Thinking it Through

I've just finished another pastel - this one is more muted than I others have done lately.  I'm not really sure why I chose this particular picture to paint, except that I love the poses. . . and I guess that's what it's all about anyway.

I have discovered that when I take pictures of my paintings I can very often see what to do next - sometimes when I am right there on top of the painting, I can't 'see' it.  So, I tried to take pictures along the way to show myself what the camera sees - not what I am seeing.

It all began in my watercolor class - I was looking for something to paint that week, because there didn't seem to be anything blooming right then. (When there are flowers 'in season' the class usually paints a still life arrangement)

Here is the original sketch:

Next I drew it on the watercolor paper and painted it. When I got home, I looked at what I had done and I found myself putting pastel on it! So then I decided to just make it a pastel. I began again with a watercolor underpainting on pastel (sanded) paper.

I love doing the skin tones using the 'Margaret Dyer' method.  Forget about local (the 'real' color) and concentrate instead on value.  I begin with light values - blue, green, yellow, purple, pink, orange - and they magically blend themselves into beautiful skin. The same is true for the dark values - any color works as long as it is a dark.

I went back and forth between working on the skin tones and background - playing with the water and the splash. I also concentrated some on the clothes, faces and hair.

The girls were close to the water's edge so I had some foaming, wavy water across the bottom.  When I showed this to a friend (my trusted critic) she suggested that I get rid of the wave at the bottom - she thought it was distracting.  I think she is right, soooo . . .

Pastel  12x16     $300

Here it is!  I think I've finished tweaking and will go with this for now.  However, it's needs a title!  Any ideas? Suggestions?