Art-SX

Try to work from an original drawing, and using the side of the pastel rather than the tip, establish all the dark colours in the picture using purple, dark red and black, then add brighter oranges and greens, and lastly blue and white for the sky.

It is quite possible to add objects to a picture in order to make a better composition. Moving objects to a different position can give a completely different impression. Rubbing in parts of the painting with the fingers will give a softer texture to such areas as the sky. As more colours are added on top of each other the finished effect begins to appear. You can work in situ, from a drawing or from a photograph, but bear in mind that the shadows on a photograph are often too dark to see the detail and a drawing would be more useful. Patience is needed to find an interesting subject but the effort is worth it.

Try to capture the mood and essence of a painting. A strong design can be achieved by looking down on the subject so that not too much sky is included. Very dark against very light gives a good contrast, but a bright colour will draw the eye towards it so be careful where this is used. Be careful not to rub in the pastel too much or you may end up with a muddy picture. Add details at the end when all the tonal values have been established and always stand back from a painting to make sure that the overall effect is as you want it.

Knowing when to stop is a problem most people face, as it all depends on the effect you want to achieve, but once the decision is made it is best not to keep on adding to the painting. © GMH