By Matt Fussell
The video tutorial featured on this page is a time lapse taken from the Live Lesson session for members recorded on September 12, 2012. For more on how you can interact and learn live click here.
Chalk pastels are considered by many to be a difficult medium. Pastels are messy and can smear easily leading to a messy drawing. Others, however recognize that the good qualities of pastels may outweigh the messy ones.
Pastels can be layered and mixed right on the surface leading to images that have the appearance of being painted. In fact, most pastel drawings are referred to as paintings. They may be messy, but they are easy to spread over a surface with your fingers or with a blending tool. Drawings with vibrant colors can be created in a short amount of time because there is no waiting for drying like there is with paints. The surface also stays workable unless it is fixed with a fixatif.
Pastel drawings can be produced just about anywhere. This makes them a favorite among "plien air" artists that work on location in the outdoors.
Many surfaces accept pastels, including canvas and papers. Most artists prefer to work on pastel papers, which are designed with a tooth to better accept the layers of pastels. Toned papers are best because they provide a midtone base for colors.
Pastels are also an excellent choice for landscape drawings. Here again, the ability to layer colors plays in. Artists are able to work from background to foreground, layering colors over the previous area.
The following video is a time lapse of a live lesson for members recorded on September 12, 2012 in which a pastel drawing is completed that includes rocks, trees, and water...
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