I have tried to do studies of planted pots but they are too picturesque. I get bogged down in prettiness, and the studies lack impact. I took these 4 photos and thought I would use them in free composition ignoring perspective and trying not to think or design too much.
I quickly sketched out in pink and then green pastel on cartridge paper.
I blocked out some areas in green and blue, some observed in the photos, some made up.
I then continued with green blue and red, quite quickly losing control!
Getting more full. And muddy.
More areas of green . Now losing all sense of form, Too dark and meaningless.
After fixing the image well, I thought that to get some form back I needed some lighter areas. So I added some white acrylic. It seems to go on top of the fixed pastel OK.
To get more contrast I added some areas of dark blue and purple acrylics.
Aware of drowning in ugly formlessness I felt the need for areas of clear shapes. So I used masking tape and white paper and made some vertical stripes with blue and white acrylic.
It is still a mess in the centre so I did more. At least it proves that acrylics does work on top of pastel.
At least this has some structure now. I will stop. I think the idea was not strong enough. At the moment it seems like a road to nowhere. Ah well. (Two old song references there)
You win some, you lose some