Soft Pastel Painting Techniques

Deborah secor on materials for pastel.

Soft pastel painting techniques.

Chalk pastel drawings should be done on an abrasive base which collects and holds the color. Therefore using pastel paper that has a grain or tooth for the chalk to adhere to. Another way to go about pastel painting and art is by looking at flowers in softer shades like those of lighter pink or peach color and paint them. Remember to try each pastel technique with different pastels hard semi soft and soft as each gives a slightly different result as will the various pastel brands.

One of the advantages of working with pastel is that there are so many different ways to work with the medium. As with so many things in painting it comes down to what you enjoy doing with your pastels. How to use soft pastels is dependent on good quality materials. One set of somewhat firm pastels and one set of much softer sticks.

Combine firm and soft pastels. They still take my breath. So i find soft pastels very ideal for creating brief portrait drawings or even taking with on travels. You ll find that working soft pastels over hard pastels is a time tested method that s a good way to begin.

Look at soft flowers and paint them. Pastel societies around the world have sprung up and remain popular. Soft pastel is one of the most exciting and versatile painting mediums i know. Experiment with pastel on top of a print over an underpainting of watercolor or.

This can give you a good idea to get a grip on easy pastel paintings for beginners. However enough about how amazing this medium is. It is very expressive and can stand on its own but also works well with other mediums. Maggie price on surfaces for pastel painting 2.

As a professional artist and art instructor for over 30 years i can honestly say art is my whole life. Try purchasing two pastel sets. There is no right or wrong way. This makes soft pastel techniques very versatile.

Each of these pastel techniques can be used on their own or combined to produce a pastel painting. The better the quality the better the end result. Pastel painting techniques for beginners by liz haywood sullivan. Creating lines with the edge of a pastel.

Professional and hobby artists enjoy soft pastel for its unique looks and application methods. I love it all. I say this because one can create a quick sketch much quicker with soft pastels than with paint. The best part of my studio is walking in every day and seeing the rainbow of pastels in my palette.