Here's another pastel as I figure out this new medium. I'm trying out a lot of different techniques and methods so each one is a new adventure!
This view is from a path that runs along the rim of the Valley of Fire state park, north of Las Vegas. The colors really are this bright and saturated. Maybe more!
I took this photo late in the day. The foreground was in shadow but there was still light on the hill across the valley.
8 x 10 Pastel on Colorfix paper
Original first sketch
I'm still playing around with pastels. This is my second study in this difficult medium.
This time I thought I would change things around a bit by including a couple of my preliminary sketches. I should document each step but sometimes I get swept into the little rectangle of paper or canvas and forget about most everything else.
This is from a photo of some middle-aged oak trees on the low hills surrounding Lake Dixon here in Escondido. I took this picture last spring during that too-short time when things are very green here in Southern California.
9 x 12 pastel on Wallis paper
First rough sketches
Pencil sketch washed with alcohol
First underpainting wash
After spending a couple of weeks playing around with the new Golden Open acrylics I was feeling a little rusty with the oils. So, I took a stab at a photo I took in Zion N.P. a few years ago.
This was taken in the valley floor on an afternoon that was starting to cloud up quickly. The photo was a little faded so I had to fake it a little with the colors.
9x12 oil on linen panel
