Step By Step Demonstrations

Pastel Demonstration: 'Ben's Bee'

Although I haven't painted this type of subject for a long time now, I was inspired by this photograph taken by our friend and Webmaster, Ben, which featured on my blog in June 2005, and which has attracted a lot of attention. So, I thought I would try and do his photograph justice!

Liz made a regular photographic record of my progress, which I hope you will find interesting as a 'step by step' demonstration of how I build a pastel up into a completed painting.

Step One

On a piece of Raw Sienna coloured Rembrant pastel card, I roughly 'blocked-in' the background foliage with dark purple & dark green. The background was left diffused so that the bee & flower could be in sharp focus.

Step Two

I softened the background using my finger. The bee & flower were started by blocking-in, using Burnt Sienna, orange, yellow, purple & Blue Violet.

Step Three

Further blocking-in was carried out and some of the lighter areas developed using Light Yellow & Pale Blue Violet. I used a lighter green to add another tone to the background.

Step Four

The painting was completed by adding high lights & some detail, using pastel pencils.

Ben's Bee

If I were to paint this subject again, I would use the fine grade sand paper I favour, as Rembrant  board does not readily take fine detail & high lights using pastel pencils. I think this is because the pencil is too hard & the board too soft.

Sand paper can easily be obtained from many art suppliers these days.

The soft pastels I used for this painting were Unison and the pencils Derwent.

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