Hello Everyone,

I am new here but have really enjoyed reading your comments and looking at everyone's work.  What inspiration there is on these pages. I am trying to teach my self how to paint with pastels but would like to become a bit looser in style. It's so hard to just be free!! Any advice? Here is one of my latest. It was a gift for my dad.

Marci

Marci,

This is really terrific. I love the depth of the eyes and the detail of the nose and mouth. Really a beautiful job and I love the out-of-focus background conveying a place but not interfering with the main figure. What are the details on this: size, support and pastel?

-Barry

Hello Barry,

For this one I used La Carte Pastel board and cut it to 11 x 14. Most of my pastels are cast offs from a friend of mine, Kim McElroy. So I have no idea what the makers are for the majority of them. The ones that I've had to buy to round out my colors are Rembrandt's (but I find they get a bit creamy on the La Carte and hard to layer) and Unison.  The details were pastel pencils. This one was really fun because I really know this dog. She is a rotty but she is such a coward. You wouldn't know it to look at her because she weighs about 90 pounds but one step towards her and she runs with her uncropped tail between her legs!!Hav you done faces in portraiture before? Do you have a website? I'm kind of nervous to start a face because I really don't know where to begin... Thanks again,

Marci

Thank you all for your comments on Roxy. I especially love the advice about painting the way you paint and not trying to be something your not!!!! I've definitely been feeling frustration about not "loosening up" and now I will just ignore it and go back to painting what I enjoy. thanks a lot for your advice.

Marci