Painting project

Part 2 Join Nina Squire as she paints a view of a bluebell wood from a photograph

2024-04-19 -

Bluebells always feel a little like magic. They arrive so quickly and are gone in no time so let’s get our bluebell skills ahead of the season and focus on what we love about them.

I’m o en on a woodland walk when I find a blue shimmering carpet of bluebells so a pathway is a natural part of the composition. When

I’m out with friends, it’s not always appropriate to sketch and sometimes a photo (such as the one below) prompts my imagination back in the studio.

Materials

Just as a recap from last month’s issue, I used liquified so pastel and a brush to paint an underpainting. I worked with Unison Colour on Uart 400 surface but you can use similar, like Pastelmat or Art Spectrum Colour Fix. I used alcohol, neat cheap vodka, as I prefer the consistency of the paste it makes, but you can use water; it just takes longer to evaporate. It’s good to see which liquid works best with your so pastel brand so experiment before you start work if you haven’t done this before. If the pastels turn to a gloop, it’s usually because you have used a binding agent that doesn’t respond well. If you use high-quality so pastels, this is less likely to happen.

My colour chart (above right) shows the colours I used, which I selected at the start of the artwork so they were easy to work with. The codes underneath the colours refer to my preferred brand, Unison Colour. I particularly like using Unison as they are a finer pastel with more pigment. You can easily match to a similar colour from another brand; it’s just important to have a good range of colours. Selecting a limited palette means the artwork stays fresh and vibrant, but if you’re buying pastels for the first time, do check that they are so pastels and not oil pastels.

I also suggest using a few colours in the Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencil range. Here is a list of sympathetic colours to this artwork: 101 white, 199 black, 270 grey,

140 blue, 170 green, 103 cream, 157 dark blue, 230 cold grey, 181 dark brown, 186 terracotta, 175 burnt umber, 183 brown and 273 warm grey.

Enjoy the demonstration and we look forward to seeing your artwork on

Painters Online this month.

You will need

Surface Uart 400, 8¾ x 12½in. (22x32cm)

Unison Colour soft pastels

(see colours, right)

Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencils (see colours I recommend, below left)

Step 1 Drawing outlines

Drawing an outline gives me a framework to work within. It doesn’t need to be detailed as I will be working over the top of it. Rather than muddying the colours with graphite, I use a neutral pastel pencil that will be lost in the colours of the finished artwork. The aim is to capture the essential elements, rather than a photographic copy. The colours and forms, and the way I represent them are unique; it becomes like handwriting. Don’t follow the reference photo, just use it as a base. I added more of the path to make it balanced.

Step 2 Creating the underpainting

I like to use my earth-browns for the darker areas of the painting as I know they will help me create depth in the later stages. Bring some greens in to keep mid-tones lively. My observations from working with students has been that they tend to apply too little pastel, so it doesn’t liquify. Liquid can be difficult to control. Try adding more liquid to make sure you’re not simply brushing off pastel. Ensure that you have a suitable brush, sometimes a watercolour brush is too efficient at holding water so try varying the amount of liquid you apply and brush types to see what works best. I use a very old hog hair brush.

Step 3 Liquid

Using liquid extends your mark-making possibilities. It’s not new, as we can see evidence of Degas using similar techniques in his work. Pigment and a binder are the base for many art products, but with pastels we are taking advantage of the water-based binder, knowing that when it dries, the binder will lightly adhere the first layers to the surface. You achieve a different effect if you work into the surface with pastels while it’s drying. When it dries, it changes again, adding extra interest. I like to lift off pigment with a kitchen towel. When the pastel is dry, those marks can be helpful to capture foliage.

Step 4 Distant details

Adding those little marks and details takes time.

Lay your pencil on the pathway to help you see and transfer the angle to your artwork. Keep the colours less saturated than the colours in the foreground. I used Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencil May green 170, alongside soft pastels yellow green earth 17, brown earth (BE) 4 and grey 27. Make your marks follow the foliage that you are trying to create. Keep your marks short and upright and it will create a sense of distance.

Step 5 Shadows and light

Shadows make for fabulous details in woody views. Capture those shapes and changes in tone. Add darkness with A37, muddy browns, and add warmer green over with a light hand to mix the pastels on the surface of the artwork. I like green 14 and green 32, with touches of light greens where the sun falls. Tree boughs can be created with a wiggled pastel pencil or the ‘found’ edges of your pastel stick.

BE4 and Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencil ivory 103 combined create texture and interest on the path.

Step 6 Bluebell details

For the bluebells, it’s your choice on colours. For me, the darks of BV16 made a wonderful base for bluebells in shade. I added a little touch of BV15 to suggest the lightest tones. It’s a good tip to ensure that you vary your colours, just as they would be in nature. If they fall in sunlight, try BV3 with a highlight in BV2. For those bluebells that are bluer, I used BV11 and 10; they are both wonderful blues that will make your bluebells sparkle and shimmer.

Step 7 Capturing details and areas of interest

To capture those little flashes of celandines or wild garlic, use white or yellow 10 or 12. I keep yellow 12 for the closer flowers; saturated colours bring items closer so preserve it for flowers in the foreground. Dropped leaves in the foreground add a textural interest that will lead the eye inwards. Details encourage your viewer to linger so it becomes a view that gives further details the more that you look.

Step 8 Final touches

My final touches pay attention to areas that attracted me to the view. Use BV8 or BV9 to show those little glimpses of the sky and to break up the foliage of the trees. To review the final piece, I like to step away, take a break, and come back with fresh eyes. Those fresh eyes will see any glaring issues. At first glance, my first reaction is to enjoy the whole image without spotting any glaring issues; that’s a good sign it’s finished.