Underpainting or Not

For this blog I have drawn this scene twice: 

1) on black Uart paper and 

2) on cream colored Uart paper with a watercolor underpainting. 

Why? To show how the underpainting affects and suggests the rest of the pastel painting.

The focus of this scene is to show the field glowing with sunshine.

"Buckeye Meadow Light" on black UArt paper

Uart sanded paper can accept many types of underpainting techniques including watercolor, very thinned oil painting, pastels liquified with rubbing alcohol and pastel rubbed in with paper towel.

In this demo I created the underpainting with watercolor. The loose approach of watercolor can produce some unexpected "happy accidents". Using complementary colors for the underpainting can create either a vibrant pastel which bounces off the complementary underpainting or can suggest a more nuanced approach.

Watercolor underpainting for "Buckeye Meadow Light" 

I liked the warm color of the watercolor sky so decided to go with that suggestion and keep the sky light and warm.

Step 2 is adding pastel over the underpainting.

After adding the first layers of medium and dark color pastels, I add lights to the areas that are bathed in sunshine.

Medium and dark pastel colors, then add the lights - golds and yellows

After working on the lights, the only area left is the sky which I usually deal with first. But the suggestion of the warm sky color made me leave it to the end. Sometime you just have to go with the flow and you'll know when it's right to deal with an area.

The light sky color helps tie together the warmth in the field and the light on the tree.

Here's the reference photo that inspired the series "Buckeye Meadow Light I & II