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Saturday, December 16, 2017

Last Minute Minis with a Surprise Pastel


'Magic in the Forest'      2.5 x 3.5      pastel       ©Karen Margulis
 I had a surprise this week!  I decided to paint a few mini pastels to use for holiday gifts. I started out doing a series of magical winter forest scenes. I started with dark blue and built up layers of green in the fir trees. Then I spotted a small sparkly green peeking out at me from the box.  I felt the excitement build as I took it out of the box.

And then I made a mark with it. It felt wonderful as I added some of this iridescent green to my trees. It was soft and smooth and let a sparkly trail that added just the right color and punch to my trees. It was magic!
A fun little pastel.....Diane Townsend iridescent pastel 503D
I have other iridescent pastels but for some reason I love the green ones the best. They tend to add just the right touch to trees. I have another one in my plein air box and everyone in awhile I use it and I always enjoy the effect. 

Tip: The trick to using a sparkly pastel and making it work is to make sure you are using the right value and color. This way the sparkle is subtle and blends right into the surroundings.


Wrapped and ready for last minute gifts



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1 comment:

  1. robertsloan2art6:53 PM

    Yes! That's exactly it. I discovered that with metallic colored pencils - if I got the color and value right, sparkling adds a nuance but doesn't overpower what I'm doing. Works with iridescent watercolors too, presumably would be similar in oils or acrylics. Really tempted by a set of Sennelier iridescents though, because those are finishing pastels.

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