WIP Pastel Painting, Hot Air Balloons

This is not a plein air painting. :) It is done from reference photos that Gene, Jennie and I took in Albuquerque last October at the big festival. There were over 850 balloons they said. The morning we went was great. It had been rained out the two days before and was pretty cold and they were expecting wind, so the crowd was small. A few balloons took off earlier and because there were so few people we got really close to some. These balloons in my painting were arriving, not leaving. The field was too wet to have all the vehicles and people all over the place. No special shaped balloons either as they were having a competition dropping markers on the field .. playing poker. As we were leaving, some of the special shapes were arriving, maybe a painting of those and some close ups .. a series?. :)

I worked on adding people today, not on the balloons. I first painted the guy with the cowboy hat very bright and he competed with the couple with the child and they are to be the center of attention with the big balloon, so I toned him down.

I added some more folks and continue to develop the scene. I will even out the horizon a little to reduce the slope, it shouldn't be that much of a hill. I just haven't worked on that area much.

I'm also trying to have the painting very colorful without using every color in the rainbow, which is very tempting. You know I love bright colors. The balloons and clothing are every color in real life, but in a painting it is distracting and begins to be more like a photo. I'm trying to keep the shadows connected to have more large shapes and the light areas connected as well. Trying to have good contrast without having everything half and half. The shapes of the balloons aren't too bad. I'm including the black and white for you to see the contrast and a flip and upside down to check the shapes. Do you see anything too awful? Lots more to do ...... tomorrow .....