apple and grapes by Ruth Dolan

What was your surface? I think this is well drawn and you have caught the sheen on the grapes well. Perhaps the pencils lack a good set of dark colours to aid getting good contrast (why I like Schminke soft pastels - their darks are really effective). Another trick is to use a really dark paper for light subjects. I hope these comments are helpful, I Iove pastels and am always ready to share my experience with them.

Those grapes look good enough to eat.. Well done.

Thank you for your feedback, Jeanette and Terence.

These grapes are extremely good, with nice shadows. I think Terence's input is valuable, I will take heed too.

Very well drawn, the grapes are particularly good but ,like Carole, I think that Terence is right about needing some rich darks in it. A lovely pastel none the less, well done.

Thank you for your input, Carole and Val. It is so helpful to get feedback, keeps you aspiring... Yes, Terence is right about the darks and knows what he's talking about. His pastels are lovely.

This is a lovely pastel painting. The grapes are excellent. I'm not the right person to give advice but I was wondering wheter you could insert a touch of red in the apple and it would eventually be of a different tone from the grapes. I hope you understand what I mean. Thanks for your comments to the rose, very encouraging.

Thank you Lorrraine...a touch of red would complement the green, yes, and give a little bit of brightness, which it probably needs. I am very grateful for the comments I get, they are helpful and encouraging.

grapes look ready to eat - great highlights and would also like to see some hint of red in apple but lovely painting

Thank you for the feedback, Norah It is great to have your comments, they really help and encourage me.

Great picture Ruth my mouth is watering. Jim

Ruth, I've replied in detail to your comments on my Snow Scene in the comments section, I hope that it is of some help. If you live inthe Midlands, I would recommend your trying to get to one of Margaret Allton's Pastel Workshops - she is magic with them and has taught me most of what I know.

Thanks for the reply Ruth, I am always glad to help where I can - though I sometimes feel like the blind leading the blind!! Have you bought some soft dark pastels yet? I can recommend those by Schminke (expensive but worth it) and the Unison Dark Jewel set is very good too. I have just had a frustrating morning at my pastel class trying to paint a white object by using the colours in the shadows and any reflections. I don't recommend it as an exercise.

It must be food of the Gods, to be so deliciously luminous!