Pastels

A Pastel work of art is created by laying

strokes of the dry pigment across an
abrasive ground, thus embedding the
color in the "tooth" of the paper,
sandboard or canvas. When the ground
is completely covered with Pastel, the
work is considered a Pastel painting;
leaving much of the ground exposed
creates what is considered a Pastel
sketch.
~http://fioravantifineart.blogspot.com/
Pastels are known for
their brilliant color.
Pastels are the purest
from of color an artist can
create with as they are
made with pure pigment
mixed with only a small
about of gum solution.
Because of their purity,
there is no oil to cause
darkening or cracking, nor
other substance or medium
to cause fading or
blistering. Pastels paintings
from the 16th Century exist
today, as fresh and alive as
the day they were painted!

http://ctpastelsociety.com/home.html
The term Pastel
come from its
Italian name
pastello, a
derivation of the
word pasta,
meaning paste.
History
Pastels can be traced
back to the 16th century.
Its invention is attributed to
the German painter
Johaim Thiele. Though it
was a Venetian woman
artist, Rosalba Carriera
who was the first to
consistently use Pastels.

Self-portrait
Pastel on paper
1715 http://ctpastelsociety.com/home.html
Artists to note:
Chardin, Self Portrait, pastel, 1771
Renoir, Portrait of a young Girl, pastel, 1887
Degas, La Danseuse sur la Scene, pastel, 1878
Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child, pastel, 1900
Forms
Soft Pastels

The purist of the

pastel family.
Comes in a wide
range of quality.
Hard Pastels
Used in early stages of a
work when a certain
degree of drawing is
needed. It would then
be overlaid with soft
pastels.
Pastel Crayons
Medium-hard pastels
that combine the
qualities of soft
pastels and the
control of hard
pastels.
Pastel Pencils
Are a harder version
of the stick. The
hardness combined
with the ability to
sharpen the material
make them ideal for
detailed work.
Tools
Blending stick

Make your own!

Color shapers
Chamois

Found in the
automotive isle!
One goes a long
way. You can
cut it up and use
with charcoal,
pastels and
throwing.
Q-Tips, Tissue and
Cotton Balls
Easel
Easels can be very expensive.
You can get the same effect by
propping up a board on a table
top. Using a easel with pastels
is essential as it allows the
excess chalk dust fall.
Erasers

Just like with

charcoal the eraser
can also be used as
a mark making tool.
 Fixative:
To use or not to use, that is the question!

Professional Pastellists are very passionate about NOT using fixatives on

their work. Make a decision that best suits you.

Cons Pros
Darken the color Build up layers
Pollutes the purest of pigment Protects from smearing
Health reason (hairspray) Do not have to frame
Must be framed
Supports
Sanded paper
Watercolor paper
Roofing paper
Colored paper
Newsprint
Vellum
Art boards
Canvas
Asphalt
Storage

When purchasing pastels

separately buy or build a
box for storing.
Cleaning

To clean your
Pastels place
them in a
container with
uncooked rice
and gently
shake.
Great idea!

This is a very cost

effective and very
functional option!
Techniques
Scrumbling
Edge
Hatching
Feathering
Dusting
Other materials to experiment with

Water
Colored pencils
Water colors
Acrylic medium
Charcoal
The sky is the limit!
Step by step
By Jerry Hunsinger
I usually begin a painting by a loose
drawing with a black pastel or medium
soft charcoal, not a vine charcoal
because it doesn't mix with the pastel.
Here I am using a sand-colored sheet
of La Carte pastel card. The paper is
attached to a clipboard and placed on
my easel tilted forward a few degrees.
Using mostly hatching strokes I have
already begun covering the paper with
a rough value drawing. The entire
sheet of paper will be covered before I
apply the first color.
In this step I have begun layering
pastels from dark to light using hard
pastels then progressing to softer as the
values get lighter. I use a very light
touch so that I don't fill the tooth of the
paper before I'm ready. I don't have a
particular order that I develop the
painting at this point but rather develop
different areas randomly. The darkest
values are layered with my darkest red,
green and then blue because I seldom
(but sometimes) leave pure black in my
paintings.
At this point I am beginning to add
more color continuing to darken the
lowest values and lightening the
lightest. In most of my paintings I use
a cool light and a warm shadow.
Usually I use the harder, darker
pastels to layer colors in the
beginning. Sometimes I will use a soft
pastel to lay in a color, then use a hard
pastel to smooth out the texture or to
push it into the tooth of the paper. I
always use a pastel to blend colors,
never my fingers.
The completed painting is mostly
mid-tone to dark in value. I want the
small areas of light to be very
prominent. I liked this particular
composition because the girls are
positioned diagonally to the left, and
the violins are positioned diagonally
to the right. I made the background
blurred to give the illusion of depth.
Placing the small branch and leaf in
front of the taller girl achieved the
same effect. I like light and dark
contrast, pattern, and texture in my
paintings and this particular setting
included a combination of all those
qualities.
Your challenge is
to experiment
with the different
tools, papers and
techniques in
your IWB.
 Street Artist

Julian Beever