Shadows

I finally pushed myself to join one of the local pastel workshops.
Barbara Van Dyke Shuman's monthly workshops are a treat. I got to know one of the most kind artists and teachers in the area. I also got to meet new people that share the passion for pastels as much as I do. By working in her studio surrounded by all her art work it was easier to engage and complete my work from start to finish.

This was a big step for me. With her guidance I painted a very realistic shadow/light contrast landscape using a reference photo. We started by doing a little sketch where we identified values, lightest light and darkest dark are so important! I realized how sketching makes finding the right values on your palette much easier.

 

 

I would have never picked purple and pink for the mountains. Barbara's suggestion was the critical touch that made the yellow in the field look even more luminous! Plus she let me use one of her best pastel sets :).