Pastel Painting WIP - Water Underground

I promised a WIP (work in progress) about my new pastel painting.  I painted a windmill in New Mexico using a couple of reference photos and my prospective on the situation.  I planned a scene with the windmill and the present dry conditions of the land.  I love the high desert and like the color combination in the finished painting.

Under Painting

I started on a piece of gray pastelbord.  No particular reason to use the gray, it was what I had on hand.  I lightly sketched the  large shapes and filled them in very lightly with hard pastel.  I put blue on the sky as I didn’t care to have the darker gray showing through.  I used local color to keep a serene tone to the painting.  I often under paint with the complementary (opposite color on the color wheel) to have a vibration of color showing through, not this time though.

Sky Work

I then worked on the sky.  To show depth in a landscape the top of the sky is darker and it gets lighter at the horizon.  The upper, closer clouds are cooler so I used a white that leans toward blue rather than yellow or pink.  The far clouds are warmer so I used a more yellow white a a slight lavender for the shadows.

Developing mid ground

In a landscape I work back to front which also means top to bottom.  I developed the far mountains in blue to push them back.  The next row of mesas were a pinky lavender.  The bluffs are closer, so they get a bit larger and more distinct.  The next hills are a pale, slightly green yellow.  The next layer where the windmill will rest is a bit pinker and the foreground is more red orange and warmer to bring it forward.

Placing windmill tank

I put some cedar trees on the top of the bluffs and the mid ground and began to bring some larger growth as the scene comes forward.  I started the tank that accompanies the windmill.

Nearing completion, time for photo check

I was beginning to get close to completion and took a photo again.  This always shows errors in composition and color. 

Photo lightened on computer

As I worked on the photo to get the photo close to the colors in the painting, I realized it was very much darker than my original idea.  I lightened it on the computer and found it much improved.

Overs

The “cure” for this would be to get lighter in value over the whole panting.  Too bad I couldn't change it by hitting a button on the computer.  The easiest way for me would be to wipe it all off.  I brushed it with a brush and wiped it down with soft Viva paper towels.  I don’t mind doing this, I now had a new under painting to work on and start over.  Anytime you paint with purpose it is good practice.  I do think if I did it again, I would put it on white board with a watercolor underpainting so it would be lighter to start with.

Midway, second time.

I went through the same process, starting with the sky and clouds and working forward.

I was very near completion now and sent a photo to my friendly critique group -- daughters and Regina.  

Critique

Regina found I had changed the perspective on the windmill which was going to be easy to fix.  Thanks, Regina.  (Check out her new Carolina Sky painting ... awesome.)

I added some foreground information, rocks, bushes, etc. and there you have it.  

Water Underground

Pastel on Pastelbord

14 x 11 inches, framed in old barn wood frame

Water Underground, framed

Gene framed it up for me.  He tapes the glass directly to the Pastelbord and seals the back.  Such a good way to frame pastels. 

The painting  is hanging and for sale at Art Connections Gallery, 908 Main St., Bastrop, Texas, 78602.    512 581-1799   http://artconnectionsgallerybastrop.com/  Don't forget the First Friday Artwalk every first Friday!  See previous post for info.