first landscape

A lovely bright colourful painting! I like your style. May I suggest a little more aerial perspective to give your picture more depth? You have encouraged me to put up my pastel picture of Iona Abbey. Thanks

Hallo Karen, I too have just started with pastels, after decades of using anything but .... I was making NO progress at all, until I realized (thanks to Arnold Lowrey, in my case) that I wasn't just getting down to the messy business of blending the colour with my fingers - I'm not ready to show anything yet in pastel, but since I grasped that principle I've made much more progress. I'm using pastel with watercolour, because thanks to one of my recurring financial crises I can't afford the velour paper on which I prefer to work; fortunately, I have a lot of watercolour paper... I shouldn't presume to advise you, being so ignorant myself - but maybe you could do more blending, and work more precise detail on top? However, I offer this suggestion hesitantly: since unlike you, I'm keeping my pastels to myself for the time being!

Robert , thank you for the hesitant help,that is the whole reason for putting my art on here to get helpfull feedback, it is great to have dvds by favourite artists that you can work along with, but unfortunately no one can answere any questions you may have at the time. Dont get me started on the cost of art materials,I love velour,it gives everything such a dreamy look...........at a price!. Dont be shy,put a piece of your work up, I would really like to see something. regards, Karen.

Thanks, Karen, for your kind comments on my picture of Iona Abbey. If one has a featureless landscape eg without anything to indicate size etc, then tones will give a measure of aerial perspective, ie depth. Quote "As the landscape retreats further from you, colours become cooler and bluer. Contrasts of texture and tone become progressively weaker. Strong colours and tones in the foreground appear to come forward and weak tones and cool colours appear to recede". This from Collins Artist's Manual. In my picture, I have gone against this principle with the water because I wanted to give a misty feel. I think it works. I hope this helps explain my original comment on aerial perspective. Its worth reading up on it. Never-the-less your pastel is bright and vibrant and a great picture