By Matt Fussell
Pastels can be a difficult medium to control. The looser the medium, the harder it is to control on the surface. Sometimes, people will dismiss a medium because it is hard to use the first couple of times that they try it - expecting a professional result right from the start.
This is unfortunate because many miss out on the satisfaction that can come from a medium that might be "the perfect fit" for them. I say all of this, because this was true for me.
I shunned color media for a long time because it was uncomfortable for me. It wasn't until I found pastels and worked with them for a while that I changed my tune.
I know that there are others that limit themselves as well and are missing out as a result. So if you are new to pastels, or color media in general - keep working. Okay, enough about that, on to the tutorial...
Here is a video that outlines the process. A detailed look at the process continues below the video...
For this demonstration, I used Rembrandt Pastels
The pastels come encased in a sturdy box that features foam grooves to hold the pastels. Having used mid-level pastels for quite a while, the quality of the Rembrandt pastels is noticeably different.
The surface that I am working on is Mi-Tientes pastel paper by Canson
Here are the steps to painting an eye that were taken in this demonstration. Of course, there are more steps, but these are the major highlights...
The first step is to lightly draw the contours of the shape of the eye. A skin tone color is used first, followed by a dark brown.
Next, the colors that are observed in the iris part of the eye are layered in. Blues, greens, and even yellow are all added and then blended in with a finger.
The next step is to layer some of the darker tones and values of the iris over the colors. A dark brown and blue are used for this. Layering is an important part of painting with pastels. By layering the colors, depth is created making colors become more realistic and believable.
Additional colors are laid on top of the darker layer. This time, less smudging takes place. Instead, the color is layered directly on top without any mixing. Yellow-green and light blue is used for this.
Highlighted areas are added on the iris using a light cream. This color is also used in the "white" parts of the eyes as well.
Next, marks are made with red-orange, red, and cream to begin to establish the edges of the eye.
White is layered over the slightly darker "white parts" of the eye to create a highlight and make the eye appear "wet". White is also used over the iris as well for the same effect.
Skin tone colors are added around the eye and gently worked into the surface as they are applied.
Observed colors of the skin tones continue to be added and blended into the surface.
Lastly, the eyelashes are added using a sharp black pastel pencil.
Here's a look at the completed image...
Working with pastels give you the best of both worlds. The finished result is definitely a painting, but the process is arguably very much like drawing.
Not ready for soft pastels? Still consider yourself to be a person who draws exclusively, but you still want to give colored media a "go"? Why not take a look at pastel pencils?
Pastel pencils consist of the pastel medium encased in a pencil. They can be sharped and be used to draw just like any other pencil. They can be blended and layered just like soft pastels.
I've posted another tutorial on how to use them to create a realistic eye. Have a look...
Here are some more art lessons that you may like...
