Plein Air Pastel for Hunt 88

Inktober has me sketching daily in ink, but sometimes I just have to have some rich color and and play in the dust.  The weather has been so good that I decided to get out on the porch on Sunday.  I took my portable easel and an assortment of pastels.  I have some pastels in the easel palette and took out some in boxes and the tray from my inside easel.  

Outback 2
Pastel on UArt Sanded paper, 12 x 9 inches

I used this painting for "landscape" on Scavenger Hunt 88.

 

I wiped off the previous sketch of some kitchen tools.

 https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/kitchen-tools-in-dust.html

So this paper has been wiped and used at least twice.   A good way to recycle surfaces.

First I took taped the paper to the foam core I use for backing.  UArt paper curls and needs lots of tape!  I wiped it with a brush and paper towel.

I wet the paper with alcohol and a brush and let it drip down.    Red was a good color for the painting with so much green as it is the complement (opposite on the color wheel).  I was hoping to let some of the under painting show in the painting.

I like under painting as you don't have to stare at the white canvas.  It also keeps the white from showing through and less pastel is needed for coverage.  I usually do an under painting for pastel paintings even on a new surface.  I like to do a watercolor under painting, too.

Besides using this painting for the Scavenger Hunt it was for Enid's class.  She was discussing thick and thin paint.  It is a good technique to paint the shadows with thin or transparent pastel.  With pastel you can use many colors and scumble (go over lightly with the wide side of a pastel).  If you use the same value you can have a colorful shadow area. 

Thicker/softer pastels will cover what is under it and great for highlights and bringing the viewer closer to the front of the painting.

In my painting above you will see color in the shadows where I scumbled and parts on the lower part of the painting where I left the drips and under painting show through more. I used strong highlights on the big tree.

I find scumbling on UArt paper very difficult as the paper is wavy and curls on the edges.  This is a personal  thing.  The light on the water was difficult with the uneven surface.

Pastelists find the surface they like.  I like different surfaces for different items.  Pastelbord is great for scumbling and under painting with water.  Colorfix sanded paper stays flat, so I like that as well.  Under painting works on Colorfix with water or alcohol.  MiTeintes paper can even work.  It is very inexpensive paper.  They have a new paper that is cheaper than the old and is very slick, not to my liking for pastels.  Their "old" paper can be wiped off and wet with alcohol.  It didn't curl anymore than UArt, probably less.  It is not "sanded" so does not take many layers.  I like the softness of it sometimes.  MiTeintes also has a smoother side and a side with grid.  I like the smoother side.  It also comes in many colors.  It is not very lightfast so should be used accordingly with UV glass or museum glass and the painting not placed in a sunny area.

I did an under painting on MiTeintes years ago where I spoke to the durability of pastels.

https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/under-painting-and-durability-of.html

If you don't have time to follow the link, here is the painting which had an alcohol under painting on MiTeintes paper.

I hope to get outside again.  It is cloudy and a bit windy today so ........