Pastel Society of NC

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Landscape Pastel Demo

Salt Marsh at Fort Fisher, NC
pastel demonstration by PSNC member Kathryn Wilson, artbykathrynwilson.com

This is a demo of a painting I did while visiting Fort Fisher, North Carolina. The scene is early in the morning, just as the sun was rising and coming above the horizon, but below a bank of clouds. Scenic and tranquil, it really spoke to me of calm and peace.

Underpainting: I wanted a long panoramic format for this painting as the scene before me warranted a view that took in the hummock islands of this salt marsh. I used a sanded pastel paper and saturated watercolors to make this painting sing.

Roughing In: After thoroughly drying the underpainting with a hair dryer, I started to rough in the big blocks of color, but still letting the underpainting show through.

Local Color: Overlaying some of the local color – meaning the basic colors that I want to use for my painting.

Adding Lights: I continued to add more color – lights and darks – to further develop the painting, adding greens and yellows to the trees on the islands and adding some light yellows at the horizon line.

Working on the Water: I wasn’t totally happy with the composition, so I added a river of water going back to the horizon. I also was not happy with the way the water was turning out, so at this stage, I brushed out the water around the marsh grass with a wet brush and it darkened those shadows down and I liked those darks!

Adding the Lights to the Sky and Clouds: I further developed the clouds and the sunlight peeking out from behind the island on the left. I’ve found that instead of using my fingers to blend some edges, I like to use a Colorshaper instead. (see image below) These are rubber-tipped tools that are very flexible and can be used with a delicate touch to achieve lost or soft edges.

Final Version: I finished with an overall going over with lighter touches of yellow and gold everywhere, including the clouds.

Upcoming Zoom Presentations for 2023

February 11th – Maryann Mullett
March 11th – Mark Ivan Cole
April 8th – Terrilynn Dubreuil
May 13th – Fred Fielding
June 10th – Regina Burchette
July 8 – Jane Steelman: “How to manage your PSNC google page”

Each meeting will from 10 am – Noon US Eastern Time

Membership Information

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Shows / Workshops

6th Annual PURE COLOR: Online International Juried Exhibition of Pastel Paintings
View the online exhibit.



Two Upcoming PSNC Member Shows at Ambleside Gallery and the Imperial Arts Center
See more details.

View all upcoming shows.

Recent News / Announcements

If you are a current PSNC member and want to share your news, fill out the form here.

Celebration of Life Service for Helen Knapp

Member News, Betty Hendrix

“Fun with Feathers!” Paint-Along with Rita Kirkman, on Zoom

Arizona Pastel Artists Association’s 2023 Open International Exhibition

“Don Keyfurry” Paint-Along with Rita Kirkman, on Zoom

OPEN CALL – Arte Laguna Prize 17

A “Baby Bunny” Paint-Along with Rita Kirkman

© 2023 Pastel Society of North Carolina | 909 Fairgreen Road Greensboro, NC 27410