I've taught pastel painting for over twenty years and in that time a lot of people have asked if I would make videos. The time is finally right! The videos have become a reality!
F+W Publications, publishers of The Artist's Magazine, Watercolor Artist, and The Pastel Journal, (for which I often write) and owners of WetCanvas! (where I spend a lot of time,) asked me to make two videos that are available online. You can find detailed information at www.artistsnetwork.tv, but here's the deal:
"The videos are streamed to ArtistsNetwork.tv members so that they can be viewed 24/7 from any computer with a high-speed internet connection without requiring software downloads. You can choose to subscribe to any of our individual workshops for a 6-month period or you can subscribe to all ArtistsNetwork.tv video workshops for a 6-month period."
Get Started in Pastels: Deborah Secor Paints the Landscape
If you've ever wanted to be able to attend an introductory class, this hourlong video should answer a lot of your questions. I discuss pastels and paper, along with some of the tools I use, and demonstrate haw to tone the paper, do a detailed underdrawing in charcoal and lay down one layer of color on the painting 'Mountain Morning' (above).
Painting Shadows in the Landscape with Deborah Secor
In this hour you'll see me start from a prepared underdrawing of the painting 'Pyracantha' (above right), and develop the soft and sharp shadows so that you can see how to layer colors softly without too much finger blending.
Have you ever wished you had the rules written down in plain English? Well, here they are! Each one has are sixteen reliable rules, illustrated with one of my paintings to help you envision the application.
There are five subjects in the set:
water
shadows
sky
mountains
trees
Each card is printed on 4x6"glossy photo stock and is ready post in your studio near the easel, take with you to class or out on location to use as a quick reminder.
(*Please keep in mind that I live and work in New Mexico, so some of the rules may be regional in character, such as the sky rules, but you can use them to compare to your own locale.)
The set of five cards is $30 (US) with $1.50 postage. Please contact me to order your set.
My career has been a journey in search of beauty and truth, which come from God. I seek to show His beauty, power and majesty, and my serenity and joy, however imperfectly translated through the talent He has given me. As I paint, I look forward to daily lessons from my Master, Jesus Christ. I hope that you will see Him shining through the work you see here.
