a painting!

Stage two...darken the foreground before adding sprinkles

A Tip for Creating Depth in a Landscape Painting

'Blue Meadows'          8x10       pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $150

I am always amazed at the ability artists have to create a feeling of depth in a landscape painting. After all we only have paint and a flat surface. The depth is only an illusion but a very magical one when it is done well.  Learning the principles of aerial or atmospheric perspective and linear perspective is the key to creating believable depth. Putting them to practice is another matter.  I have a tip that helps remind me that creating depth is in my power!  Here is a mini demo with my tip and thoughts:

For today's bluebonnet meadow painting I choose to do a dry wash and block in the big shapes with a combination of the correct values and local color. I use masses of blue to help me suggest the masses of flowers. I am working on Uart 500 sanded paper.

I soften the first layer with a piece of pipe insulation foam. Once everything is soft and out of focus it allows me to decide where to put the detail. Next comes the additional pastel layers and here is my tip for creating believable depth:

Start at the top and work your way down. 

What this means is you begin with the sky and then address the most distant landscape features first and move to the middle ground and finish with the foreground.  This seems to be the best way for me to remember to make changes at each plane of the landscape according to those principles of aerial perspective....lighter, cooler, less contrast, less detail, less intense color, smaller shapes, overlapping shapes....

As you move forward it is easy to make these adjustments to create the magic!

The distant mountains are cool, dull and fuzzy. Then I move to the distant trees and grasses.

The dried  grass in the distance is a duller and lighter yellow. I apply my pastel with narrow horizontal strokes to set it back into the distance.
I use more intense and warmer yellows as I move closer to the foreground.

Everything in the foreground is still out of focus. I have to decide where I want the most clarity. I darken the immediate foreground with fixative. I don't want the detail to be right at the bottom of the paper. The dark foreground lets the eye move into the painting.

I choose a few of the flower masses in this foreground to mid ground area and use more intense colors and more detail. Working from front to back allowed me to slow down and make thoughtful choices!

I forgot to give the coupon code for my Spring Painting Sale on Etsy!  Use Coupon code SPRING40 when you check out!  www.etsy.com/shop/karenmargulisfineart

Bird Nest Painting Demo

'Renewal'             6x6              pastel          ©Karen Margulis
available $75

'Gathering Eggs'      6x6         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
sold

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. 

I love painting bird nests. I haven't painted them in awhile but there I remember once I went on nest painting marathon. I had painted them for days and then I was out of ideas. I went upstairs to make lunch and realized I had my painting apron still on. Looking at it got my attention. Wow! my apron has the best color palette for a nest. It even has little turquoise birds on it. So I quickly ate lunch and ran back downstairs to paint another little nest!  

Moral of the story: Always be open to inspiration. It can come at the oddest times and from the strangest places. Enjoy today's mini demo!

I start with a quick drawing on dark brown Canson paper, smooth side      size  6x6

I block in the dark masses. Building the nest from big simple shapes before any details.

Putting in the eggs. They will be refined later in the painting.

Continuing to build the nest with darkest colors to lightest. Mixing thick and thin lines.

Putting in the background color...spring greens. Adding some violets in the nest.

Continuing to weave the nest with thin and thick strokes and mixing browns and violets.

Putting in the finishing touches...brighter straw and touches of turquoise. Refining the eggs.

The finished painting along side my very inspiring painting apron!

Spring Painting Sale!

Visit my Etsy shop for a 40% savings on all of my paintings. This week only!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/karenmargulisfineart

How to Ship an Unframed Pastel Painting

'Sunny Days'        6x6  inches         pastel           ©Karen Margulis
available for 40% discount

It is a great question and one I get all of the time....How do I ship my pastel paintings. I decided that it was time to bring an article about shipping out of the archives and present it again. I hope you find it helpful. Be sure to scroll down to the end for a special treat!

'Just Add Sunshine'    4x4   available 40% savings

I've got my shipping down to a science. I have packaging and shipping unframed pastels down to a science.  I have shipped hundreds of pastel paintings to their new homes. And the method I use has not failed me. My paintings arrive safe and sound. I only ship unframed paintings. If I ship a framed piece to a show I use an airfloat box. So what is my shipping method? I make a foamcore sandwich! Here's how I do it:

A painting all ready to ship safely wrapped in it's foamcore sandwich

• Cut the foamcore so that it is a few inches larger than the painting. I use a utility knife. I cut a double wide piece, score it in the middle so that it can fold shut.

• Tape painting inside the foamcore using white artist tape. I hinge the tape. See my post on hinging tape here.

• Cut a piece of glassine paper slightly larger than the painting and tape it down to cover the painting. I usually only tape two sides so the glassine can be lifted to view the painting. I get my glassine on rolls and cut it to fit. A roll lasts me a long time.

• Close the cover of the foamcore sandwich and tape shut. I have printed a label with instructions that I put on the foamcore (see below)

• I slip my foamcore sandwich into a clearbag that has a self adhesive strip. I include some business cards, a bio, pastel care information and a thank you card.

• I have just started to wrap the whole package in nice gift wrap with a handmade card.

The finished package with my information and business cards

The painting is all wrapped and ready to ship

The painting is now ready to be slipped into a padded envelope or Priority Mail box depending on it's size. If it is over 8x10 then I have to make my own box from a couple of Priority Mail boxes. I save my Dakota and Blick paper order boxes for shipping large paintings. I use USPS for all of my shipping and after shipping hundreds of paintings I have never had a problem (knocking on wood here!)

And now for the treat!  I have decided to offer a Spring Savings of 40% on all paintings in my Etsy store. It is time to make for the paintings I will be doing on my upcoming trips! Visit my Etsy shop to see what's available. I have paintings in all sizes. Use coupon code SPRING40 at checkout for the 40% savings.

www.etsy.com/shop/karenmargulisfineart

Inspired by a Thrift Store Find

'Cherry Tree After Van Gogh'         8x10       pastel
$145

"I'm up to my ears in work, for the trees are in blossom" Van Gogh

Inspiration and painting ideas come to me in some unusual ways. Yesterday I made a stop at one of my favorite thrift stores on my way home from errands. I took a quick glance through the books as I always do and was excited to find a book on Van Gogh's flowers. I was tempted to put it back. I have so many books on Van Gogh and I was pretty sure I had one on his flowers......but maybe not this same book. So I quickly leafed through the pages. One particular painting stopped me in my tracks.

It was Van Gogh's 'Pink Peach Trees'. I didn't remember ever having seen it before but it called to mind the wonderful colors of our Georgia Spring. In fact I immediately thought of my front yard and my cherry trees that are in full bloom.

My thrift store find

I was inspired! The book went into my cart and I rushed home to so I could paint. I decided that I would be guided by Van Gogh's peach tree and use his same palette of colors. I chose some pastels that were close to the colors I saw in Van Gogh's painting.

choosing a palette inspired by Van Gogh

I dove into the painting and just let go. I let myself glance at the painting in the book form time to time but mostly I just responded and let my own cherry tree emerge. I had so much fun that I repeated the tree two more times. It was such a fun experience....acting on unexpected inspiration!

"At the moment I am absorbed in the blooming fruit trees, pink peach trees,yellow-white pear trees. My brush stroke has no system at all"  Vincent Van Gogh

Try an Unexpected Underpainting Technique

'Knee Deep in Wildflowers'        5x7        pastel      ©Karen Margulis

I am always learning something new! Just when you think you have tried everything for underpaintings you learn about some new possibilities. A few weeks ago a reader told me about Brusho Crystal Colours. They sounded intriguing so of course I had to try them.

Adding the crystals and spritzing them with water

I am all for anything that can create an unexpected and vibrant underpainting and this product seemed to do just that. Brush Crystals are watercolor powders that are activated by spraying water or dropping the power into water. The colors are mixable. I only had time to briefly experiment with one color but already I am imagining the possibilities. I am interested in trying to add them to regular watercolor underpaintings next!
Here is some info on Brusho Crystals from the manufacturer:

Brusho Crystal Colour

Extensive range of 32(8 new colours) highly concentrated colours - three sizes available : 15gm, 50gm and 100gm which may be purchased individually or in sets as detailed below. • A unique, transparent, highly pigmented water-colour ink powders giving wonderful bursts of colour when used, exclusively manufactured by us at our factory in Sheffield. Brusho® crystal colour offers a very good degree of light fastness. • Totally intermixable, Brusho® can be used for everything from painting scrap box models and the burst of colour achieved when using our simple sprinkle techniques is perfect for background colours on paper, card and fabric , to water colour design work and wood staining. • Outstanding effects can be achieved when Brusho ® is used for design work/decorative effects on fabric e.g. for wall-hangings etc. (Not fixable on fabric). • Brusho® is used in educational establishments at all levels and by all age groups - by primary school children - professional artists - teachers and lecturers in art and craft etc. • Even after many years of using Brusho ® new possibilities will still be found for this highly interesting product. • Illustrated leaflet giving some ideas and techniques supplied with each order, together with simple stippling technique and shade card. Non-Toxic.

You can find them online on Amazon and on Blicks. I will do a more thorough review when I have a chance to put them through their paces. Consider this a tease!
Let me know if you have used Brusho Crystals and how you used them!

A Playful Approach to Underpainting

'Welcome Spring'        8x10        pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $145

 I took the day off yesterday. I had good intentions but instead it was a day of doing nothing. So this morning I entered the studio with renewed energy.  I was anxious to paint something fun. Something just for me . Something with no intentions other than enjoying the process of painting. It was time to play!

Spring is evident here in North Georgia so painting a spring landscape was an obvious inspiration.  I selected a photo of some blooming trees and made my plan. I decided my focus would be the two big trees and the light and ethereal blooms.....but how could I best get this effect?

gouache and salt...an underpainting recipe

Deciding on an Underpainting Technique
As we discussed in my recent workshop there are so many ways we can start a pastel painting. There are  many techniques we can use for that first layer....the underpainting. We could be precise and very methodical and set up the painting to solve potential problems. Doing a value underpainting by creating a value map does this. Choosing colors to help create aerial perspective is another. This type of underpainitng is very controlled and has a purpose.

Sometimes though it is just good to let go and play. Try something and see what happens. It gives you freedom. It helps you interpret your subject instead of being too literal. Maybe there will be some happy accidents. A playful approach to an underpainting allows you to enjoy the painting process without concerns over the results. When I play a decent painting is a bonus because the true joy comes from the process.

For today's underpainting I decided to try some Pelikan pan gouache, a tube of white Holbein gouache and some coarse salt. I was hoping for some suggestion of texture from the salt on the wet paint which did occur. I used the white paint thinly in some areas to start building up the blooms in the trees. I used white Pastel Premier paper.

click to enlarge to see the texture

It the end I had an interesting underpainting which made the pastel application fun. I have a basket full of art supplies which can be used for playful underpaintings. They come in handy for days like today when I just want to play. (They are also good for days when I just can't seem to get inspired or motivated to paint....just take out some supplies and see what happens!)