Whilst going for my morning run the other day, what did I come across along the farm field? A little cat! Yes another one in the neighborhood. Funny thing is, we have a lot of cows near where we live and this black and white cat’s fur resembled those cows! I have noticed a few of them roaming around since we’ve moved here. My BF once told me, “hey those cats are compatible with the cows”! He is not a native English-speaker so I know he meant “they are matching”, like certain electronic and computer gadgets would be. Well, I shall call them Moo Moo Cats! And what a great way to get inspired for a painting!
The Sketch
It’s been quite some time since I last made a proper pastel drawing. Seeing what exactly what I wanted to paint, this was the perfect opportunity to go back to it. Paper I used Clairefontaine’s Pastelmat, which come in a pad. What I further love about this substrate is that it is thick and clearly designed for pastels so it has good tooth. Another added feature is that each page comes with a clear waxy sheet to protect your drawing! I began by sketching with my Stabilo pastel pencils.
Pan Pastels
Another related medium I had yet to return to was Pan Pastels! Unlike sticks, the colors come in individual pans which you apply using sponges. These sponges come in different sizes and shapes depending on your needs. An added advantage of Pan Pastels is that compared to sticks, they are less messy and have a more even coverage. I further enjoy using them for painting large areas and then switching to sticks and pencils for smaller or narrower areas. First the background was filled in with Phthalo Blue and Ultramarine Blue Tint for the sky, followed by Bright Yellow Green Tint for the field and then Bright Yellow Green for the Grass. Autumn is slowly approaching now and hence the ground is more yellow than green. With my Stabilo pencil, I then went over the outlines of the grass to enhance them. (Apologies for the bad quality pic, as it was taken in the evening).
And Now the Moo Moo Cat!
As the areas of the cat was small, I chose decided to ditch the Pan Pastels and went for pastel sticks. Another related medium I haven’t used, let alone seen, in a while was my Cretacolor Grey-scale Hard Pastels. As I was digging through my “pastels” drawer, a box of it was spotted. What perfect timing, I thought, as I colored in my Moo Moo Cat. First, I filled in the white, then used two sorts of dark greys to make it look more interesting. The outline was then enhanced using my Stabilo pencil which was also used to line the eyes. And how about some beautiful turquoise for the eyes? Here I first went for the Stabilio pencil, but figured a pastel stick (Faber Castell’s Cobalt Green) would stand out more. And now, I think I’m done!
A simple painting once again, but the focus was now on Moo Moo Cat and her “cow compatible| fur! Furthermore, it was merely an opportunity for me to ease myself back to pastels. I thoroughly enjoyed this session and should paint with it more often. For one thing, the colors turn out vivid and strong. I might like to combine this with other mediums as well; watercolors would be a good start. My upcoming project then! And meanwhile, I do hope to see more of these cute Moo Cats more often…
My Kawaii Quarter 