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Mediapedia
What is Mediapedia?
Mediapedia is an encyclopedia of art media. The
Artists Magazine is profiling a different medium in
each issue this year. Next up: oils.
By Greg Albert
Chemistry
Soft pastels, such as these by Terry
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 cant 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 and details. Softer pastels contain less
binder and more pigment, a ratio that gives them a rich color and velvety
texture. Theyre 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: Try 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: This is useful to protect your work from smudging as you
paint.
Protective gear: Dust masks, gloves or protective hand cream are
advisable.
Wet wipes: These are handy to clean up the pastel dust that didnt
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. Try the
techniques listed at the right with
pastels of different brands and
degrees of hardnesseach will create
a slightly different result.
2
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. The
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. This technique works best with
softer pastels.
Blending with pastels: Unlike paint,
pastel colors cant be mixed before
being applied to the drawing surfaceyou
must select a stick of the appropriate color or
blend colors directly on the surface. You can
create different effects and textures by how form and shape by varying the direction of
the cross-hatching.
much or how little you mix the colors.
Scumbling: Scumbling with pastels is
You can blend with your fingertips, but
very
similar to scumbling with paint.
the risk of ingesting the pigments warrants
You
apply
a
broken layer of color on top of
using protection. Also, a pastel surface can
another
layer
of color, allowing the bottom
be rough enough that using your fingers can
color
to
remain
visible. This technique works
lead to bleeding. Other tools include paper
best
on
a
textured
surface and with soft passtumps, kneaded erasers and cotton swabs
tel
applied
over
hard.
Try fixing the bottom
for precise work; facial tissues, paper towels,
cotton balls and small, soft natural sponges layer before applying the top layer.
Working on a colored ground: Apply
for larger, less precise work. Soft brushes are
pastels to a colored surface such as
good, if they dont stir up dust.
Hatching and cross-hatching: Hatch- toned paper or a board, panel or canvas
ing is drawing fine, closely spaced par- painted with a colored ground or pastel
allel lines to create an area of color and value; primer. Allowing the colored ground to peek
cross-hatching is drawing similar lines per- through creates vibrant color. Many pastel
pendicular to the first. This technique works artists use an underpainting of watercolor or
best with harder pastels or pastel pencils and pastel to tone a piece of white pastel paper.
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
FAQs
From left to right, you can see the effect of a soft pastel used on Strathmore watercolor paper, Strathmore
charcoal paper, Mi-Teintes pastel paper and Colourfix coated pastel paper.
The most important consideration when selecting a surface for pastel work is the surfaces tooththe ability of its texture to grab and hold the pastel particles. A slick
or smooth surface has little to no tooth and wont 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
500 Series and Fabriano Tiziano.
There are several papers made especially for pastel, such as Hahnemhle Velour
and Bugra, Amalfi handmade and Sennelier Papier Carr.
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.
Support System
Select a pastel surface that best suits your working style.
The First Kiss of Fall (16x20) by Maggie Price was created on Richeson Premium Pastel Surface (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 surface gives the whole a
warm glow.
mind that certain surfaces are wellsuited for those approaches, while others cant 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 something 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 style, and the experimentation may push you in surprising directions as well. Even if youve
already got a favorite or two, take a
look at some of the exciting new surfaces recently released. If you ever find
yourself blocked or uninspired, theres
nothing like trying out a new product
to revitalize your creative energies.
Smoother Surfaces
Canson Mi-Teintes Paper: Available
in a range of 42 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. Its a heavy, 98-lb.
sheet, 60 percent cotton. Unless you use
fixative on this surface, the number of
layers is quite limited. Its available in
individual sheets that measure 19x25, and
considered light-resistant and acid-free.
Rives BFK Printmaking Paper: This is
a French mould-made paper (100 percent
cotton rag, neutral pH) and is buffered. It
has a smooth, vellum-like surface, and
Smoother Surfaces
Special Report
the rigid board is easy to handle, especially for plein air work.
Hahnemhle Velour Paper: Available in several colors, this soft, velvety
surface takes softer pastels well, but in
limited layers (usually requiring some
fixative). Available in a range of colors
in 19x27 sheets, its acid-free and archival. The velour surface is produced by
applying inert synthetic fibers onto a
backing sheet. Velour holds pastel well
and is very appropriate for soft edge
Textured Surfaces
Townsend Pastel Paper: This surface is produced by applying a coating
to Rives BFK 100 percent cotton, 280gram paper. A mixture of two grades
Textured Surfaces
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 very fine sandpaper.
The coating is clear, with coloration
coming from the 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, affixed
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 will cause
the fiber surface to come off, so its 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
14 colors, in 19 x25 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 alcohol washes may
cause the surface to become sticky, its
a water-resistant surface. The archival paper is available in six colors, in
19x25 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 doesnt work out, the
pastel can be washed off and the paper
re-used. It can be underpainted with wet
Pecos in Winter (18x26), by Fred Miller, was painted on Art Spectrum Colourfixa sanded paper.
Glossary of Terms
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 wasnt pH neutral,
the UART paper is. Its 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. Its 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
Sabretooth: The textured surface breaks up a pastel pencil line, but allows multiple layers of pastel
to build without filling the tooth.
Lavender No. 4, France (12x16) by Urania Christy Tarbet was painted on Ampersand Pastelbord, a textured surface rigid enough to frame without matting.
S e ct i o n t w o
blending colors
You can use your ngers to blend pastels to create dramatic
skies and mirrored reections. Over-blending attens colors
and can make them muddy, but used properly, this technique
is great for skies and water.
To understand the pros and cons of blending, you must
rst understand the characteristics of the pastel pigment.
The structure of the particles of pigment is crystalline, with
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 arent
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.
AFTER
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.
49
50
Layering Color
Use layers of pastels over other pastels to blend colors.
When you dont have the color you want, you can create it
with layers of colors. You can also layer and intermix colors
for optical blending effects, or to create broken color (small
strokes of several colors of the same value applied to an
area, layered and side-by-side, to create interesting color).
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.
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.
D E M O N S T R A T I O N
materials list
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
118
120
the violet from the back into the foreground, creating more
harmony. It is the same value but weaker in chroma so as not
to compete with the focal area. Add some subtle, delicate
golden grasses to the right shoreline to counterbalance the
center of interest area. A few more notes of green can be
added to the foreground grasses and a nal strengthening of
the light drifts on the water behind the grasses in the center
of interest.
Compare this studio piece to the eld study on page 118.
The experience and knowledge gained in the eld study is
translated to the studio piece and makes it stronger than
working from a photo alone.
Fir Island Afternoon
14" 18 (36cm 46cm) by Richard McKinley
m o r e pa s t e l
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