Sandra Orme creates this dramatic moor and seascape using buttery Unison soft pastels on Pastelmat
Pastels are a wonderful medium for creating subtle yet dramatic works of art, like this summer evening sky. I love using different papers but, for stunning skies, Unison Soft Pastels on Pastelmat works best. Pastelmat has a deceptively soft tooth, but the moment you start applying the pastels, the grip of the paper becomes very apparent. Don’t be put off – it can initially feel ‘sticky,’ as if you’ll never get the surface moving. But once you’ve applied sufficient pastel, you can create plenty of movement and detail.
To begin, use the side of the pastel and, following the shape and direction of the clouds, create a base layer with pale yellows, blues, greens and turquoises. Towards the horizon, use pale turquoise and pale grey then use a band of dark blue/grey (use some of this colour in the dark cloud area too). Under this, put a narrow band of pale grey and turquoise to reflect the sky colours. Use dark ochre, dark purple and lilac to suggest the foreshore and the darker purple near the edge of the water. Allow some of the paper colour to show through in this spot and apply a small amount of mid blue/grey towards the bottom where the stream is coming in. This should be the same colour used for the distant sea horizon. Then, add some of the darker lilac to the left-hand side cloud. This will harmonise and pull the colour balance together.
Work back over the picture using shorter marks and more detail. Then, add some more dark and light tints. Use brighter blue in the mid and top left areas of the sky, with pale blue underneath and down towards the horizon. Repeat some of the earlier colours if necessary, to build up enough pastel on the surface for blending.
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Blend the sky with your fingers using circular movements. Notice how much pressure you use when blending: rub lightly and…
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