Pastel Landscape.

Forms & Methods

Pastel Landscape: color & surface can be varied and depends on artist’s interpretation.

Tonal Contrasting

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Color & Mark:

Representational

Expressive

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Experimental Color,

Mark, &

Texture

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Student Work Samples

Pastel Landscape Process

1. Map out basic shapes

2. Block out local colors

3. Add value definition

4. Finalize values, colors, textures, details

Wet Technique in Pastel Drawing Using Rubbing Alcohol

• Add to first layer of pastels to create a wash/underpainting
• When dry, continue working on top with dry pastels
• There are two options for establishing tone using wet pastel technique:

Using a pastel wash to establish general composition, hue, value, & texture

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1. Start with a rough pastel sketch 2. Add wash (rubbing alcohol)

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3. Add general pastel tones 4. Add more value and details

5.Finalize with more details and definition

Using a pastel wash to establish general paper tone

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1.Apply 1-2 pastel colors over the paper surface and add a wash over it. May add brushstrokes for texture & marks

2.Draw the landscape over the wash once the surface is dry using pastels. The undertone will show throughout the drawing in little bits, will unify the surface, and will add an interesting glow or tone.

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• Foreground:
• more contrast
• larger marks
• longer/wider vegetation
• more details & textures
• brighter colors
• Background:
• less contrast & definition
• Some elements refer to principles of linear perspective:
• Larger parts of a landscape converge
• Roads, rivers, mountains appear to merge at a vanishing point

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Atmospheric Perspective

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Sky & Clouds

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• near horizon: lighter, warmer, & smaller shapes
• at the top of the page: cooler, darker, & larger shapes
• linear perspective & vanishing point apply to larger areas that form the clouds
• render clouds as boxes above so only bottom and side planes are visible:
• light comes from above (the sun) so the bottom of the clouds is usually darker and the sides - lighter
• Then soften the edges (soft-edged boxes)
• Sunset has a different light source as the sun is setting from behind creating a unique light distribution

Water

• hue & value: influenced by colors & values of sky & vegetation nearby
• reflections are:
• colors more muted than actual elements being reflected
• softer, less defined than the reflected objects
• surface texture: ripples, splashes, glints of light
• follow linear perspective: larger, further apart, more contrast in the foreground
• smaller, closer together, subdued tones towards the background

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• water is:
• darker closer to the bottom edge of the paper to show depth
• becomes lighter as it progresses towards the background to show more of the surface

Foliage & Grasses

• define general shapes of foliage and grasses first
• use broad marks & general color application
• treat different elements such as leaves, grasses, flowers, as textures rather than each being a singular form
• larger marks in foreground
• marks & textures vary in color, value, & expression

Drawing Trees

1. start gesturally by defining the overall silhouette of the tree(s) trunk
2. find the the basic foliage shapes
3. to find the proportionate placement of the tree’s parts in both trunk, branches, and foliage shapes:
1. use horizontal and vertical plumb lines to find intersection between the parts of the tree
2. carefully observe the proportions of those parts to each other - compare what is smaller or larger, etc.
3. observe negative spaces between the branches

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Trunk & Branches

1. observe the ratio of the trunk and branches to the foliage
2. if a tree is full of foliage, the branches may not be as important and may be more symbolically represented
3. If a tree has less foliage, the shape and gesture of the branches may be the most important feature that captures the tree’s essence
1. observe the tips of the branches to note the overall shape of the tree; the rest of the branches, both large and small fit within that shape
2. note the changes in direction within the trunk and branches, as they are never straight
3. the sky holes will usually be larger so treat them as negative spaces.

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Trees: Leaves

1. treat leaves as part of the foliage shape rather than as individual leaves
2. trees in the background and midground do not require any details due to distance
3. trees in the foreground require adding a few small marks representative of leaves at the edges of the tree’s silhouette and in the most lit areas

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Trees:Value

1. trees are round 3D objects, so approach them as such
2. establish a light source
3. darkest shadows - within deepest parts of the tree
4. lightest value - closest to light source, and on tips of branches
5. all areas in between represent a range of values
6. distance will define the value:
1. distant trees may be only silhouettes of one value
2. the closer the trees the more value variation and texture there will be

7. Consider making sky holes (openings in the foliage) slightly darker than the overall sky tone because foliage does not let much light through

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Color: Representational to Expressive

1. don’t be afraid to use brighter hues rather than just browns and greens
2. complementary palette brings trees and overall landscape to life
1. may be layered to tone down the colors
2. may be pure hues to show more light and create focal areas, visual rhythm, & flow

Textures

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1. there are no rules to depicting textures of tree bark, foliage in bushes and trees, forests, and various grasses
2. use your observation and subjective judgement to determine the overall texture first, and use a variety of marks to best represent the area
3. marks to consider: hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, random marks (dots, squiggles, more contained, expressive, linear, squigly, sketchy, and any other)
4. Define details that are in the foreground such as bark, leaves, flowers:
1. apply careful observation - observe the size, depth, forms, and more detailed textures
2. along with value and color application, use varied contour lines rather than outlines
5. value keeps everything organized: keep all of your marks, colors, and overall expression within the appropriate values