Explore the process behind Liz Haywood-Sullivan’s “Zattere Rainy Reflections” in this insightful pastel landscape painting technique demo.
By Kristin Hoerth
Landscape Painting Demo: Investigating an Image
Step 1: All of my paintings start in a sketchbook, where I investigate ideas before committing to larger images. Here, I started with black Prismacolor pencil, focusing on evaluating the value structure and getting the drawing right. I’m also looking to see if the cropping and composition feel right.
Step 2: I often explore an intriguing subject using different media. I prefer materials that don’t smear — no pastel, graphite, or charcoal. So I did a second value study using water- soluble ArtGraf, which is a small disc of pressed pigment in the shape of a traditional tailor’s pencil. Every time I draw a subject, I see it better. Although I like the square composition, I’m not sure about the big gap between the two foreground land masses.
Step 3: Using watercolor and white gouache on a mid-toned paper, I added full color to the different value areas. I like doing this because I can build up the lights as well as the darks. The sky came out too dark because the gouache dried much darker than it initially went down. But it’s better to make value mistakes in a sketch rather than in a large painting.
Final Step: The day after I created the three studies, I returned to this spot near Santa Barbara, California, to do a full-size pastel. I decided to see how it would look like as a vertical, which focuses attention on the white, chalky cliff and the foliage around it. The vertical has a different attitude, with a single focal area that’s not quite as dynamic. I used a warm magenta underpainting to enliven the predominantly green image that I titled “Goleta Beach.”
Additional Works
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Connect with the artist at www.lizhaywoodsullivan.com.
The editorial above is part of a series that spotlights the work of an accomplished artist featured in PleinAir magazine.
Published bi-monthly, PleinAir magazine is focused on landscape paintings by historical and contemporary artists, art collections, events, and the process of creating plein air paintings. Beautifully designed with rich reproductions on high-quality paper, PleinAir features the top artists and artworks from around the world. Start your subscription here.
Story prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today
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