Have you Tried Diane Townsend Dry Ground?

'Call of the Sea'                 8x10                  ©Karen Margulis
available $155

I don't know what took me so long to try these! I saw them when they were first introduced but I didn't get around to ordering them right away. I finally bought all of the available colors at the end of last year. I have been itching to try them!  Was it worth the wait? So far the answer is a big YES!

I did a complete review of Diane Townsend Dry Ground over on my Patreon Page as well as some demos but I wanted to share some thoughts with you! If you are familiar with Diane Townsend pastels these look like her Terrage pastels only a bit bigger. These are blocks of a ground that you apply to paper to add some tooth for pastels. They allow you to use unsanded papers and create a more toothy surface. Not only can this save you money it gives you a new type of surface to work on.

WHAT I LIKE SO FAR ABOUT THE DRY GROUNDS:
I actually enjoy working on unsanded papers such as Canson mi-teintes. Sometimes I feel I am in the minority but there is something nice about the softness of the paper. I also enjoy working on papers not normally used for pastel such as printmaking papers.....Somerset and BFK Rives....the dry ground adds a subtle tooth that is just right for me. It is not an aggressive toothy surface. It is soft and gentle. I am looking forward to more experiments with this product!

https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Townsend-Dry-Grounds

Diane Townsend Dry Ground

You can also tone the paper with pastel and the dry ground

closeup of the figure

Come see the complete step by step demo of today's painting over on my Patreon Page. www.patreon.com/karenmargulis. We are also exploring the addition of figures to our landscapes!