Tap excess dust off over a bin, rather than blowing, this will make a mess and could be hazardous to breath in. Whilst it is not impossible to combine both types of pastel, generally (and certainly whilst learning) stick to soft or oil pastels through your whole painting. You can layer the colors as you go, and just experiment with different types of lines. Start with broad, blended areas of colour, put very fine details on last or they will be lost as you work. Perhaps one of the most basic and easy techniques to try with chalk pastels is just simply to draw with them There is no right or wrong way to do this, hold the pastel like a pencil and start to draw. Instead choose a neutral coloured pastel, or one close to the colour of your paper. It is a mistake to use pencil for your underdrawing, it will show at the end.
Spray fixative – this will not completely fix the painting, and can alter the colour balance if applied too heavily.īaby wipes – perfect for cleaning your hands as you work. Tortillions – paper stumps used for blendingĬolour shapers – a modern blending tool with a rubber tip Special boxes with trays of small divisions can be used to store a large collection, although some artists recommend storing pastels colour grouped in boxes of dried rice to keep them clean. Do not be afraid to snap or even sand your pastels if you need a sharper edge.
Individual colours can be purchased or starter sets. I started by making a series of marks with both hard and soft pastel on the various types of paper that I had, noting the pastels performance on each. Much like paints you will pay more the higher the quality.
The colour of the paper will have a bearing on the final drawing, so light, dark, muted or bright - consider the final effect you want to achieve. On other painting media, it can be referred to as layering. This creates a wonderful mixture of two or more colors together. Paper comes loose or in pads (sometimes with a selection of colours). One of the best soft pastel tips for soft pastels is when they are mixed together unintentionally. Different types and colours of pastel paper are available, including luxurious ‘velour’ surfaces much loved by professionals. Although oil pastels can be used on many surfaces pastel paper would be the best place to start for these too. Traditionally soft pastels are used on coloured paper, especially designed for them.