When you open a fresh set of pastels, it’s like finding a box full of sunsets, windy days, and spring meadows. Those soft, multicolored sticks can make you want to paint all over the place. It’s hard to resist the want to color every inch of paper, yet looking at that blank page makes me nervous. How do you begin? A pastel landscape course can help you with that. Continued for more information!
It’s not for the faint of heart to work with pastels. The dust sticks on your hands, showing that you are an artist at work. Each session starts with basic skills, but it doesn’t take long for the door to creativity to open. In the golden sunshine, smudge, scrape color for faraway hills, and be proud of your pastel fingerprints. The classes inspire you to play, try new things, and find happy accidents along the way.
An enthusiastic teacher makes all the difference. Think about someone who talks about clouds like they’re telling a story, not just the weather. You will find out how overlapping tints make grass look rich or how a stroke of violet under a mountain top gives depth. Lessons mix fast movements with soft layers. You’ll soon be swept up in the process, and the white paper that scared you before will start to look appealing.
These classes have students from all walks of life and ability levels. You could be learning with someone who has been doing art for a long time or someone who is just starting out. People often tell stories of “color disasters” and broken pastels. They also share ideas on how to mix colors or what paper is ideal for layering. Giving and getting advise makes things more fun and helpful.
You can do whatever you want with pastels. The sky can be coral, not simply blue. Rivers shine with colors you wouldn’t expect, and mountains can turn purple and gold. You will learn the rules, but you can break, bend, or even disregard them. Your hands get more confident and adventurous the more you play with them.
Courses focus on making things with your hands. You will sometimes draw outside, paying attention to how the light sparkles on the water. Your living room might also turn into a studio at other times. It feels more like creative talks than severe training, and if your workplace is covered with color at the end, that’s a solid indicator of success.
At the end of the course, you might realize that your work shows off your own style. The smudges and stray marks show that you really tried and were creative. You might want to start another piece as soon as you hang your first landscape on the fridge or the mantel. When you feel excited about a blank page, you know you’ve really learnt something useful.