Get Ready for Green!

'Back to Stone Harbor'                 12 x 19.5             pastel              ©Karen Margulis
sold

 Green. I used to avoid it.  Dare I say I didn't even like it! Painting with it that is.  But since I live in the Southeast which is the Land of Green I have come to embrace it and maybe even like it.  I still long for the desert and the wonderful colors of the Southwest. But as long as I can visit at least once a year I am happy living and painting in the Land of Green.

 Most of my paintings have been very green this week.  I think it is partly due to being winter weary and ready for spring.  I also did some green paintings as demos for my classes on creating depth. It is easy to show how to create depth with a green landscape. It gets trickier with warmer colors.

Are you ready to paint the greens of spring and summer?  Here are a few quick tips....

'Florida Wetlands'             8x10            pastel
click here to purchase $125

• Make sure you have the *right* green pastels. If you plan to paint a lot of green landscapes you will want to have a good selection of greens.....light, middle and dark values. You need some warm and cool greens but you also need some neutral of gray greens.  Many introductory sets don't include enough of the right greens. Many have a majority of middle value in bright artificial looking greens. These greens can be overpowering in a landscape unless balanced with neutrals.

• Lay out all of your green pastels....give them a good cleaning with a paper towel or by shaking them in cornmeal or sand.....now evaluate them. Make a list of the greens you are lacking and order some open stock of your favorite brands.

• Remember that you can make your green landscapes more interesting by incorporating the complement in your green masses. Greens are more exciting with some red or orange.  Add some purple for the finishing touch.

'Down by the Creek'          8x10        pastel
click here to purchase $125