More pastel tips - Underlayers and details

The more complicated the subject, the more I like to break it down into simple concepts and stages. Many ask me, "How dark should the under-layer be? What colour should it be?" Well ..... think of the underlayer as looking like a slightly out-of-focus reference photo. You see the basic colours and tonal values, but the details disappear. That's what the underlayer should look like - see photo above. The underlayer should still look 3D and show the lighting effect. But notice in the underlayer above (left) that I haven't put in the darkest fur texture or the highlights yet. That comes next So the stages are like this - 1st - underlayer, general colour and tonal values 2nd - darkest textures 3rd - Highlights and refinement. We can have a habit of over-complicating things, so remember you can always try things out on some scrap paper 1st so you take the pressure off yourself. If you want some simple confidence-building / free lessons, check these out HERE