Unison Pastels: Blue Greens and Blue Green Earth

I'm very attached to my blue green and blue green earth sets. It might be something to do with my favourite colour being duck egg blue or it might be because they are just so useful when doing skies, water, trees etc. I know that it was these two sets which first got my plastic twitching!

And then there's the fact that the first time I ever tried to work by focusing on just one set (blue green earth) I promptly sold it!

That painting of a courtyard and archway in the Palacio de Mondragon in Ronda was also very special because it was the first painting that I sold (a) in the USA and (b) for more than $1,000. Unfortunately I can't show you that one as I've not yet made a digital copy of that particular transparency.

What Unison Pastels are great for is doing great big expanses of sea and sky so that you get great pigment coverage but haven't lost half your pastel in the process if working on abrasive support as I always do. At the same time, although they don't have a sharp edge, they can be used to get fine details if used carefully.

With these two sets, I find that the lighter shades (B4-B6, B10-B12, B16-B18 and BGE1) tend to get used more than the darker shades - with the exception of BGE18. However, you do need to bear in mind through that I will work blue green into anything and everything if relevant and possible! The blue greens also work extremely well with the blues, greens and yellow green earth sets - see the paintings at the end of this item.

To be honest I found it completely impossible to choose which painting to show you for these two sets - so you're getting small versions of a few! If you click on them they should come up larger. So in order they are:

• "Evening in Chios" (NFS - a studio work which has hung next to my bed for the last decade and more!) See the House and Garden Gallery on my website for art involving structures and gardens.
  
• "Tanah Lot" - a view of the famous temple on the southern coast of Bali (see Waterscapes Gallery on my website for more art involving water)
  
• "Jilly's view" - of the River Dart in Devon - I well remember that it drizzled on and off when I did the original colour sketch. The Vistas and Views Gallery on my websites has more examples of artwork with a view!
  

Technorati tags: art , painting , pastel , pastels