Pastel Painting

Pastel Painting 5 Articles on Pastel Basics for Artists

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S SECTION ONE ■

What You You Need to Know to Start Pastel Painting by Greg Albert (from The Artist’s Magazine, October 20 2009) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

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Support System: Select a Pastel Surface That Best Suits Your Working Style by Maggie Price (from Pastel Journal, June 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

SECTION TWO

From Painting with Pastels: Easy Techniques to Master the Medium by Maggie Price 15 ■ Blending Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ■ Tools for Blending . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 16 ■ Using Color Studies as a Refere Ref erence nce by by Richar Richard d McKinl McKinley ey . . . 17 MORE PASTEL RESOURCES

SECTION ONE

Pastel Painting: 5 Articles on Pastel Basics for Artists |

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Mediapedia

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By Greg Albert

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astels are simple to use, with no dryi ng time, allowing the artist to draw directly on the surface without any intermediate tool or medium to degrade the freshness of the color. The colors are brilliant, and a variety of techniques can create a w ide range of effects, from crisp lines to soft edges and feathery textures. T he medium is very forgiving—mistakes can be easily l ifted from the surface up to the moment a fixative is applied. Pastels are made from powdered pigments mixed with just enough binder to be formed into sticks. They’re dry and can be applied in a linear manner, so you could say the art ist draws with pastels. But because they can also be applied in larger strokes and blended on the surface, it’s also accurate to say an artist paints with pastels. The fine, powdery surface of a pastel painting refracts the light to give it a sparkling quality. Powdered pigments have been used since prehistoric times, but pastels as we know them date from the late ��th century. Pastels became very popular in the late ��s as Manet, Degas, Renoir and ToulouseLautrec used them. Degas in particular explored the potentials of pastels by combining them with other media and pioneering the use of fixatives. Pastels can be purchased in sets, some in handsome wooden boxes, or individually in “open stock.” There are dozens of different manufacturers of pastels, including boutique brands that make pastels by hand from the finest pigments.

What is Mediapedia? Mediapedia is an encyclopedia of art media. Te Artist’s Magazine is profiling a different medium in each issue this year. Next up: oils.

Firm pastels such as Prismacolor Nupastels hold a point well and are especially good for preliminary drawings.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 ■

w w w . a r t i s t s m a g a z i n e . c o m

■ Greg Albert , author of Te Simple Secret to Better Painting (North Light Books), lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. To order his book, go to www.northlightshop.com.


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You can download past Mediapedia articles in our shop at www.northlightshop. com/category/artists-magazine.

Chemistry Soft pastels, such as these by erry Ludwig, are easy to blend and have a rich color and velvety texture.

Pastels are made from finely ground pigment mixed with chalk or clay and a binder, such as gum arabic or gum tragacanth, and formed into a stick. Their colors can’t be mixed on a palette like paint, but must be mixed on the drawing surface by blending, layering or using other techniques such as scumbling (see opposite page). Pastels vary in hardness by manufacturer. Hard pastels have more binder than the softer pastels, and their colors may not be as vivid. Hard pastels are good for preliminary drawing in particular because they can hold a point and create crisp lines a nd details. Softer pastels contain less binder and more pigment, a ratio that gives them a rich color and velvety texture. They’re easier to blend and smudge than hard pastels, but soft pastels are more delicate, are easily broken and create more dust. The hardness of the pastel will affect the results of the techniques you use. Some of the most popular brands of pastel include Girault (soft), Great American (soft), PanPastels (soft), Prismacolor Nupastel (hard), Rembrandt soft pastels (medium), Schmincke soft artists’ pastels (soft), Sennelier (soft), Terry Ludwig (soft), Unison handmade pastels (soft), and Winsor & Newton soft pastels (medium).

Must-have tools

Tips and Techniques

Drawing board and clips: A rigid surface is a must when working on paper. Boxes for the pastels: Working with loose, disorganized pastels is inefficient and frustrating. Get into the habit of limiting the number of loose sticks in your work area. Storage boxes will keep your pastels organized while you work and assist in inventory control. Kneaded erasers: Use these for blending as well as for removing pastel from the surface. Blending tools: ry various tools, such as paper stumps (also called torchons or tortillons), cotton swabs, facial tissue and paper towels. Razor blade and craft knife: Use these to sharpen hard pastels to a point and to scrape off unwanted deposits of pastel from your work surface. Tracing paper: Tis is useful to protect your work from smudging as you paint. Protective gear: Dust masks, gloves or protective hand cream are advisable. Wet wipes: Tese are handy to clean up the pastel dust that didn’t make it to the work surface. Fixative: Workable fixative protects your work from smearing but leaves it open for reworking; permanent fixative protects it from damage and seals it from further alteration.

Pastel techniques are similar to drawing and painting techniques. ry the techniques listed at the right with pastels of different brands and degrees of hardness—each will create a slightly different result.

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Safety and Cleanup Te downside to the soft consistency of pastels is the increased possibility of accidentally ingesting the pigments. Although most pastels have an AP non-toxic label, some have the CL (“Caution Label”) seal indicating they’re toxic or haz ardous if not used with appropriate caution. Because pastels have so little binder, they easily generate dust that’s hard to contain, and you should take care not to breathe it in. Don’t blow loose powder off the surface as you work—you risk inhaling it. Instead, tap the work over a waste bin to remove dust, and after each painting session, wipe down your work area with a wet paper towel; use a wet mop or a vacuum with a HEPA filter to pick up any residue that has fallen to the floor. If you work close to the paper, consider wearing a dust mask. Blending pastels with the fingers is also a natural impulse. It’s highly recommended to use gloves or a protective hand cream—such as Winsor & Newton Artguard barrier cream, EZ Air Invisible Care, Invisible Glove or Marvelous Marianne’s SkinSafer barrier cream. Te usual precautions should be observed scrupulously with pastels: Keep food and drink away from your work area and never smoke while you work. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using pastels.

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� Drawing with the tip of the pastel: Holding the pastel stick like a pencil produces lines of varying width and character depending on the hardness of the pastel and the pressure and speed of the hand. Drawing with the side of the pastel: Using the side of the pastel stick produces broad strokes or blocks of color. Te character of the stroke depends on the softness of the pastel, the shape of the stick, the texture of the drawing surface, and the pressure and speed of your hand. Breaking a stick in half may be necessary for a more manageable stroke. Tis technique works best with softer pastels. Blending with pastels: Unlike paint, pastel colors can’t be mixed before being applied to the drawing surface—you must select a stick of the appropriate color or blend colors directly on the surface. You can

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Colorfix PanPastels are relatively new. Te soft pastels, which come in small trays, are applied with soft foam tools in a process similar to painting.

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create different effects and textures by how much or how little you mix the colors. You can blend with your fingertips, but the risk of ingesting the pigments warrants using protection. Also, a pastel surface can be rough enough that using your fingers can lead to bleeding. Other tools include paper stumps, kneaded erasers and cotton swabs for precise work; facial tissues, paper towels, cotton balls and small, soft natural sponges for larger, less precise work. Soft brushes are good, if they don’t stir up dust. Hatching and cross-hatching: Hatch� ing is drawing fine, closely spaced parallel lines to create an area of color and value; cross-hatching is drawing similar lines perpendicular to the first. Tis technique works best with harder pastels or pastel pencils and is useful to create texture or to allow the eye to create an “optical blend” when different colors are used. You can create a sense of

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form and shape by varying the direction of the cross-hatching. Scumbling: Scumbling with pastels is � very similar to scumbling with paint. You apply a broken layer of color on top of another layer of color, allowing the bottom color to remain visible. Tis technique works best on a textured surface and with soft pastel applied over hard. ry fixing the bottom layer before applying the top layer. Working on a colored ground: Apply � pastels to a colored surface such as toned paper or a board, panel or canvas painted with a colored ground or pastel primer. Allowing the colored ground to peek through creates vibrant color. Many pastel artists use an underpainting of watercolor or pastel to tone a piece of white pastel paper.


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Soft pastels, such as these by Girault, are easier to smudge, but matting your work behind glass will help

s Q A F

protect it.

Are pastels a permanent medium? Pastel is a fragile medium. Once properly fixed and appropriately framed, pastels will remain as applied. As long as you use high-quality cotton or linen rag paper, pastels won’t crack, crumble or disintegrate. Te lightfastness of pastels is almost completely determined by the pigments used; as with most artwork, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided. How do you properly fix a pastel painting? Unless sprayed with a protective artists’ fixative, pastel artwork is subject to smudging and smearing, particularly if you use softer pastels. Using workable fixative protects your work from smearing but leaves it open for reworking; a permanent fixative protects it from damage and seals it from further alteration. Some pastel artists find that fixatives darken their paintings; some new fixatives are addressing this problem with good results. Matting and framing your work behind glass is the best way to keep it pristine. o store your pastel works, keep them flat in boxes or a flat file with sheets of glassine between the drawings to minimize smearing.

How many pastel colors do I need? A common mistake beginners make is buying too many colors. Limit your selection to a range of warm and cool colors from each of the primary and secondary hues, plus a few earth colors, neutrals or grays, black and several sticks of white. You can augment your collection with extra colors as needed. About  sticks is a suitable number for a beginner’s pastel box. As you develop a style, you’ll determine quickly which colors you use most. Can I clean my pastel sticks? Te fastest way to clean a pastel stick is to wipe it with a paper towel. Or you can shake pastels gently in a lidded container of cornmeal or uncooked rice to remove unwanted color.

Surfaces for Pastels

From left to right, you can see the effect of a soft pastel used on Strathmore watercolor paper, Strathmore charcoal paper, Mi-eintes pastel paper and Colourfix coated pastel paper.

The most important consideration when selecting a surface for pastel work is the surface’s “tooth”—the ability of its texture to grab and hold the pastel particles. A slick or smooth surface has little to no tooth and won’t hold the pastel. On the other hand, a very rough surface may not allow the pastel to cover completely. Much depends on your personal preferences. Most papers suitable for charcoal work well for pastels because they have a sufficient tooth. Popular papers include Canson Mi-Teintes, Canson Ingres, Strathmore �� Series and Fabriano Tiziano. There are several papers made especially for pastel, such as Hahnemühle Velour and Bugra, Amalfi handmade and Sennelier Papier Carré. Some papers have coatings containing very fine particles to hold the pastel, such as Wallis sanded pastel paper, Art Spectrum Colourfix coated pastel paper and Supertooth board, Sennelier La Carte pastel card and Ampersand Pastelbord. Finally, you can apply primers and grounds to paper, board or canvas panels to make them receptive to pastel. Try Art Spectrum pastel and multimedia primer, Golden pastel ground or Lascaux pastel ground.


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Special Report By Maggie Price

Support System Select a pastel surface that best suits your working style.

Te First Kiss of Fall (x) by Maggie Price was cre-

ated on Richeson Premium Pastel Surf ace (terra cotta Gator Foam). Notice in the detail (above) how the texture of the surface adds to the quality of the stucco wall, and the terra cotta color of the sur face gives the whole a warm glow.

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hether you’re an experienced pastel artist or just getting started, choosing a surface for a painting has a lot to do with the final outcome. As the medium of pastel has continued to gain popularity over the last dozen or so years, the number of surfaces available to the artist has grown steadily. Here are some of the important factors to consider as you sort out the options. Generally, pastel surfaces can be grouped into two broad categories: smooth and textured. Smoother surfaces may only allow two or three layers of pastel, but if you like to work quick ly, that may be sufficient for your needs. The smooth surfaces also work well for high ly detailed work or subjects requiring fine lines, which is why they’ve long been a favorite of portrait and still-life artists. Textured surfaces encourage layering, and some of t hem work well for those artists who like to begin w ith an

underpainting. While fine lines and detail are by no mean s impossible on textured sur faces, some surfaces work better than others for those purposes. Many surfaces come in a variety of colors, and the color you choose has a profound effect on the resulting painting. You can choose a color that will show throughout, creating harmony and balance, or you can select a contrasting color that w ill add excitement and energy. If you like to start your pastel painting with a prelimina ry underpainting, you’ll probably want to start with white or a very light color. Underpaintings give a new dimension to pastel paintings. Some surfaces will accept an underpainting in many media, ranging from watercolor to gouache to oil stains. Some art ists like to lay down a layer of pastel and wash it with water, alcohol, mineral spirits, acetone or Turpenoid. Bear in

mind that certain surfaces are wellsuited for those approaches, while others can’t be touched with liquid or only with certain liquids. The durability of the paper is another factor. If you tend to rub, scrub, erase and generally abuse the surface, you obviously want someth ing tough enough to take it. If you have a light touch and a delicate approach, the heavy-duty stuff is probably wasted on you. Trying a lot of different surfaces will lead you to those most suited to your working sty le, and t he experimentation may push you in surprising directions as well. Even if you’ve already got a favorite or two, t ake a look at some of the exciting new surfaces recently released. If you ever find yourself blo cked or uninspired, there’s nothing like trying out a new product to revitalize your creative energies.


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Smoother Surfaces Canson Mi-Teintes Paper: Available in a range of �� colors, this has long been a popular choice, especially for figure drawing and portraits. It has a vellumlike texture on one side and a flat surface on the reverse, and artists generally have a strong preference for one side or the other; the rougher side can take more layers of pastel but the pattern of the paper may show through. It’s a heavy, ��-lb. sheet, �� percent cotton. Unless you use fixative on this surface, the number of layers is quite limited. It’s available in individual sheets that measure ��x��, and considered light-resistant and acid-free.

Rives BFK Printmaking Paper: This is a French mould-made paper (�� percent cotton rag, neutral pH) and is buffered. It has a smooth, vellum-like surface, and

it’s available in several colors. It can take a surprising number of pastel layers. Extremely soft pastels may fill the limited toot h rather quickly, however, so you may need to apply fixat ive to continue layering. It’s a tough surface that can handle erasures, and it comes with natural deckles and tear deckles.

Somerset Velvet Paper: Similar to Rives in feel, the Somerset Velvet is a mould-made paper (�� percent cotton, neutral pH) with a softly textured finish. The soft sur face is very receptive to pastel and excellent for blending, but isn’t at all like a velour paper. Like the Rives BFK, this surface’s tooth can fill quickly, but an application of fixative wil l solve that. Somerset Velvet is available in ��x�� sheets, in four colors.

Aquarelle Watercolor Paper: Although this paper has a limited tooth, it’s somewhat textural. It’s a mould-made paper (acid-free, chlo rine-free) and made of �� percent cotton fiber. Some artists give it a light sanding with a fine-grit sandpaper to rough up the finish. Others apply a mixture of pumice and gesso (or use the Art Spectrum Colourfix Primer, available in a range of colors, or clear) to give it a somewhat sanded feel. Without any preparation, it will take only a limited number of layers, but is a good choice if you like to begin with watercolor for a mixed-media approach. Multimedia Artboard: Avai lable i n black or white, for either oil or waterbased media, this sur face takes a surprising number of pastel layers, and

Smoother Surfaces

Canson Mi-Teintes, smooth side: A

Canson Mi-Teintes, textured side: A

Somerset

his

Somerset Velvet, black : While the

fine line made with a pastel pencil

line made with a pastel pencil breaks

smooth surface holds a line quite

paper is the same, changing the

holds up well, while a single applica-

up due to the texture, while the appli-

well. A single layer of soft pastel

color of a surface affects the pastel’s

tion of soft pastel nearly covers the

cation of two layers of pastel has still

(purple) doesn’t fill the tooth; two

appearance. Te pastel pencil line,

surface.

not completely filled in the texture.

additional layers (red and pink) cover

the single layer and multiple layers of

well and still leave room for further

color all “pop” from the background

layering.

color.

Velvet,

white:

Rives BFK Printmaking Paper: A thin

Aquarelle Watercolor Paper: Both

Multimedia Artboard: Tis surface

Hahnemühle Velour Paper :

line holds up well, and one layer of

a pastel pencil line and a swatch of

isn’t as smooth as it appears at first

that even a fine line made with a pas-

soft pastel covers the surface almost

color show the texture of the paper.

touch. Note the breaking-up of the

tel pencil “bleeds” out to a soft edge;

completely.

Additional layers could still be applied

pastel pencil line; a single layer of pas-

a single pass of color laid on with a

without filling the tooth.

tel doesn’t fill the tooth. Even after

medium-soft pastel has fuzzy edges

additional color is layered on, there’s

and a soft look.

) m o c . s l e t s a p a t o k a d . w w w ( s l e t s a P a t o k a D y b d e d i v o r p s e c a f r u s e l p m a S

Note

still visible grain.


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Special Report the rigid board is easy to handle, especially for plein air work.

Hahnemühle Velour Paper: Available in several colors, this soft, velvety surface takes sof ter pastels well, but in limited layers (usually requiring some fixative). Available in a range of colors in ��x�� sheets, it’s acid-free and archi val. The velour sur face is produced by applying inert synthetic fibers onto a backing sheet. Velour holds pastel well and is very appropriate for soft edge

work due to the nature of the longer fibered velour surface. Also available as boards, the velour paper is applied to an acid-free, �-ply conservation board. It’s well-suited for artists looking for a very sof t effect without fine lines or hard edges.

Textured Surfaces Townsend Pastel Paper: This surface is produced by applying a coating to Rives BFK �� percent cotton, ��gram paper. A mixture of two grades

Textured Surfaces

Townsend Pastel Paper : More tex-

Schmincke Sansfix: Fine lines

Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper : Fine

tural than it first appears, this

remain crisp without breaking

lines and hard edges are fairly

surface holds a fairly good line

up; the surface is well-covered

easy to achieve, and the paper

made with a pastel pencil. A sin-

by the soft pastel, but allows for

will take many layers of pastel.

gle layer of color doesn’t fill the

additional layering.

At right, the red pastel has been

tooth, nor do t wo subsequent lay-

washed with urpenoid; the yel-

ers.

low scribble was applied after the surface was dry to show the remaining tooth.

Sennelier La Carte : Te textured

Art Spectrum Colourfix: moothly

Ampersand Pastelbord : Te tex-

surface still holds a line, and mul-

sanded and textural, the sur-

tured surface allows fine lines,

tiple layers of pastel cover well,

face holds a line nicely and allows

layering and underpainting tech-

but there’s still room to add more

numerous layers of pastel.

niques. Te pastel on the right

before filling the tooth.

has been washed with urpenoid, dried and a streak of yellow across it reveals the tooth remaining.

Sample surfaces provided by Dakota Pastels (www.dakotapastels.com)

of silica, methyl cellulose, liquid adhesive, chalk, whiting and water is handbrushed onto the paper. Several passes are made to achieve a smooth, even surface, much like ver y fine sandpaper. The coating is clear, with coloration coming from t he BFK sheet colors. The Townsend paper is archival and will handle light water-based washes as well as solvent-based washes.

Sennelier La Carte Pastel Card: Often referred to simply as “pastel card,” this surface comes in a range of colors. Its somewhat toothy surface is made of a pH-neutral vegetable fiber, affi xed to a firm support and allows numerous layers of pastel. The binder used to produce the surface is susceptible to liquid; even a spot of water wi ll cause the fiber surface to come off, so it’s not a good choice if you like to begin with an underpainting. Blending and rubbing work well, and fine lines are easy to achieve. The surface is available in �� colors, in ��½ x��½ sheets. Schmincke Sansfix: With a texture similar to sanded paper, this surface comes in a range of colors. It allows generous layering and can take a sharp line. Though a lcohol washes may cause the surface to become sticky, it’s a water-resistant surface. The archi val paper is available in six colors, in ��½x��½ sheets. Art Spectrum Colourfix Sanded Paper: The prepared sheets come in a range of colors; the colored texture is applied to a paper leaving a thin white edge all around. This surface takes many layers and will accept wet media underpaintings. This company also sells a textured pigment in jars for application to your own surfaces; it comes in a range of colors, as well as clear. Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper: Available in white or a neutral gray, this smoothtextured sanded surface has an even grain and will accept many, many layers of pastel. If your painting doesn’t work out, the pastel can be washed off and the paper re-used. It can be underpainted with wet


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Pecos in Winter (x), by Fred Miller, was painted on Art Spectrum Colourfix—a sanded paper.

media, from oil washes to watercolor, or pastel (applied and washed with various liquids). Because its base is watercolor paper, it’s archival and pH neutral. T he paper comes in �x�� or ��x�� pads, and in sheets and rolls in two grades. While both are fully archival, the professional grade is based on a lighter weight of watercolor paper than the museum grade.

Ampersand Pastelbord: A thin sheet of material similar to Masonite is the backing for this text ured board (available in a number of colors). Pastels seem particularly brillia nt when applied to this sur face, which allows layering and wet media underpaintings. The rigid board is an advantage in framing, since it doesn’t have to be matted, and it comes in a nice range of standard sizes.

Glossary of Terms Tooth refers to the texture of the paper. For pastel artists, the more tooth a surface has, the more layers of pastel it will hold. Once the tooth is filled, no more pastel can be applied (without applying fixative). Surface usually means the type of paper or board the artist is using. Surfaces include papers, boards, panels, etc. Sometimes, surface may refer to a coating applied to a paper or a board, but the whole is then also referred to as a surface. Board generally means a rigid surface, rather than a paper surface. In some

cases, paper may be mounted to a board. Archival , acid-free and pH neutral all refer to the relative acid content of a surface. Generally, if a manufacturer says a paper is archival, it m eans the paper is acid-free and will last longer than a paper that isn’t acid-free. The pH term refers to the relative acid or alkaline content; a pH factor of 7 o r higher is considered acid-free. Newsprint, for example, is highly acidic and yellows or deteriorates quickly. You want your paintings to last, so look for the words acid-free, pH neutral and archival .


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Special Report New or Improved UART: This is the “new generation” of Ersta sanded paper, long a favorite of pastel artists for its smooth, sanded surface. While the “old” Ersta wasn’t pH neutral, the UART paper is. It’s available in four grits, from P400 to P800, in sheets from 9x12 to 27x40, and in rolls 56 inches wide and up to 50 yards long. It’s a little lighter in color than the old Ersta, but will take layers and layers of pastel, as well as underpaintings washed with Turpenoid or other solvents.

New or Improved

UART: Ersta paper fans will feel at home on this

Sabretooth: Te textured surface breaks up a pas-

updated surface, which allows delicate lines, lay-

tel pencil line, but allows multiple layers of pastel

ering and underpainting. Te swatch on the right

to build without filling the tooth.

was washed with urpenoid, creating a smooth fill of the surface without destroying the tooth.

Saint-Armand Sabretooth pastel paper: Sabretooth has been around for some time, but this surface has been revised recently. It’s a rag-based paper made in Canada—archival, acid-free, lightly textured and internally sized. The acrylic-

Lavender No. , France (x) by Urania Christy arbet was painted on Ampersand Pastelbord, a textured surface rigid enough to frame without matting.


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The Newest Surfaces

Colourfix Supertooth: Lines and layering reveal

the heavy tooth of t his paper. Te red swatch on the right was washed with urpenoid prior to applying the yellow stroke. Rug Sale, Marbella (x), by Maggie Price, was created on Rtistx pastel board.

based sand coating is applied with a roller to achieve an even textured surface. The coating will take both water and sol vent-based washes, and can withstand vigorous scrubbing and reworking. It’s available in nine colors in sheets of �� x�� or packs of four ��x�� sheets of a single color.

Colourfix Supertooth: Art Spectrum’s Colourfix Supertooth painting boards have a more aggressively toothy surface than the standard Art Spectrum Colourfix papers. Supertooth is made by coating 500-gram, acid-free, archival watercolor boards with a specially formulated clear acrylic primer mixed with silica particles. The clear coating allows the natural warm white color of the board to show through, and the rigidity of the heavyweight board provides a stout working surface. The surface of this paper can hold many layers of pastel, and can be underpainted with any medium. Richeson Premium Pastel Surface: This new pastel su rface is produced on three dif ferent substrates: �� lb. paper, � / �-inch hardboard and � / �� -inch Gatorfoam board. It’s an aggressively toothy surface, and will hold many layers of pastel. It accepts liquids for underpaint-

ing in most any medium, or any kind of liquid wash over pastel. Af ter applying an underpainting—and using very soft pastels—you can sti ll get quite a few layers on the surface without filling the tooth. The sur faces are available in seven colors and in a range of sizes. The Gatorfoam board and the Hardboard can easily be framed w ithout mats, and their rigid surfaces make them ideal for plein air work.

Rtistx Pastel Board: This new pastel surface is fused to a lightweight, rigid polyvinyl board. It comes in two grades: �� (heavier grit, in taupe) and �� (not as coarse, in white, and often used for oils as well as pastels). The surface is acid-free with a pH-neutral coating. Sizes range from �x�� to ��x��. The manufacturer recommends not using alcohol or acetone with underpaintings, though Turpenoid or water work well. Like other board surfaces, you can frame w ithout mats. Mag gie Pri ce (www.maggiepriceart.com) is

a contributing writer for The Pastel Journal , a pastel artist and teacher, and the co-founding editor of The Pastel Journal. Her book, Painting With Pastels, was released last year from North Light Books.

Richeson Premium Pastel Surface: Fine lines

with a pastel pencil break up a little, while strokes with soft pastel show the texture. Layers upon layers can be applied to this surface. Te red swatch on the right was washed with urpenoid for a smooth covering of the surface without filling the tooth.

Rtistx Pastel Board: Te textured surface can

handle numerous layers of pastel, though the color covers quickly and easily. Te swatch of red on the right was washed with urpenoid and dried before the pink stroke was applied.


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SECTION TWO


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blending colors You can use your fingers to blend pastels to create dramatic

ings so luminous and brilliant. But when you blend the

skies and mirrored reflections. Over-blending flattens colors

pastel, you are to some extent flattening or crushing those

and can make them muddy, but used properly, this technique

faceted particles. If you want to dull a color to help push it

is great for skies and water.

toward the background of a painting, such as in the sky, this

To understand the pros and cons of blending, you must

can be an advantage. But if you want to keep the characteris-

first understand the characteristics of the pastel pigment.

tic luminosity and glow of pastel, apply an unblended layer

The structure of the particles of pigment is crystalline, with

of color.

facets like a cut diamond. This is what makes pastel paint-

BEFORE

first layer of color To paint soft, fluffy clouds, first apply pastel to a sanded paper, or other surface with a fair amount of ˝tooth,˝ using a number of colors. Clouds aren’t just white! Look for pale pinks, lavenders, yellows, greens, blues and grays, and put all the colors you see on the paper. Put enough pastel on the surface to blend, but not so much that the grain is filled.

A F T E R

colors blended together Using the side of your hand, you can blend the colors together with a circular motion, bringing them right over the edge of the blue sky. More pastel can be added after the first blending.

protecting your hands You can wear a latex glove if you wish, or use a barrier cream to protect your skin. If you’re working on a sanded surface, avoid excessive blending without a glove: You could sand your skin to the point of bleeding into the pastel!


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tools for blending A number of tools are available for blending to soften edges,

Layering Color

move color and mix it on the paper. In addition to tools sold

Use layers of pastels over other pastels to blend colors.

commercially for these purposes, there are things you may

When you don’t have the color you want, you can create it

have in your home that work well for blending. Styrofoam

with layers of colors. You can also layer and intermix colors

peanuts, the “core” of Fome-Cor (cut a piece off, remove the

for optical blending effects, or to create broken color (small

paper from the front and back, and you have a firm blending

strokes of several colors of the same value applied to an

tool that can be cut to any size or shape) or even eyeshadow

area, layered and side-by-side, to create interesting color).

applicators all make good blending tools.

paint shapers A rubber-tipped paint shaper is similar to a paintbrush, except the “brush“ is a rubber shape with some broad edges and some narrow edges. They work well to blend colors, and can also remove color. I use the Colour Shaper brand.

tortillions Tortillions, or stumps, are traditional pastel and charcoal blending tools. Their fine points can get into small spaces and push the pastel into the paper.

pastel pencils and charcoal You can use thin sticks of extra-soft vine charcoal or pastel pencils to feather edges. Hold the stick or pencil far back from the point and fan it gently across an area you wish to blend. Using charcoal may gray the color a little, while using pastel pencils may glaze on a little extra color as it blends your pastel pigments.

tapping Create soft edges by tapping the pastel with your fingers. Unlike blending, tapping does not muddy colors but can be useful for softening edges or melding two or more colors together.

layering Layering hard pastel over soft is one way to blend while adding color. Try this in an area of foliage: With very soft pastels, put down several greens, perhaps add some oranges, and then lightly stroke over the soft pastels with the side or tip of a firm yellow or yellow-orange pastel. The harder pastel will blend the colors together while adding the impression of sunlight. You can create a similar effect in shadowed areas by using soft pastels in dark colors and then blending with a blue or blue-green hard pastel.

glazing Glazing with a stroke of soft pastel, holding the stick on its side, is a way to layer color without blending. Where the layer is thinnest, the effect of a different color is created.


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D E M O N S T R A T I O N

using color studies as a reference Artist Richard McKinley likes to work on location, but sometimes a painting done outdoors inspires him to paint a larger version of the subject back in the studio. The artist spent a lot of time on location observing and studying the many moods of this landscape, its atmosphere and the play of textures in the tidal marshes. The quick study, on white Wallis Museum-Grade Sanded Paper mounted on illustration board, was done in less than an hour, with the purpose of capturing information that could be re-interpreted back in the studio.

Field study, Fir Island Afternoon 9" × 12" (23cm × 30cm) by Richard McKinley

materials list White Museum Grade Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper mounted on museum board Nos 4, 8 and 10 flat oil bristle brushes 2b drawing pencil Soft paper towels

watercolor paints Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red Orange, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Paynes Gray, Sap Green

pastels light warm white, middle-value lemon yellow, middle-value yellow-orange, light ochre yellow, middle-value orange-brown, middle-value ultramarine blue, light ultramarine blue, light cobalt blue, dark blue-green, light green-blue, middle-value turquoise blue, middle-value warm green, light warm green, light yellow-green, dark orange-green, light blue green, middle-value warm violet, light warm violet, dark blue-gray, middle-value blue-gray, light blue-gray, dark violet-gray, light violet-gray, middle-value gray-green

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Make the Sketch for the Studio Piece If you have any concerns about the composition, make a few thumbnail

sketches. Otherwise, begin a pencil drawing with an ordinary 2b sketching pencil on a piece of 14" × 18" (36cm × 46cm) white Wallis Museum-Grade Paper, mounted on an illustration board. Work out the d etails of the composition and become familiar with the subject. Most of the drawing will be lost once the painting is started, but this allows you a chance to make sure everything is correct before adding pastel. Look for rhythms and movement as you explore the subject in the drawing, and make changes and improvements from the initial field sketch. For example, moving the horizon higher in the studio composition adds more distance and a stronger sense of being grounded. The addition of a closer peninsula on the far right helps balance the composition.


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2

Underpaint with Watercolor We already know that an under-

painting is a way to set up the pastel painting to follow. Watercolor does not fill the tooth of the paper, so it’s a good choice of medium. (Note that the paper must be mounted to avoid buckling.) As you underpaint, think about what colors and values of pastel you will be using. Where you plan to use light pastels, underpaint the watercolor a little darker to give the pastel layer depth and richness. Remember that pastel is an opaque medium and anything you do in the underpainting can be covered, so experiment. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

3

Begin Adding Pastel After the underpainting dries thoroughly, you can start to apply pastel,

mellowing some of the harder edges in the underpainting. Begin placing pastel around the focal point. In this composition, the focal point is located above center in the left side of the painting. Think about how you can use color and value to indicate aerial perspective—cooler, grayer and lighter colors in the distance and warmer, saturated and darker ones in the foreground. Try not to just fill in the underpainting—use small strokes and bits and pieces of color to create texture and color. Lost and found edges are much more believable than overly rendered outlines. Since more can always be added it’s best to start in a softer, broken fashion, and refine just as much as necessary to complete the form. The beginning should be very soft; you’ll add more definition later. To get rid of any strong pencil lines left from the drawing, use a light application of pastel and blend the color a little with a paper towel.


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4

Refine and Move Forward Begin painting the reflection

of the water to create the shore. The underpainting works well for the grassy bank, so leave it until the end to resolve. If you paint it now, you could overwork it and lose the underpainting altogether. The water and bank are part of the center of interest, so paint them with stronger color notes, value contrasts and sharper edges. Add more contrast to the distant water against the shore. Lighter values and more colors of similar value add importance, so add more violet to the distant marsh. As beautiful as the foreground and background are, this painting is about the mid-ground.

5

Complete the Foreground Slowly paint the foreground—if

you add too much pastel, the underpainting will be lost. Keep in mind the area of interest and avoid overworking other areas. Remember that the focal point is defined in part as the area of most detail. Add more texture to the water surface with strokes of pastel, and continue to refine the reflections. The first indications of light sparks—those little twinkles of light where the sun hits the water and sparkles—and separation between the water and the shore can now be placed. It’s easy to get these too perfect and lose the sense of movement and air. Slight smudging helps, as does varying the pressure of the pastel. Make any small adjustments you see fit now—each stroke of the pastel counts. Ask yourself this question: Will more help or hinder?


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6

Finish the Painting Before proceeding toward the finish, take a break. By

the violet from the back into the foreground, creating more

resting from the concentration of the painting, you will come

harmony. It is the same value but weaker in chroma so as not

back to it with a fresh perspective. When you return to the

to compete with the focal area. Add some subtle, delicate

painting, listen to it. Reevaluate your original concept so you

golden grasses to the right shoreline to counterbalance the

can do what is needed to make the painting work, rather than

center of interest area. A few more notes of green can be

force it to a predestined conclusion.

added to the foreground grasses and a final strengthening of

The final touches can be subtle. Strengthen the violet in the right-side grasses, which will intensify the green-silhouetted grasses in front of it and add interest. More separation

the light drifts on the water behind the grasses in the center of interest. Compare this studio piece to the field study on page 118.

of the water and shore can be accomplished with the addi-

The experience and knowledge gained in the field study is

tion of more light sparkles. Add intense, sharp notes of green

translated to the studio piece and makes it stronger than

to the green grasses on the left to make them stand out

working from a photo alone.

more. Paint soft violet-gray grasses in the foreground and silhouetted along the foreground shore, pulling the bank up

Fir Island Afternoon 14" × 18” (36cm × 46cm) by Richard McKinley

above the water level. The violet helps to tie together


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Pastel Painting

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