Second Pastel Class

My second class in pastels went a lot better than my first.  You can read and read about pastel painting, watch youtube videos and play around a little with the pastels but you actually need to be in a class where you have to paint with them to really get the gist of how to use pastel sticks.  Completely and totally different than watercolor painting.  I was in a panic in the first class but the second one I actually enjoyed.  I stepped outside my comfort zone to really try to be loose and large and it worked.  Thanks to a very enthusiastic teacher who gently prodded me to step outside the box.  

Again this is the first painting that I actually did in class....came home and ruined it further by trying to figure out how to paint cloth folds.  This was done on sanded paper with Nupastels which are considered hard pastels and a little touch of the teachers soft pastels for highlights.  

My second class painting is on a half sheet of sanded paper with Nupastels and touches of Terry Ludwig pastels for highlights.  I feel like I just started kindergarten and did my first picture.  But I learned so much in one class.  Large and loose is my new motto for pastels...at least in the beginning.  This painting is twice the size of my first attempt which made it much easier to get used to using pastel sticks.

My little chickadee!

I forgot to post my last class painting.  We had a photo from our teacher of a Chickadee.  My favorite little bird.  I loved painting him....

I am back again after a long break.  I haven't stopped painting and I now am interested in pastels.  I will never stop watercolor painting but I am interested (obsessed) with pastels.   I have tentatively copied or done step by step instruction by Karen Margulis and really enjoyed it.  Not to say that I actually knew what I was doing Karen has several tutorials that are easy to follow and her paintings are beautiful.  Her blog is full of information about pastels.

This little picture of my female cardinal freezing outside my window during the first Polar Vortex.  Watercolor 300lb Arches Cold Pressed