A Bird, a Rabbit, and a Meerkat

The Art Journal section at WetCanvas has a Weekly Inspiration Pictures thread each week with photos from which to choose. These drawings were based on photos from two of the threads.

Pastels #25 & #26

Another one for the September Pastel Strokes at WetCanvas.

8"x10", Flannel Gray Canson Mi-Tientes.


This one was for the October Landscape Challenge at WetCanvas.

8"x10", Flannel Gray Canson Mi-Tientes.

Not happy with either one, so I will count them as more practice with pastels.

Pastel #24

Done for the September Landscape Challenge at WetCanvas. I thought it would be good practice for clouds, but pastel soup ensued.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Tientes.

Pastel #23

Done for the September Pastel Strokes at WetCanvas.

9"x12", Canson Blue Mi-Tientes.

Pastel #22

Always a glutton for punishment, I have done another Pastel Strokes Challenge from Wetcanvas. We were given a selection of black-and-white photos from which to choose. The color choices are mine. Next time I will choose something with less detail.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Tientes.

Oil Painting #16

This is for the August Landscape Challenge at WetCanvas.

My first instinct when there is a lot of green is to panic first then to mix up a green and use it everywhere there is green. Anything beyond that is progress for me. Guess I could work on branches too.

8"x10", oil on canvas.

Oil Painting #15

Another Landscape Challenge from WetCanvas. This one was for July, but I did not get around to it until the first of August.

5"x7", oil on canvas.

Pastel #21

This one is for the WetCanvas! July Pastel Strokes. I'm not pleased with it, but it's done.

Pastel #20

This is a WetCanvas! Landscape Challenge from last year that I never got around to doing until now. I need to try this one again with more time and patience.

5"x7", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #19

And another for the WetCanvas! June Pastel Strokes, though I did not post this one in their thread. It's not very good, and I cropped out most of the photo (again!) to simplify the image to suit my skill level.

For this one I tried all soft pastels instead of beginning with NuPastels and/or Rembrandt pastels. Hhmmpf! I need more skill before I try soft pastels alone again. Having a base of the harder pastels makes a difference.

5"x7", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #18

This pastel was done for the WetCanvas! June Landscape Challenge. I usually do the landscape challenges in oil, but the pastels were handy. I didn't think I could manage the scene in either medium, so it didn't matter.

It came out much better than I expected, and the water blues are much more subtle in real life.

8"x10", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #17

Yet another for the WetCanvas! June Pastel Strokes.

8"x10", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #16

Yet another challenge from WetCanvas! This one is for the June Pastel Strokes.

The original photograph includes the whole boat, but I simplified things for me and cropped for a less complicated area.

Though I prefer working on white paper, I am trying colored papers. I have already used a few cream-colored papers, but I was unhappy with them because I don't like to see the paper color around the edges of the painting. This time I taped off the work area with black drafting tape, and I was not distracted by the paper color.

8"x10", Icy Blue Canson Mi-Teintes.

Oil Painting #14

Another for the WetCanvas! May Landscape Challenge.

This baby is completely free-handed! Okay, I was too lazy to draw it out, and I got lucky and close. Usually I avoid buildings because of all the windows (me lazy? yup!). They are in the painting but lacking a bit of detail. Adding people was something new for me, and I blew it, but I tried.

5"x7", canvas pad.

Oil Painting #13

This is for the WetCanvas! May Landscape Challenge. After uploading this image, I see a number of places that need adjustments, but I ain't gonna do 'em!

While playing with pastels, I have neglected other media, but I have learned so much with the pastels. It's wonderful how experience with one medium translates so well to another.

5"x7", oil on canvas pad.

Pastel #15

Another WetCanvas! Pastel Strokes for May try. It is not what I really had in mind, but it is okay. My mechanics of using pastels must be improving because this one is on Canson Mi-Teintes, and the several layers of pastels behaved beautifully ... or I got lucky and don't know how.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #14

A WetCanvas! Pastel Strokes for May. Mostly Rembrandts on Colorfix sanded paper. I used a couple of Schmincke pastels around the sky and water, but the paper chewed into them too much to suit me. A lighter touch for applying the pastels is needed, or the paper could be sanded down a little.

About 9"x12".

Pastel #11

Another for the WetCanvas! April Pastel Strokes. I keep trying. Colors are a little off but close enough. I'm still focused on the mechanics of using pastels, and the Pastel Strokes is giving me lots of practice material.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes smooth side.

Pastel #10-1/2

Revised painting.

Original painting.

Some changes were made to the painting in my previous post, mainly to emphasize lighter and darker areas. I was actually testing a new pastel fixative, SpectraFix, to see how I liked it, so the changes were done quickly and with more thought to the fixative than the painting. I prefer the revisions (thanks, Paula, for the suggestions), and I like the SpectraFix.

The photo adds brown to the orange area, but the other colors are close enough.

The SpectraFix is odor-free, and that alone is enough to be fond of the product. Other fixatives have a toxic, strong odor, but the SpectraFix is not toxic, and there is no odor. It's in a pump-spray container, and I need to become familiar with the distance to use for spraying and the least amount to spray at a time. Now I won't avoid fixing the base layers of pastels.

Pastel #10

Another for the WetCanvas! April Pastel Strokes. I keep trying.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes smooth side.