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Arts & crafts

Soft Pastels

(22 Posts)
westieyaya Sat 30-Apr-16 19:21:17

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

HenHarrier24 Sat 30-Apr-16 16:27:34

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

Greyduster Sat 30-Apr-16 15:59:03

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!" angry

Jalima Sat 30-Apr-16 14:59:12

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!

HenHarrier24 Sat 30-Apr-16 14:27:08

..that should have said GS3!

HenHarrier24 Sat 30-Apr-16 14:25:45

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!

Greyduster Sat 30-Apr-16 14:13:05

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".

HenHarrier24 Sat 30-Apr-16 13:16:55

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.

Blinko Sat 30-Apr-16 12:32:53

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

grannyqueenie Fri 29-Apr-16 22:11:20

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 Fri 29-Apr-16 15:23:31

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.

Greyduster Fri 29-Apr-16 15:21:47

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

hildajenniJ Fri 29-Apr-16 14:24:10

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

ninathenana Fri 29-Apr-16 14:16:19

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

Greyduster Fri 29-Apr-16 13:07:25

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.

Nelliemoser Fri 29-Apr-16 12:57:40

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?

merlotgran Fri 29-Apr-16 12:02:37

Wish I could do that envy

LullyDully Fri 29-Apr-16 12:00:47

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

wot Fri 29-Apr-16 11:59:38

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

Greyduster Fri 29-Apr-16 11:35:06

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!

Greyduster Fri 29-Apr-16 11:31:24

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.

honeypot43 Fri 29-Apr-16 10:39:06

I have just been on an excellent soft pastels workshop and feel very motivated. The colours are so lovely and with a bit of practice you can achieve something. Unlike water colour, you can overlay colours. We practiced on wild flower meadows and bluebell woods. The tutor brought some beautiful photos, showed us some techniques and the best materials to use, then we all had a go with her help and produced some very colourful paintings.