Successes for all with 'Unisoncolour' pastels in Southern Spain

Toby proudly displays his colourful Unisoncolour pastel painting of the charming whitewashed mountain village of Frigiliana - the perfect box set of 18 'Moorland colours' to paint any subject!

There is no doubt, working with top quality pastels creates top quality results so Therefore it was with great delight that as an Associate artist for Unisoncolour, Dan Hersey, director of the world famous Unisoncolour brand of pastels, generously supported one of my European art holidays in Southern Spain - ‘Paint Andalucia’.

Unisoncolour carefully selected 18 colour box sets ready and waiting for each Paint Andalucia guest to use in the mountains of Southern Spain

Each student was generously given 18 carefully selected pastel colours by Unisoncolour to be taught how to create both dedicated pastel paintings with them and mixed media paintings also throughout this exciting art week. 

Jackie's mixed media painting of the mountains of Southern Spain creating those all important lights and darks with added depth using Unisoncolour soft pastels to complete her wonderful expressive painting

As Unisoncolour are a specially hand made professional pastel range using only the finest pigments every student was in for a treat! The top quality pigments used in each stick proved to be a real winner with everyone and the carefully chosen 18 colours each student used throughout their holiday were the perfect choices for the Spanish landscape. 

Sisters are doing it for themselves! Pam, Dianna and Mavis (in the centre of things) enjoying using the 18 colour box set of 'moorland colours' to paint the quiet pretty white washed village lanes of El Acebuchal in the mountains of Southern Spain

The pretty village of El Acebuchal. Everyones favourite painting location year after year with Paint Andalucia either in the village itself or on the peripheral edge looking into the village itself

A hillside of intoxicating fresh smelling pine trees basking in the late Autumn sun that surround the 'hidden village of El Acebuchal high in the mountains of Southern Spain. Inspirational painting views abound!

Jackie and David in a quiet spot in the shade of El Acebuchal exploring the dark, light and mid tones that just 18 Unisoncolours in the  'Moorland Colours' box set can really make!

Close up of the lovely painting created by David using Unisoncolour on Canson Mi-Tientes 'Touch' 350gsm (black). Professional colours and a great pastel support that work in total harmony for confident colourful pastel paintings - just like this one. Well done David!

Carolee enjoying using the 18 Unisoncolour 'Moorland colours' to paint those pretty white washed quiet lanes in El Acebuchal. 

David and Jackie using the 'moorland set' of Unisoncolour pastels to create two lovely pastel paintings of the village of Frigiliana in the glorious late season sunshine on Canson Mi-Tientes 'Touch' pastel paper - both being everyone's personal favourites choices to create fabulous pastel paintings, every time!

Our inspirational painting view of Frigiliana from the main square of this pretty mountain village - painting a tourist hot spot from a sunny hot spot!

Caroline enjoying getting started with Unisoncolour pastels on Canson Mi-Tientes Touch 350gsm (colour 'sand') painting the 'big view' of the village - proportions and scale drawing as well as expression being the key to success. Wrappers off the pastels next Caroline to explore all those subtle tones in all the white washed facades - a great start!

The 18 colours everyone used were actually part of a bigger set - my 36 Unisoncolour ‘Moorland Colours’ box set (created earlier in the year with Unisoncolour to include a brand new and popular dark pastel) proving to be equally as popular with artists internationally as a great addition to their existing range of colours from this world class brand.

The top quality of Unisoncolour soft pastels allowed rich colours to be applied in everyone's painting as artists worked colour over colour with dustless sumptuous layers. Soft blending, cross hatchings, scumbling and drawn marks  - both delicate and more confidently applied, created great pastel paintings from everyone.

Toby's top class pastel painting of El Acebuchal in its mountain setting. Great compositional painting choice Toby - captures the character of the historical mountain village perfectly from this well chosen viewpoint. 

In direct comparison to other brands of pastels which many students brought with them, Unisoncolour pastels was a clear winner! They were soon the first ones everyone was reaching for as they painted.  Effortless expressive creativity was made all the more possible thanks to Unisoncolour and their useful and versatile colours. 

David combining Unisoncolour pastels with other brands of pastel (all compatible with one another) to create his expressive pastel painting of Frigiliana with a very keenly observed composition full of interesting shapes, textures and colour

Here’s what students had to say about Unisoncolour pastels:

"I had not used Unison pastels before, only inferior products. I thought the quality was superb and the pigments really strong and reliable. With regard to the half-set at my disposal, I was very happy with the range of blues and paler shades - and found the green, brown and purple very satisfying. I enjoyed using Unison and shall definitely be investing in a larger set, as the quality the pastels lent my work was remarkable. Thanks also to Unison for generously offering our group the use of the sets."

Toby Goode

"The pastels, again, another new medium for me. I found them harder to get to grips with but could see how they would work really well in multimedia work. Robert Dutton did some fabulous demonstrations detailing their possibilities and I shall look forward to getting to grips with pastel work and giving him a run for his money!"

Lorraine Murdoch

"What a great week that was. We both learned so many new skills and it was a pleasure to use the materials that you had generously provided. As we already knew the Unison pastels are superb quality products but your particular chosen colour range suited the landscape to a tee. The soft qualities of the pastels allowed great optical blending and I think he whole group produced superb results."

Jackie Potter and David McCallum

I’ve just completed a week’s painting holiday in Andalucia, and have been introduced to Unison Soft Pastels.  As a complete novice in the use of pastels, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to try out a set.  I did like the colour set for the most part, but felt it needed to see a red tone, as well as another earth colour for the Spanish landscape, rather than rather too many blue greens.  The application of the pastels onto the paper offered a new freedom of expression and I was excited to see technique demos by Robert Dutton during this week.

Pam Wilson, Vancouver

All Paint Andalucia art holiday guests and myself would like to personally thanks  Unisoncolour for their generosity and support of this rewarding art holiday in Southern Spain. 

Demo painting using the 18 Unisoncolour box set of 'Moorland Colours'  to create a layered and expressive pastel painting interpreting the mountain view in Southern Spain. Choice of support being Canson Mi-Tientes 'Touch' (Tobacco colour). The perfect pastel paper for so many different painting subjects that works in perfect harmony with Unisoncolour soft pastels - every time!

Paul and Vicki Fellows (organisers and directors of Paint Andalucia would also like to thank Unisoncolour for providing each and every student the opportunity to use with these lovely top quality pastels throughout their art holiday which are now ready and waiting for next years Paint Andalucia artists to enjoy using too!  

To find out more about Unisoncolour pastels please visit https://www.unisoncolour.com/

For full details about the complete box set of 36 ‘Moorland Colours’ in the Unisoncolour range please visit https://www.unisoncolour.com/product/robert-dutton-moorland-36-set/

For more information about Paint Andalucia 2019 mixed media and pastel art holiday with me please visit: http://rdcreative.co.uk/art-holidays/october-2019-pastel-and-watercolour-painting-holiday-in-spain-with-paint-an