Happy June!

 Hi there, 

Happy June!  June: a beautiful month here in Canada. Yes, we wait for it. It has it all. Beauty, lovely sunny days with soft breezes, and sometimes a frosty night just to keep everyone on their toes. 

I took these sunrise pictures the other morning at 5:00 a.m. with my iPad. Although I wasn't thrilled to be awake that early, sometimes waking up early really pays off.

Tall Tales From the Easel...

Painted on Clairefontaine's Pastelmat paper.

Painted from a photo reference I took a few years ago.

                              

                                           Mostly mid tone to light values pastels on the plate. 

                       All but two are pigment rich Unison soft pastels. I love Unison's colours.

 Today, among other things, what follows will be some general information about pastels because I was asked for information by someone. 

When I started painting, pastels were a medium that I never considered using. Then I noticed a pastel painting that I just loved, and so I thought I'd give them a go. 

What are pastels? Prue pigment with a little binder.

Pastels have a couple of issues: number one they are messy, especially soft pastels, and they shatter if you drop one. (A mat under the easel would help keep shatters to a minimum.) Do I have one? No. I live and learn the hard way it seems. 😅

Some people only clean their soft pastels once or twice a year. I don't know how they manage because pastels get dirty after just one painting. The preferable way to clean them is to immerse them in a covered container with cornmeal, or rice, and give them a shake. For now, I wipe mine gently with shop towels.

Number 2: certain brands have cobalt and cadmiums. I believe Terry Ludwig's and Rembrandt soft pastels are heavy metal free. Although most pastel painters do not, I usually wear gloves. Pastels and acrylic paint dry out my fingers to a point where the skin lifts. (Not a comfortable or a pretty picture.)

Unison, Terry Ludwig, Jack Richeson, Sennelier, and Rembrandt are soft--dare I say chalk--pastels. Although Rembrandt's are harder than the others. They are all expensive. However, if you are just starting out there are cheaper brands. Mungo non-toxic comes to mind.

A lot of artists seem to shy away from Rembrandt pastels but I like them, and they are a bit cheaper than some of the others. I can't remember--for shame--but at a certain time of year most of the brands I mentioned go on sale. It may be November (I keep checking) when the good deals can be had. Mostly, I buy from Jackson's Art because their prices are very good, and the postage, depending on what your preference is, can be very reasonable. ( However, duty, that bane of existence, applies over $100.00)

I've only used oil pastels once so I can't really comment on them. 

                                                        From my memory banks.

I've been using Pastelmat paper hand friendly paper lately. Uart sanded paper is nice too, but it's so hard on the hands. You can blend on Pastelmat easily which some people like and some people do not. To blend on Uart,  a bit of soft pipe covering works well. 

Since neutral colours are also needed, I keep the pastel dust and chips. Although sometimes I can use the chips for precision mark making. (I put a tin foil trap on my easel to collect the dust.) One day I will

grind these down, outside, add water and roll out a neutral pastel or two.

Rule #1 never blow on a painting to get rid of accumulate dusk. You don't want pastel dust in your lungs. Give the painting a gentle tap and the dust will fall into the trap.

I do not use a workable fixative, mainly because I don't like the one I have. No matter how much I shake the can it still leaves spots!

( Rule # 3: Always good to spay outside even it you are using a low odor fixative.)

If you are running out of tooth on your paper, workable fixative works well, although it does darken the painting. You can, of course, cover certain areas and then spray. 

I will try another brand sometime.

(For framing, spacers are used so that any dust falls inside the mat and not on it.)

 

  FW Ink Purple Lake. What a wonderful rich colour.

Prismacolor Nupastels and the pastel pencils are hard.

I use Nupastel for under paintings and move it about with a fan brush dipped in alcohol.

FW ink also works well for an underpainting too. Not all papers are suitable for a wet wash, but Pastelmat, Uart, and Mi-Teintes Touch take wet washes well. There are others, but, at this time, these are the papers I use.

Why do an underpainting, especially because most of it ends up covered up? It's a roadmap and it gives a certain depth and richness of colour that generally peeks through here and there. I don't always do an underpainting. I may just begin, or make a few guideline marks here and there.

The hard pastels are good for adding detail at the end of a painting too.

Once you begin working with your soft pastels, it's a good idea to use a light touch because many layers go into a painting and you do not want to fill the paper's tooth too early.

I  hope this bit of general information proves useful.

 Give pastels a go.  I believe you will fall hopelessly in love with them!

* * *

Just now, in the woodland, an under carpet of Solomon’s Seal are in bloom. 

Correct me if I am wrong, but early evening seems a good time for taking photos. Just look at the light and shadows.

Wild Honeysuckle

Too bee, or is that 2B? 

Does anyone know what this beautiful little wildflower is?

                                  I am searching for an answer. It seems we must name things.

                                       Irises are spectacular!

                               

Wild violets are a favourite of mine too.

'Til Next Time...

Cultivate Your Dreams

Linking to Link Parties via my link party page. Do drop by for a visit; you will be glad you did.

  Thank you, ladies, for hosting.