How to Paint a Bright Overcast Day

'Morning Mist'        8x10        pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $145

 It was an interesting day. Cool and overcast but there was a brightness to the sky that promised clearing weather. I was drawn to the photo I took because of this interesting light and mood but I wasn't sure how I would portray it. The value scale came to the rescue!

 As I looked at my photo and recalled the day I realized that there were no strong darks in the scene. It was so bright that even the dark trees weren't actually dark. That was my answer! If I wanted to capture the feeling of the bright overcast conditions I would need to paint in a higher key.....meaning I would only be able to use the values on the light end of the value scale. All the pastels I used would need to be middle value or lighter. My darkest dark would actually be a middle value!

 I did a four value thumbnail sketch with my grayscale markers. I then selected a few pastels that would allow me to see the values I would be able to use. I made some test marks on the value study. I realized that the top blue mark was too dark. It was good to see the test mark so I made another selection for my darkest dark and tested it. It was much better. The test marks helped me select the correct values for my painting.

Note: the very dark test mark on the upper right is a Terry Ludwig eggplant just to show you the darkest value on the scale. I can't use this one!

The photo below shows my first layers. I used the section of pastels I selected for my test marks. Now I knew the extremes of value that I would be able to use. The rest of the painting was just a matter of layering other colors that were the same light to middle light values that I had already established.
I did add some tree trunks and branches with vine charcoal so these darker marks are small accents in my high key scene. High Key did the trick!

What's Happening on Patreon?

This week's challenge is to paint a scene in high key. We also have a new private Facebook group which is off to a great start. I am so excited to see everyone share and support one another. Consider joining us over on patreon and Facebook . www.patreon.com/karenmargulis

Making Good Use of Added Texture

'Down in the Dunes'          9x12       pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $165

I remember being hunkered down on a bench. My pastels were on my lap. I was as sheltered from the wind as possible but still able to see the magnificent view before me. There was no way I could stand at an easel under the conditions but I was determined to stay and paint. The air was fresh but the sun felt lovely. Ireland in the summer! I made great memories last summer at Art in the Open and my photos continue to give me inspiration. I took one out for today's painting. It was perfect for my old textured board.

an older unfinished demo with a textured bottom half

I found an older unfinished demo painting in my pile of unfinished objects. I had used it as a demo to illustrate how to add texture by adding clear gesso to a painting. In this case I painted the clear gesso over the first layers of pastel. This liquified the pastel and created a dark base. The pastel layers on top of the base revealed the texture.  I knew I could make better use of the texture with a new painting. I brushed off the loose pastel and drew the shapes of the new scene.

Brushed off and ready to reinvent!

The blue sky was already started to I began at the top and worked my way down through the sea into the dunes and grasses. When I got to the grasses I began with some dark pastels to create some dirt. I then layered several layers of greens. I enjoyed how the green pastels skipped over the grooves of the gesso creating the suggestion of grass.

I finished with the addition of some flowers and some individual grass strokes with my harder pastels.  It is so much fun to reuse paper and reinvent a painting!

close up of the textured grass

Try This for Your Next Pastel Painting

'Along the River'          8x10       pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $145

You finished a painting. Now what? You may have a pile of pastels that you have been using. (unless you are disciplined and put them all away neatly!) Don't be so quick to clean up! Why not reuse those pastels? After all you took the time to choose and use colors that have hopefully worked in your last painting.

Why not challenge yourself to use them in another painting!  Get more milage from your hard work and challenge yourself to make the same  palette work for another painting....even if it isn't the same scene!

If you have seen any of my demos then you know that I like to choose a selection of pastels before I start a painting. This helps me to have clean and harmonious color. BUT I don't like putting the pastels back in my big box when I am done. I actually have 5 trays so that I don't have to keep cleaning up. When all trays are filled it is time to have a big clean up. Today I decided to challenge myself to reuse yesterday's pastel palette.

Pastels used for a beach/dune painting

I chose a photo taken in the South Carolina Lowcountry. I knew that most of the pastels used for my beach dunes would work for this painting. I needed the same darks. I needed some of the greens and some of the lights. I didn't need the pinks so I removed them from the tray. Instead I needed some browns and red oranges for the tree so I added a few. For the most part the pastels stayed the same which saved me time and allowed me to get painting!

The pastels with the pinks removed and the oranges added

I might just use this same palette again before they get put away! It is a fu challenge that helps you get to know your pastels even better!  Disclaimer: I did end up adding another purple to the tray which is not in the photo!

My Favorite Tips for Painting LARGE!

'Over the Dunes'          24x30           pastel       ©Karen Margulis     sold

 I love painting large! I don't do it often but when I do I am always reminded of how valuable it is as a learning experience. I just finished a large commission which was inspired by one of my older beach dune paintings. I put together some tips to help you go big!

I am using unmounted Uart paper that I taped to a big piece of
gator board. The gator board is rigid and works well as a drawing board.

This is my collection of Mount Vision pastels. I keep these in a tray for use
on LARGE paintings. I might use a few other pastel brands but
the majority of the painting is done with the Mount Vision pastels.

This photo shows the first layer block in with the Mount Visions.
I am using colors that are darker and bolder than what I want
to finish with. BE BOLD!

I use a piece of pipe insulation foam to rum in the first layer.

TIPS FOR PAINTING LARGE

•  Planning is the key! Don’t begin painting without a plan: concept and black & white thumbnail, then color choices.

•  Choose your pastel palette in advance. 

•  Do a small color study to test your palette

•  HAVE NO FEAR!

•  Start with an underpainting to get a head start and use less pastel. I like Mount Vision pastels for large painting block-in. In fact Mount Vision pastels can be used for the entire painting. They are great workhorse pastels.

•  START BIG: paint the big shapes first. Keep things big and simple for as long as possible.

• Save the details (decoration) for the end

• MOVE! Allow your arm and whole body to get into the painting. Think Big Bold strokes.
• Play some epic music. I love painting to movie scores!

I just posted my latest Step by Step demo on my Patreon page. Have you wondered how to interpret values in a value thumbnail with color? I address this question in this demo. Check it out. A subscription to my Patreon page is just $4 a month. www.patreon.com/karenmargulis

Here are some recent comments:

"This is just the kind of comprehensive demo that I find useful! Thank you so much! So many questions answered."

"Thank you for such a detailed demonstration! So helpful explaining and showing the same value but different temperature and how it all works together. Also incredibly helpful showing closeups of stick selections and explaining the nuances between them. Going in to paint right now. Thank you, Karen!!!"

"I learn something from all your posts and videos, but this time I learned a ton. I never would have guessed that some of those dune colors were the same value until I squinted. Such a surprise, and such a valuable lesson. Thank you!!!"

Art Inspiration from a Football Player

'Sweet Dunes'         8x10        pastel       ©Karen Margulis
available $145

Even if you aren't a football fan keep reading! I came across a quote from a football player that applies to art as well as football. Really! It makes perfect sense. Read it below and think about how it can apply to painting.

Planning for a painting is not always fun. Once something inspires us we are often impatient to get right to the painting. Doing a thumbnail can slow us down....or so we think.  Taking time to plan the painting will actually save us time in the long run. Planning is the 'unspectacular preparation'. But planning pays off. Often with some spectacular achievements such as a painting we are really happy with! Preparing for a painting gives us a roadmap to follow. We can then let go and paint with passion.

I took about 20 minutes to plan today's painting. It began with finding one of my plein air studies from my trip to Ireland. Got excited about the scene and decided to make a larger studio painting of these rose covered dunes.

my 5x7 plein air study

Next I went through my photos and found two photos I took of the dunes. I printed them out. I took out an index card and my value markers and did a quick 4 value thumbnail sketch. I still wasn't ready to paint. There was one more step to my preparation.

The plan for the painting....4 value thumbnail and reference photos

I took a few minutes to go through my big box of pastels to choose the palette for my painting. I arranged the pastels by element in the scene and placed them in a tray. Now I was ready to step up to the easel and paint! The preparation wasn't exciting but it helped me paint with more joy and confidence!

Selecting my pastels before I start the painting

A Quick and Easy Way to Get Texture in a Pastel Painting

'Here Comes the Sun'          10x8         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $145

• There is a fun and easy way to add texture to a pastel painting. It starts BEFORE painting. You simply brush on some CLEAR GESSO to your favorite paper and let it dry.  The clear gesso has a slight grittiness and this combined with random brushstrokes creates a textured surface to paint on. 
• If you want a rougher surface you can add powdered pumice to your gesso but I find the clear gesso to be sufficient. 
• You can also use the gesso on any pastel paper including unsanded papers. Watercolor paper is a great paper to use.
• You apply the gesso to prep the paper. If you want to use it during the painting be aware that the gesso will liquify the pastel creating darkish mud. (which is sometimes just what you need!)

The sunflower painting is done on Canson Mi-Teintes paper that I coated with clear gesso. The painting below and the commentary is another one done on a clear gesso and pumice surface. Enjoy the post from the archives.

'Sunny Days'          10x14          pastel         ©Karen Margulis  sold

I needed a little sunshine today. After painting snow for the last few weeks it was time for a landscape filled with sunshine. There is no better way to showcase the sunlight than with the addition of shadows! With that thought in mind I made a plan for today's painting. I'm taking you behind the scenes and inside my head as I share the thoughts behind the making of this painting.

a home made board with some fun texture

I had  leftover clear gesso and pumice concoction. I am working on a big painting and added texture this morning with the gesso and pumice powder. I didn't want to waste my concoction so I covered a piece of mat board with the leftovers. I added some gold Schminke powder just to see what would happen but I think I was too stingy with it and it didn't do much of anything.

After the board dried I drew my scene with a piece of Nupastel. I was drawn to this scene because of the wonderful light on the grasses and bushes. It would be a fun challenge to paint the shadows so the sunlit areas would be the star.

Blocking in the big shapes with mostly warm and cool colors

Next I blocked in the big shapes with one layer of color. I selected warm colors for the sunlit areas and cool colors for the shadows. You can see the ridges of the ground created by my brushstrokes. I didn't want the white of the board to be a distraction so I rubbed in this first layer with a piece of pipe insulation foam.

Rubbing in the first layer

Now I was left with a soft out of focus landscape. It was just a matter of adding detail and clarity where I wanted it. I began by reinforcing the colors in each shape.The texture of the board created an instant suggestion of grass and foliage. It also made it easy to keep my shapes simple.

Reinforcing the big shapes

It was now time to layer the colors in the trees and grasses. I reminded myself to use cooler blues and greens in the shadows and warmer oranges and yellows in the sunlit areas. I gradually added warmer and brighter colors in the sunlit grasses until I felt like they were sunny enough.

Ready for the details

Once all the colors were in place it was time for the smaller details. The texture already suggested grass so I only needed to put in a few  pieces of grass and hints of flowers.  I also reinforced the light and shadows on the pathway.

Not quite satisfied

 With the addition of a few bright green spices I called the painting finished. I took a photo and was getting ready to upload it to the blog when I realized the blue shadows on the path were not quite right. They were too light and bright. It didn't look like shade. So it went back to the easel for a correction! It was an enjoyable afternoon immersed in the sunshine!  What's on your easel today?

close up of the texture

New Sunday Studio Video Demo: Painting a Marsh

'Adventure Awaits'             11x14         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $175

I'm back to my happy place! Painting every day without anywhere to go or to be. I will be home for the next few weeks and making the most of studio time. Today I had some time to do a new Facebook Live demo. I have uploaded the video to my Youtube channel so if you missed it live you can now watch it on You tube. Here is the link: 

https://youtu.be/HtIf0wxNkEU

In the video I paint one of my favorite marsh scenes from the South Carolina Lowcountry. I share tips for starting a painting using extremes and using a value thumbnail. I didn't add the finishing touches on the video but the photo at the top of the page shows the finish. Have a look at the photo below which is where I stopped. Can you see what I did to finish the painting?

Below are some photos of the painting in progress and my palette of pastels. You can see that I made a test paper of my color choices to see how I liked them. It saves me much aggravation and prevents mud by choosing colors in advance!

This photo shows the value thumbnail that I used to start the painting

How To Start a Stronger Painting

'Windswept Dunes'          8x10        pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $145

Start strong. End strong. That's all you need to do. There are many ways to start a pastel painting....wet underpaintings, dry washes, tonal...it can be overwhelming. I have a few go-to painting starts and I choose them based on the subject and the concept I have for the paintings. In this list of starts there is one that never fails me....BE BOLD. Let me explain what I mean.

When working with pastels it is a good practice to work from dark to light. I like to start by blocking in the darkest values in the painting. What I have learned that if I start with strong darks I have a better chance of having a strong foundation for the painting. If my darks aren't strong enough or if they are too spotty I will have to make corrections and too many corrections often lead to mud.

I have also discovered that if I start the painting with bolder color I will have a painting with more interesting color. Starting the painting with strong darks and bold even unexpected color will allow you to tone down and lighten. Remember you can always adjust the BOLDNESS but it is difficult to add them once the painting is underway.

My palette for today's painting

Today's painting is a good example of starting BOLD. The actual scene was somewhat subdued. I decided to do a dry wash underpainting using bolder colors than I really wanted. I used a bright turquoise for the water, a rich yellow gold for the sand and a bright lime green for the grass. I also used a rich dark blue for the dark areas. Once I rubbed in the first layer I added some rich purples and reds under the grass. These bolder colors will add interest to the green grass.

Remember......Start darker and bolder than your top layers.

The first layer is rubbed in for a dry wash

Adding more rich color under the grass

What's Happening on Patreon This Week

If you haven't tried my Patreon page this is a good week to check it out. We have been focusing on VALUE this month. Value is the key to a successful painting! This week's challenge invites you to edit and paint from my photo and share your results for feedback! Come join us! www.patreon.com/karenmargulis

Our First Camping Trip and a Painting

'Magical Morning'           9x13            ©Karen Margulis        pastel            available $155 

 I couldn't wait to get down to the studio this morning. I had this image in my head that wanted to come out!  I did bring my pastels on my trip to Florida but I never had a chance to get them out. That's OK. Sometimes you just need to experience things fully without worrying about photos or even painting. This was one of those trips!

It was a quick trip to Florida to pick up Bertie the Art Spirit. If you missed the post about Bertie she is our newly acquired pop up camper. We found a great deal in Florida but had to wait until last week to go down and get her. We decided to take her on a maiden camping trip to Disney World!  I grew up camping at Fort Wilderness so what better place to start our new camping adventure than Disney!

Ahhhh ....coffee and sunrise!

We picked up Bertie at my moms in Central Florida. We had a day before our camping reservation to open up the camper, clean it and make sure it was stocked with the necessary supplies. I brought some things but it turns out the Bertie was fully stocked including the much needed heater (yes we experienced below freezing temperatures!)

All set up and ready to relax!

Our first camping trip was a great success. My mom joined us and we had fun resort hopping and eating! No parks on this trip. We have a list of things we want to do to get Bertie ready for the next trip. Next time I will have more time to paint! But I did come away with some inspiration. Today's painting was one of those images I needed to paint. Read on for more about the painting.

A peak inside.....this is before we start some updating

Today's Painting: It was early morning, just after sunrise. I was on my way to the comfort station walking quickly through the woods in the cool morning air. As I emerged from the path I saw the trees glowing with warm light. There was a low mist rising behind the trees. The tall cypress trees looked a bit eerie without foliage and dripping in moss. But the light was incredible. It would be a good day.
9x13 pastel on Yi Cai paper