Beginning Pastel: Tips and Techniques for Learning to Paint in Pastel

131 Pages·2017·47.315 MB·English

by  Paul Pigram

Beginning
PASTEL
Tips and techniques for learning to paint in pastel
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Quarto is the authority on a wide range of topics.
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enthusiasts and lovers of hands-on living.
www.quartoknows.com
© 2017 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
Published by Walter Foster Publishing,
a division of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
All rights reserved. Walter Foster is a registered trademark.
Artwork © Paul Pigram
Artwork on pages 5 and 7 from original photographs by Joe Cornish,
photos on pages 10-13 © Walter Foster Publishing,
color wheel on page 13 © Marla Baggetta
Design: Melissa Gerber
Digital edition: 978-1-63322-428-5
Softcover edition: 978-1-63322-194-9
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission
of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and
prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or
printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication.
Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied.
We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing
information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.
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This book has been produced to aid the aspiring artist.
Reproduction of work for study or finished art is permissible.
Any art produced or photomechanically reproduced from this publication
for commercial purposes is forbidden without written consent from the publisher,
Walter Foster Publishing.
Printed in China
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
WHAT IS PASTEL? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
TOOLS & MATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
COLOR BASICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
PAINTING TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
10 SIMPLE EXERCISES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
PAINTING WITH PASTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
PROTECTING YOUR PAINTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
CHOOSING A SUBJECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
COMPOSITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
CHOOSING A COLOR PALETTE FOR EACH SEASON . . . . . . . . . 40
The Elements That Make Up a Painting . . 48
TREES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
MOUNTAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
WATER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
SKY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
STILL LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
STRUCTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Mastering What You’ve Learned . . . . . . . . 66
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
STARTING WITH SPRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
PAINTING A SPRINGTIME LANDSCAPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 76
SETTING THE SCENE FOR SUMMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
STUNNING SUMMER SUNSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
REFLECTING ON FALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
CONVEYING FALL COLORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 104
DEPICTING TWILIGHT IN WINTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 110
OBSERVING WINTER COLORS IN A LANDSCAPE . . . . . . . . . .. 116
SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 124
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 128
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Introduction
I am passionate about painting in pastel! Nature gives us so many beautiful
pigments, which are used to make pastels. Think about that for a moment:
All of these beautiful colors are derived from nature and carefully blended
to make hundreds of wonderful pastels to choose from!
Artists have been painting with pastels since the Renaissance. By the
eighteenth century, pastels had grown in popularity, and they were favored
by many Impressionists during the nineteenth century, particularly Claude
Monet and Edgar Degas. Some of their pastel paintings look as fresh today
as the day they were painted, all those years ago. Today, with the increase
in pastel choices and the developments in surfaces, pastel painting has
never been more popular.
As an artist, I have tried many mediums, but once I picked up a pastel, that
was it. One of the things I love about pastel is that it is a very “hands-on”
medium, which allows you to interact with it and develop your own style
of painting.
In this book, I will guide you through this wonderful medium, starting with
the basic elements like materials and choosing a subject and then
progressing to step-by-step exercises, which will enable you to use all of
the tips and techniques you have learned.
When I first started painting in pastel, I was amazed at how quickly I could
produce a finished painting. I hope you will be too! Let’s begin.
I would like to thank my wife, Kate, for her photography skills, boundless
enthusiasm, and encouragement in producing Beginning Pastel.
Without her, this book would not have been possible.
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G E T T I N G
Started
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What is Pastel?
Pastels are made up of three primary ingredients:
Pigment is a finely ground color in powder
form. It is the key ingredient used to color the
paint. Pigments are ground from vegetable,
mineral, animal, or synthetic origins.
Filler is used to give more volume to pastels
and to affect the color. More filler is added to
reduce the intensity of the color.
Binder is used in very small amounts to mold
the pastel into sticks. Binder is typically made of
either gum arabic or gum tragacanth.
Pastel is considered
both a drawing and
a painting medium,
combining the best
of both worlds.
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