by Bethany | February 18, 2019
*This post contains affiliate links
Today’s Youtube demo is of a beautiful Canyon scene from an area near my home…Palo Duro Canyon! This state park is near and dear to my heart, being a short 25 minute drive from my home. I grew up playing on its trails and in the caves and even worked down there for three summers in College singing and dancing in the beloved outdoor musical Texas! I know its trails intimately and the best spots for photos, the most secret areas for hiking alone, the campgrounds no longer in service, what its like to be down there during a truly amazing rainstorm, feeling the chill of the air after a hot summer day, watching the stars as they move across the skies. It’s a beautiful place and if you’re ever in the area, please stop by!
This small painting (in the video) began after I was inspired by another piece in my studio (at right). I had painted this scene before but wanted another go at it – slightly changing the path in the foreground, adjusting the juniper tree placement, playing with the distant colors in the field, etc. I love to repaint pieces and this is one way I paint so often! I take out a painting I’ve already completed and place it near the easel to re-tackle in some way. These little pieces are a good exercise for when you don’t have all the time in the day to paint but want to get something accomplished.
I used a variety of pastels (as always) for this piece and my favorite paper – Uart 500. As you can see in the Youtube video (above or click here), I chose to underpaint with alcohol while finishing with softer pastels as my final layers. My palette is fairly limited though colorful and makes me excited to visit these beautiful Southwest paths again.
For the full 25 minute lesson, head on over to Patreon! I’d love to see you there.
xoxo,
Bethany
Your artwork is beautiful! I’m interested in a patreon subscription but unfortunately I don’t use pastels, I use oil paint. Do you know if I could follow along using oils?