Highland pony

This is such a lovely painting :-) soft and delicate :-) i have not used the ColourFix paper before, is it any good? i love pastels and charcoals but the fixing problems have put me off using them :-) i think you have created perfect undergrowth by the way :-)

I think this is a soft and delicate painting. I am not an expert pastelist, but I have found Spectra-fix which is excellent for fixing without the dreaded change of colour. I don't know how you are working ie fixing and then carrying on, but perhaps texturising a few of the nearer heather clumps, perhaps also around the legs would help? I am pleased to be corrected because, as I say, I am not an expert! Having said that, leaving it alone is also and option because it is so delicate. Once you start fiddling you might have to change other things too!

Hi Rebecca, thanks for your lovely comments! Colourfix is excellent paper, made by Art Spectrum. It has a good tooth and takes many layers of pastel. Thank you Gudrun, I don't fix at all. I always find that, if I start on one bit I end up changing other bits too and it gets ruined, I have brushed off the undergrowth once already because I went back into it. Maybe I will just leave alone!

I love your pony Hazel and his magnificent tail and mane, he has such a gentle face too. I think your undergrowth is fine as it is, impressionistic, too much detail and it would detract from the pony.

I love horses and your pastel drawing here captures this one beautifully Hazel

Thank you Ros!

Hazel - thanks for your advice on the forum - this prompted me to look at your gallery. Being an insular watercolourist I am inclined to only look at watercolours and I miss out on other great postings like this one for example. I must say the composition is just perfect with the pony positioned just off centre and angled to lead you into the picture. Coupled with the treatment of the foreground which sets it off so well. My advice is 'don't do a thing to it as any tinkering with the heather would only serve to detract from the main subject.

Thank you very much Michael, your input is much appreciated.