Planning and Executing a Wildflower Painting

   'A Walk Through the Roses'               18x24        pastel        ©Karen Margulis      available $575

Last evening I had the pleasure of doing a zoom presentation and demo for the Lake County Art League. I love sharing the wonderful world of pastels with a group of artists who may not have experience with the medium. I love to share my passion for this vibrant and luminous medium. During the meeting I  shared some pastel basics and then did an 18x24 demo painting. I'd like to share my planning board and finished painting with you. 

I always like to begin a big painting with a plan. This helps me avoid the frustration that can often occur when I try to wing it! My plan includes doing a small value thumbnail that will be my road map for starting the painting. I also take some time to select the pastels for the painting. I like to use a limited palette. I will often do a small color study to try out my pastel palette selection. I also decide what type of underpainting and underpainting colors.

For this demo painting I decided to keep it simple and I used my Terry Ludwig Floral landscape set with a few Nupastels and a few Schmincke half sticks for the finishing marks. I did use the harder Nupastels for the initial block in. I used a piece of dark gray Murano pastel paper by Daler Rowney. This is inexpensive paper with a texture that some may or may not like. I do like the effect the texture gives to the painting. 

Here is a photo of the painting at the end of the demo time. The meeting was over and I needed some time away from the painting to decide on the final marks. I will put the finished painting underneath so you can see both together. Can you see what I added to the painting?