1000.

Where to start.

Back in 2010 I spent a day at the Louvre and the Museum D'Orsay in Paris. I saw some fabulous art but was simply unprepared for just how unexpectedly vibrant  Degas's pastel paintings were in real life, which inspired me to give pastels a closer look on my return. Arming myself with a couple of 'beginner books' and a beginners pastel-set, I was off on this journey. Here was my first attempted pastel, based on a lesson from one of the books:

Unfortunately it turned out pretty crummy! Back to the drawing board (literally speaking of course). This time more TLC on the original sketch, and a layer of water-color as an underpainting before adding the pastels. Steps in the process:

Basic sketch, then watercolor added, then pastels layered on top

And here's what the finished piece looks like:

Definitely better than the first attempt. The sarong turned out nice, but not much else. One thing I discovered is that I can't draw the human figure for nuts. Something learnt every day...