Pastel on Clairefontaine Pastelmat, 13 x 19 inches
I must say, I really enjoyed doing this portrait of a Herdwick Tup, a member of that most handsome of sheep breeds that roam, and largely make the Lake District what it is today - beautiful. With a thick coat and stout legs, these sheep are a joy to paint with that wonderfully multi-coloured fleece and white face. They have a very benign and cuddly look about them, which I hope I've captured.
Soft Pastel is a particularly good medium to describe the woolly look, by applying the pigment and smudging with the thumb or finger, at least on the body. The head is another matter, with mostly hundreds of thin strokes with the edge of a Pastel stick with varying light tones over darker undertones.
Thanks again for showing us these pastel paintings and the video. I want to second the view that videos that speed up the painting action are useless. I glad that you opted to show us the complete process of painting the Scottish Highland in real time. Seeing how others work in pastel has been very helpful in my learning how to use this medium. It's important to see how the pastels are held, how the strokes are made, how many layers are employed and how much blending is used. Jane
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane and I'm glad the video was useful! I hope to make a better quality one sometime, and will be publishing one done in oils soon, too.
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