Artist’s Tip
Just as black is used to darken pastels in the factory, you can use it to deepen your own colors. A good way to make certain areas darker and richer is to add black first and then go over it again with a pure color.
In this painting, the pastel colors are primarily blue and purple, with yellow (the complement of purple) as an accent color. Again, cover the yellow with your hand and notice how much the impact is lessened. Keep this in mind as you paint, and try pairing complements when you want a little oomph!
Artwork © 2003 Ken Goldman
This lesson is an excerpt from
Beginner’s Guide: Pastel 1, by Ken Goldman.
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