Powerful Pastel Landscapes with Richard McKinley: Three Essential Videos

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Heighten the impact of your pastel landscapes with these three video workshops from pastel master Richard McKinley.

Pastel master Richard McKinley is a treasure! As a renowned instructor, he makes us all better painters. These three video workshops not only highlight his tremendous work but offer techniques to take your pastel paintings to the next level (and then some). In “Alla Prima Pastel Painting,” Richard McKinley leads you step by step through a complete pastel landscape painting. You’ll go from thumbnail sketch to final accents, leading to a dynamic and expressive landscape. His video workshop “Pastel Impasto Painting Techniques” pushes the boundaries of painting; you’ll use acrylic-based primers to create beautifully layered work with simmering effects. Finally, in “Composition & Design for Landscape Painting,” construct paintings that communicate depth and meaning for the viewer for powerful results.  

1. Paint It All in One Sitting

In “Alla Prima Pastel Painting,” you’ll achieve fresh, spontaneous results using Richard McKinley’s alla prima painting techniques. Good for painting on location or in the studio, painting alla prima (all in one sitting) allows you to hone your skills of composition, color, and stroke. In the preview above, you’ll learn how to simplify the painting process by focusing on shape, pattern, value, and gesture. Then complete the full workshop to complete a pastel landscape painting from thumbnail sketch to final accents.

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2. Add Layers of Texture

In “Pastel Impasto Painting Techniques,” add texture and dimension to your pastel landscape paintings with Richard McKinley’s faux impasto painting techniques. Try his techniques for using acrylic grit and pastel sticks for added texture effects in your pastel paintings in the preview above. Then make sure to complete the full video workshop, where Richard McKinley leads you step by step to complete a pastel landscape painting from initial surface texture applications to underpainting to final accents, giving you the painting tips you need for shimmering results.

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3. Compose More Than Just a Pretty Picture

In “Composition & Design for Landscape Painting” with Richard McKinley, you’ll learn techniques to create paintings that speak to the viewer and communicate what drew you to the subject. In the preview above, you’ll learn about the importance of your angle of vision, how to see your subject clearer by breaking it into simple shapes, and how to create a center of interest. Then complete the entire video workshop to follow along as Richard McKinley leads you step by step to complete two pastel landscape studies, giving you the painting tips you need for powerful results.

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