Sunday Studio Video: The Finishing Marks on a Large pastel Painting

'Southern Colors'         30x40       pastel      ©Karen Margulis     sold

 I was back on Facebook Live today with a new video. The topic of the day is 'Finishing a Painting.'  How do I  decide where to put the finishing marks and what they will be?  I answer these questions and more on the video. I show you how I finish this large marsh scene. The video is available on my Facebook page or on my YouTube channel.

As promised I am posting the progress photos of the painting as it developed.

6x8 color study available

Step One: The drawing with pencil

Step two: The underpainting: a layer of Mount Vision pastels rubbed in with pipe insulation foam

Step Three: reinforce the darks and start the sky. 

Step Four: Start at the back and work to the foreground

Step Five: All of the grass is blocked in with big simple marks

Step Six: Adding some details in the grass and the distant buildings...Before the final marks

On the easel waiting for the finishing marks.

How to Rescue a Failed Painting: Video Demo

'A Beautiful Tangle'          11x14       pastel      ©Karen Margulis
available $175

Another great question led to my latest Facebook live demo. I was asked for a recommendation for inexpensive sanded pastel paper. The reader was new to pastels and didn't feel like she was good enough for the pricier papers.  I know this is a common concern with artists new to pastels. They often want to wait until they are 'good enough' to use the good stuff.  Let me address this concern.

USE THE BEST MATERIALS YOU CAN AFFORD AND YOU WILL HAVE GREATER SUCCESS.

There is a reason for this. Good quality pastels and paper are a pleasure to work with and results will often be better than a struggle with inexpensive student grade supplies. Even when we are learning and not always having the greatest results the better papers are a better value because they can be REUSED and RECYCLED!

In my latest 'Sunday Studio' video I demonstrate how I recycled a piece of Uart paper. I used rubbing alcohol to turn a bad painting into an underpainting for a new start. If you don't use Facebook or missed the broadcast you can still see the video in it's raw unedited format on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/6DJTKUAtc9M

The pastels I used for today's paintings

Before I put away the pastels I used for the demo I decided to recycling another piece of Uart in the same way and paint another version of the wildflower seed heads. I hope you enjoy the video! 

'Another Tangle'       5x7        $75

my reference photo

How to Paint Beautiful Skies and Clouds....Live Demo and Booklet

'Passing Clouds'           18x24       pastel       ©Karen Margulis
available $400

 I love wide open spaces. I am happiest when I can see the sky and see the landscape unfold in front of me. Driving across the wide open spaces of Texas and New Mexico on our way to the Plein Air Convention was such a treat. Marsha Savage and I enjoyed watching the sky as we drove. We had one full day of overcast but as we came into New Mexico the sky began to open up and the clouds were magnificent.  A photo taken from the car window was the inspiration for today's demo painting.

This week for my Sunday Studio time live Facebook demo I didn't narrate the painting but instead painted to music and I painted Large! This painting is 18x24. It was fun to have a chance to paint big and get into the zone!

close-up detail

To view the demo on YouTube click here. Be sure to subscribe to my channel so you know when new videos are posted.

If you are interested in learning more about painting beautiful clouds and skies have a look at my new PDF demo booklet. I do a similar demo and give a very detailed step by step description of the painting. This is my biggest booklet yet at 50 double pages and 109 photos! I include many bonus pages so it is like having a mini workshop with me. This booklet is $10 in my etsy shop.

Link to PDF booklet

See a Live Video Demo of this Forest Pastel Painting!

'Summer in Finland'           9x12          pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $155

 It's Sunday Studio Time!  We have been wanting to try doing a Facebook Live video of one of my daily painting sessions and we finally had the opportunity. My husband Michael was using Facebook Live to share our Disney World trip with our daughter who couldn't join us. We thought it would be fun to make a video of me painting. I am calling it 'Sunday Studio Time' and I hope to make a new video every Sunday (when I am home.)  The first video was live on Facebook on Sunday but you can still watch the video on my Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/karen.margulis

I take you through the process of choosing a subject and getting the plan in place for the painting and narrate the painting process through the finish. The finished painting is 'Summer in Finland' a 9x12 pastel on Uart 400 paper.

my reference photo and thumbnail

I began with a very quick thumbnail and then selected my pastel palette. I did a dry wash underpainting using 4 pink and red pastels rubbed into the paper with pipe insulation.

the pastels I used for the painting

I invite you to visit my Facebook page and watch the video. You can still comment or ask questions and I will do my best to answer them as quickly as possible. I hope you enjoy spending some studio time with me!!