Although New Mexico artist Iva Morris is best known for her tempestuous Southwestern scenes of storms and tornadoes, she’s also painted less intense pastel landscapes, as seen below.Subscribe to Pastel Journal today!To observe many of the less tempestuous weather events that she paints, Morris just has to step into her backyard.
Realistic Pet PortraitsIn Drawing Secrets: Realistic Pets with Carrie Stuart Parks, learn how to capture the likenesses of your favorite dogs, step-by-step. Follow along with Carrie while she draws the fluffy fur and sweet expression from start to finish, and pick up the drawing techniques you’ll need for animals of all kinds.
Starting pastel paintings with a thin, wet, loose underpainting is something many artists enjoy. Depending on the medium used and the surface it applied to, it can have a variety of appearances.Personally I have utilized some form of underpainting from the earliest years of my painting adventure. Thin watercolor and oil washes have becoming two of my favorites.
Creative New Year’s Resolutions for ArtistsWow, was this past year as tough for you as it was for me? I felt unbalanced and a little bit like I was living in a tornado (cue the flying obstacles to dodge just like Dorothy did!). When those hectic times occurred, I would have to really boil down my priorities to the essentials.
That ATT commercial, in which an adorable little girl excitedly proclaims “We want more,” has reminded me of one of the most frequently asked questions I get from painters: How do you know when your painting is done?Is it Done Yet? Knowing when to stop and call a painting finished is, without a doubt, one of the most mysterious of painting dilemmas, and one that has plagued artists throughout time.
I recently took a trip to Dakota—Dakota Art Pastels, that is, in Washington state. Visiting here is like a holy experience for many of us who remember the “Dark Ages” of pastel when there were only one or two pastel brands available and surfaces were scarce.Well, we’ve come a long way. With a national magazine, The Pastel Journal, and the proliferation of pastel societies hosting and promoting the medium, pastel can now take its place as a major force of artistic expression.
