This project we will be facing our fears: The fear of making a mistake, of doing it wrong.
There are times as an artist we need to break out of our comfort zones and try something new or different, whether it is a new kind of paper or surface, new colors, different style... adding these new skill to our tool box only makes us better artists. We may not always use this new skill but we won't be afraid to use it if we see a place where it will work.
That is what I wanted to do with this lifeguard tower. Yes, I could have done something very close to the photo, but what fun is that? So I am going to just break out of my comfort zone just a bit and try to liven this routine scene up a bit.
I started out on a gray sanded surface I made myself using mat board, gesso (black and white) and Golden's ground for pastel. To that I transferred my sketch.
I like to start with my subject when I am working in pastel. I just base it in and only do a bit of detail then work on the background. I started with the tower using 2 colors for both the shadow areas of the tower and for the light areas. The shadow was a lavender blue and dark teal the light was a light blue and light teal. then I blended the colors.
The PV peninsula behind the tower was soft gray tans and gray greens with a bit of the lavender blue in them as well. I lightly blended the colors. Don't forget to do the area behind the railings and under the tower as well.
The windows I used a dark blue and a bit lighter blue, using the dark blue to suggest shadows and "things" inside the little office. You do not need to be specific, just make some shapes.
The sand was several colors of tan - one lighter one darker and some dark indigo. Because my surface was a dark gray to begin with, some of it shows through, even after blending, creating texture in the sand. I kept the lighter sand nearer the tower and used the darker colors as I got closer to the bottom, this helps focus the viewer into the painting and breaks up that stretch of brown. I may do something with this area later, this is just the beginning.
The water was just a couple of shades of blue that I had already sued in the lifeguard tower, thus repeating colors already in my painting.
With the basics of my painting based in I started on the background sky area, this is where I went a bit wild - at least for me.
Near the top of the peninsula and around the tower I started with my lightest yellow, then switched to a darker yellow, then orange, crimson then dark blue. I blended them together starting in the light yellow and working my way out to the darker colors so the transition areas blended gently together. Keep a wet paper towel handy to clean fingers when you blend especially if you are going back into the light area after working in the dark blue, if you don't you will get green.
This is where I left off in class. I will continue to work on this and I may change or add things as I work and inspiration hits me - that is the fun part of art. You can chose your own colors or just do a normal background or play with it like I intend to do. It is just a piece of paper and we are having fun.
keep painting and I will see you in class.
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