A studio piece from the model, coming along.
I always try to create pastel with an eye to letting it be pastel…my belief has become that the best qualities of the medium are often shown when the color is applied straightforward, simply and without fuss. “Blending”, as in the stumping sort, is becoming something to be delayed as long as possible, or at best considered just another technique in the arsenal. The paper color was really important here, and this one was the right choice for the model and for the subject, I’m enjoying allowing it to flavor the entire painting.
I’ll have about another two hours to work out the hands and some other aspects of the figure, and that’s it.
I’d enjoy seeing more work by oil painters who occasionally move into pastel. There are some wonderful pastel pieces from Paxton and Tarbell that I’ve seen which reinforce my observation that a strong oil painter can make himself or herself at home in the adjacent mediums (watercolor and pastel) with relatively little difficulty. Several of my all-time favorite watercolors are by Sorolla, as a case in point.
I’ve got a hankering to work out a street piece in pastel next. Something urban. Watch for some pencil sketches to start that brewing.
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