El Álamo, tree study, pastel painting

I finally did a tree study to go along with Maggie's challenge and study.

El Álamo
8 x 10 inches, on the new R-tis-tx artist board, sanded surface with soft pastels.

I like this cottonwood much more than the previous ones. I put in the sky with several different colors of blue. Then the background bushes and ground. When I started the big tree, I focused on putting in the trunk and branches first. Then the dark foliage, working toward the light with several different greens and yellow. The trunks are very dark in the shade so used a dark reddish purple and dark blue. The lighter side is a mauve color as the tree bark looks pretty gray in the sun.

The cottonwood has very gnarly bark and many sky holes in them. They are pretty bright green so I had to consider where to put the darks. Because I was not doing this plein air like the other, I had time to study my reference photo. I still paint quickly, it is just the way I paint. I used acrylics to do the other, but I don't think that using pastels was easier, I just took my time.


Here is a black and white version to see the values.

This would take many hours with colored pencil. I am not patient for that. Maybe one of these days.

This is encouraging and I will do another tomorrow with a group of the trees again.

Let me know what you think, good or bad. I can take it. :) Thanks.

By the way, I read on some blog or wetcanvas that some artist takes photos of their paintings in full sunlight. (I can't remember who to give the artist credit .. maybe I will remember later) I usually take mine on sunny days but in the shade. I took the photo of this one in the sun. So much better than the one in the shade. I didn't have to adjust the color. I't going to retake the elephant tomorrow in the sun and see if I also get good results.