By Karen Margulis
Early in my art journey I avoided painting wildflowers. I was afraid they would make my landscapes too sweet or too pretty. But the muse kept calling me until finally I embraced my truth and chose to showcase the wild tangles of grasses and wildflowers that captured my imagination.
\
Preliminary: The THUMBNAIL SKETCH
I begin by making a quick thumbnail sketch on an index card, simplifying the subject into a few big shapes and assigning a value to each shape. I limit the total number of values in the study to three or four.
Blocking in.
STEP 1
Referring to my thumbnail, I block in the first layer of the painting. I use three values of a single color — red violet — to add interest to the greens to come. I use the side of the pastel to block in each value shape and make a record of the colors I use on a separate piece of paper. I don’t look at my reference until I’ve completed this step.
Creating the wash
STEP 2
I liquify the pastel underpainting with rubbing alcohol and a bristle brush to create an interesting wet wash.
COLOR PALETTE
I like to work with a limited palette of pastels. In the studio, I often pick out the sticks I plan to use in advance rather than work directly from my large box. For plein air outings, I keep a small set of pastels ready to go. As I work, I keep track of the colors I use on my swatch sheet.
Reinforcing the darks.
STEP 3
Now that the underpainting is dry, I go back in to reinforce the dark shapes, referring to my reference. I use a few light layers of dark-value pastels to create interesting optical blends of color and add warm colors to the grass and foliage. I think of these dark and warm areas as dirt — if it’s green and growing, it needs dirt, right? I can easily layer greens on top of these areas later.
Putting in the sky.
STEP 4
The sky sets the mood of the painting, so I like to put it in early. I also add middle-light values to the flower shapes. For the blooms in the shadows, I use cool colors.
Working up the big shapes from front to back with increasing detail.
STEP 5
Staring with big simple shapes, I build up the grasses and flowers, gradually increasing the amount of detail. I work from the background to the foreground to create believable depth.
Clarifying the areas of interest and tweakikng the design.
STEP 6
I add more clarity to the areas of interest, using heavier “shouting” marks and thinner linear marks to add detail. I think about creating a visual pathway through the painting by using contrast.
Finished Demo Painting
In Karen Margulis’s “Expressive Pastel Painting” video workshop you’ll learn how to loosen up and be more free with your landscape references.
Karen will be among the 25 instructors attending this year’s PastelLive.
The Pastel Live online event is coming September 18 – 20, 2024! Twenty-five of today’s best artists show you exactly what they do to succeed can make Pastel Live the most important three days you’ll ever invest in yourself and in your art.
These artists will help you drastically improve your skills by demonstrating the methods and techniques that have taken them years to master.
They’ll freely offer wisdom and insights that have allowed them to rise to the top, garner respect and recognition, and build successful art careers.
