Saturday, April 7, 2018

Surprising Art Materials

Two new studies 
give me the opportunity 
to discuss materials.

Simplicity - pastel - Leslie Snider

In this first example I used automotive sand paper
along with my usual array of pastels,
the workhorses semi-hard
 (Nupastel and Rembrandt)
as well as soft pastels 
(Richeson, Sennelier, Schminke).





The auto sandpaper is inexpensive 
and works in a very similar manner
to the more expensive art sandpapers,
 it holds the soft pastel,
 allows for layering.
It is without the annoyance 
of the machine textured surface 
of some art papers. 

It's waterproof and durable,
great for sketching
Some might be concerned about longevity.
(I'm not!) 

Complexity - pastel - Leslie Snider
In this second example 
I used Richeson sanded paper 
(shale colour).
It is a pleasure to work with 
and has a few advantages,
larger size,
the ability to accept many layers.

It is difficult to see here 
but the second example
has a wider ranger
 of texture and detail.

Both papers have their uses 
and both are favourites.
I use other papers,
have and will discuss them
when relevant.

Finally a word about pastel storage.
As much as I admire 
those posh pochade boxes
I couldn't possibly be that organized!

But impressive isn't it!


Here's how I really work!
 Sushi trays stacked one on top of the other. 
They are cheap, disposable and easy to keep clean.
I have my favourite greens, blues, etc. 
on top as am too impatient 
to be constantly checking 
out the whole box.
If I need a variation 
I check the next layer down.

The colours I used for these pastels is on top.

Sushi Tray Storage

Hope this has been helpful
 or at least an interesting divergence!

Thursday, April 5, 2018

When you become
 a landscape (plein air) painter 
the weather becomes
 an essential component
 in your work.....
and this year's late spring
 is playing havoc
with my outdoor plans.

This study based on a field photo....
early morning and fog had descended, 
so I quickly grabbed the camera and off I went.

The subject matter is not glamorous
but the light effects were interesting.

Here the moisture laden air 
adds blue notes to the foliage
 and softens edges.


Foggy Field - pastel -  Leslie Snider

Marsh Scenes