A Walk in the Park

One of the things I have been trying to improve is composing paintings with stronger contrasting values. I read on another art blog recently that "Value does all the work, and color takes all the credit". I find this to be right on. The more I go back and critique some of my older paintings, I realize that's precisely what is missing! And even older ones that I really like, that is something that I pulled off really well whether it was intended or not! A lot of times, I think artists go through a painting based on instinct and don't understand why something works or doesn't. As someone who does this frequently- let me tell you it can be downright painful. I personally find pastels easier to keep the values in check. Because there they are, all the answers right in front of you, in your set of 96 colors. I'm pretty sure pastels are what will make me famous one day and watercolors will just torment me. Especially if I keep doing pastels of Randy, the puppy in the painting.

I chose this photo as the subject for a pastel because it had great contrasts already in it thanks to my sister's stellar photography skills. It was easier to translate to a painting and I have to say I felt this huge rush of joy when I laid in the lightest "sun" colors. Just like that- it became 3 dimensional and ALIVE. I even think I might enter it in the juried exhibit at the AAC for March...




"A Walk in the Park" 12x16
Pastel by Melissa Saulsbury