Soft Pastels

I had a flirtation with pastel and I couldn't get on with it, so I admire you if you can. I am very attracted to pastel works, but I only managed to produce one picture that was worthy of a frame.

Oi! I haven't finished yet! This photograph doesn't really do it justice, but I was looking at it this morning while vacuuming the landing and pondering on whether I ought to take it out of the frame and have a little tinker with it!

Well, I think it's a lovely picture, especially the buildings. Wish I could make something like that

If that's flirting with pastels. I am giving up.

Wish I could do that

I would be careful of tinkering with things like that. I know we can't see the picture closely but the but I like the general composition of it.

Greyduster what do you normally paint with?

Watercolour is my go-to medium, nellie. I still have my pastels, and I used to have a set of pastel pencils, but gave them to my step GS.

The water and reflections look great Greyduster the rest of the picture ain't so bad either

I wish I was artistic. Any attempts I make at drawing or painting are quite laughable.

It serves as a little bit of local history - none of it is there now except the river.

honeypot please accept my apologies - I appear to have stolen your thread. If your pastels are as good as your watercolours, the I stand in awe of you! I'd love to see some.

I would love to be able to do anything half as beautiful as that greyduster , pastels or watercolours, but just don't feel I have the confidence to try. Wish I could find something locally that so would give me the confidence to have a bash at something new.

Greyduster, that's so lovely! Any more to show us, I wonder?

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201604/medium-389937-image.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201604/medium-487316-image.jpeg

I like using pastels and go to an art class once a week. Here's a couple I've painted in pastel of my grandsons, Harry and Henry.

HenHarrier they are superb! Portraiture is a real gift and you certainly have it. I can find a likeness but I can't make it "live".

Thank you indeed, Greyduster! I find my pictures are improved if I feel a 'connection' to the subject in hand. Now I'm under pressure to paint our newly arrived GG3 - oh the anxiety!

..that should have said GS3!

I sketched the DC from photos when they were small with a soft sepia pencil; one is just right, one needs tweaking but I daren't start in case I mess it up completely - and the third one I have attempted so many times and I cannot get him right at all!

Looking at these I think I may as well give up altogether!

When DH and I first got married, I painted his portrait. My father said "it ought to have a number across the bottom - it looks like a police mug shot!"

Haha that's a classic, Greyduster! By the way, I do admire your painting which started this thread off.

Good on you for trying something new, I can't get on with the dust in pastels, i just get in a total mess and my colours look muddy. I'll stick to watercolour pencils