Announcing a brand new section to Colin Bradley Art: Demonstrations
Back when I would travel the country doing demonstrations at shows and art groups, I would show off just how good the pastel pencils can be. I loved this part of the job because of the audience reaction. The “oohs” and “aahs” were actually audible in the crowd, they were seeing magic.
When we choose projects for our students, we have to think about how the subject material will translate to a lesson. Would it make a good lesson and would the student be able to do it?
Well, with Demonstrations I am truly showing what the Pastel Pencils can do and more importantly, how far you can take them.
In truth, I have surprised myself with the work I have produced. I didn’t intend for people to follow them as a project as they are very difficult. It’s more to show you advanced techniques and the results you can achieve with the pencils.
If you have read my art story then you will know I am an avid fan of John Constable’s work. In this first demonstration I will show you how I did his picture of “The Cornfield” with pastel pencils.
If you would like to hear behind the scenes of why I chose Constable, the materials I used and what’s to come. Here is a transcription of the episode if you want to read the show
Stephen Bradley: Hello and welcome to Colin Bradley Art Cast, I’m Stephen Bradley
Colin Bradley: and I’m Colin Bradley
Stephen Bradley: this is a very special show, people don’t realise what’s coming up but this is something that we’ve been planning for a long time and it’s really exciting to be able to talk about it finally and reveal it.
Colin Bradley: I’ve been chomping at the bit as you know with the last podcast we’ve been doing.
Stephen Bradley: and we have been teasing…
Colin Bradley: hold back Colin
Stephen Bradley: we’ve been teasing people a little bit as well, haven’t we?
Colin Bradley: yeah
Stephen Bradley: throughout talking about PastelMat, talking about this and that, well finally we can reveal what it’s all about and what’s to come. So, we’re launching…we will talk about it in a moment throughout this podcast but in a brief summary we’re introducing a new section on the website for ALL IN members only called “demonstrations”, and these pictures are in one word stunning, it’s unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. No holding back, this is incredible to watch. So, let’s start because the first picture which people would have hopefully seen by now, it would be on the website, it will be on the Facebook page, you can check it out while you’re listening to this. We’re going to talk about the first demonstration which is “Constable’s -”, what’s the actual?
Colin Bradley: The Cornfield
Stephen Bradley: So why constable? Why did you choose this demonstration of the Cornfield from Constable and why him?
Colin Bradley: Well, first of all why constable, well as people would know if they’re regulars and have known me a while I’m a great Constable Fan and I started off in the National Gallery as people know from the art story, I saw his work there and was bowled by it and I remember thinking of myself at the time one day I would love to do that, not realising I was practical not realising I would never would be able to, but one day. So, it’s really come full circle…why Constable? he’s a great artist and there’s nothing about his work that you can look at and think yeah well that’s okay but, his skies were great, his trees were phenomenal, his characterisations were out of this world and one of the things I remember looking at his pictures in the National Gallery, I got as close as I possibly could to the picture and I didn’t understand how he can create a character with just splashes of a paintbrush, that’s all it was, twist here, twist there and he had a character. But I realised that that’s where the mastery is, that’s where the true artist comes from, it’s something that you having inside you(continued)
