playing with colour fields in pastel, harmonious and complimentary colours
Colour field experiments in pastel on pale grey paper. Golds and blues. Vivien Blackburn
Colour field experiments. Pastel on grey paper. Blue, Violet and Gold. Vivien Blackburn
These small pastels - just over 5 inches square, were pure 'playing' with colour interaction - taking complimentary colours and making vibrant little squares of colour as the complimentaries zing against each other.
The second one hasn't photographed very well - the magentas are much more glowing in reality than they appear here.
Colour field experiment in pastel on grey paper. Greens and Russet. Vivien Blackburn
The last one makes me think of apples and autumn, the middle one of beaches on one of those deeply vivid blue days and the first late summer harvest time.
They were done with Inscribe pastels, which is a very cheap brand but really nice to use and with a wide colour range, I use them alongside my Unisons.
I do love the vivid colours of pastels and the kind of marks they make - that lovely mix of softly diffused and blended colour with rough marks put down and left untouched - such an expressive medium :>)
Do you use pastels? what kind?
.
Comments
Unison for me too - but I always have have the Inscribe ones as well (though these belonged to the college) as they do some beautiful colours and they are lovely and soft and not at all expensive.
All my pastel brands are mixed together and separated according to colour.
I think they are ideal for someone testing out whether or not the will like pastels.
Did you use a kneaded eraser to pick up some of the green? Diane Townsend taught me to lift out with tools (paper towel, tissue, eraser, etc.) as a way to not finish too early and to add texture, depth and content.
Not that these beauties need any changing - they are just wonderful. Do I hear a little bell ringing?
and thanks :>)
I do often use a kneaded eraser or the little battery operated erasers to draw back into things but on this occasion I didn't - the drawing back into colour is usually very important in my work.
Then I read the comment about colour swatches being a nice way to test the water. Hmmm...maybe I should be more open-minded.
I've not heard of Inscribe pastels. I've got mostly Rembrandts and NuPastels jumbled together by color. But I've had them all a very long time and should probably upgrade my collection :)
I have Faber-Castell Polychromos and Ferrario very soft Italian pastels plus Stabilo Carb-Othello pencils - and it doesn't matter which I use I just don't have what it takes for pastels. Makes me very sad when I look at what you, Casey and Katherine can achieve.
Dinah the colours of pastels are so lush - do have a go! and yes, they are horrifically messy :>( and a nightmare to frame
Ann the Inscribe ones are quite cheap - not a 'good' make but the colours are lovely and they are velvety to use
Robin I was thinking of doing some of these for Nina's Polychrome themed book. (don't tell her!)
Harry please use them!
I'm sure you know how to clean them with ground rice?
just put some ground rice in a plastic bag, pop your pastels in, shake it well - and voila!!! out they come clean and gleaming brightly :>)
and enjoy your sparkly new looking pastels Lindsay! (must be ground rice, not rice grains)