Having bought a trial pack of Clairefontaine Pastelmat paper, I found it included a sheet of black (or anthracite), which I had not used before. While looking for a suitable picture to do on the dark paper, I was reading through Jeremy Ford’s book Painting Pastel Landscapes and came across this example to try. It actually reminded me of a landscape I came across on holiday on the Isle of Wight, of a tree on an exposed hillside that had been buffeted by strong winds at various times throughout its life and had grown almost horizontal.

Medium: Pastel
Size: 46 x 36 cm
Materials: Clairefontaine Pastelmat paper. SAA soft pastels. Derwent pastel pencils
Mountboard Colour: Black