Steps for Lucinda's Tree

In my Tuesday evening pastel class, the students liked the the expressive colored square "Lucinda's Tree" more than the very horizontal version that I had prepared a "Step by Step" printout. 
So here's the steps to create the more expressive colored version.
This is the original that my students liked.

"Lucinda's Tree" - square

Step 1 
Block in the shapes and create an underpainting. I washed in the underpainting with rubbing alcohol. As you'll remember, pastel is more vibrant when applied to a colored surface - a white surface seems to weaken the colors - more about that in another blog.

Step 1 - create an underpainting of the shapes and block in those shapes using dark colors for the shadow areas and orange for the sunny areas.

Step 2
Apply the first layer of color. I don't blend the colors with my fingers or paper towel. I prefer to allow some of the flecks of underpainting to show through which gives a more vibrant color. This photo shows the first layers of sky color over the pink underpainting.

The first layer of color over the pink sky. More layers will be added after the other colors.

Step 3-4
As I demonstrated I forgot to continue to take progressive photos. Sorry about that. Here's mostly the final layers of color. Tomorrow I'll post the final, final.......

Steps 3-4. Adding oranges and yellows to the sunshine on the field and blues and purples to the shadows. Modifying the orange on the tops of the trees in the woods with some lavender  helps to keep that color back along the horizon line.
I added peeks of the azure blue of the distant hills through the treeline to keep the woods from being a heavy color mass. I lightened the upper part of the sky with a lighter blue and lightened the horizon with pale yellow.
Part of the pink underpainting is still showing through.

Here's the original "Step by Step" which is the same little tree in the field but a more horizontal format, cloudy sky and more modified colors.

Here's the original Step by Step with the reference photo.