Pastels

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Pastels

Unlike other artistic media, pastel offers the experience of painting with dry colors. Pastel is made from pure pigment in powdered form, which is bound together into sticks, similar to chalk. However, unlike colored chalks, pastel is composed of the same pigments found in oil paints. As pastel colors are applied dry, artists know immediately what effect a color will have on a composition. With techniques, like blending and scruffing, artists control tones and shading. One disadvantage of pastel is that the image is never secure, and the slightest touch can compromise the composition. Liquid fixatives, such as those used for charcoal, are apt to reduce the brilliance of the color. Therefore, the protection of glass and gentle handling are often the best means of preservation.

Plein Air Pastel Drawings

Chalk Pastel drawing of girl in a yellow jacket in front of a river

“Girl in a Yellow Jacket” chalk pastel drawings - ©2019 All Rights Reserved - Plein Air pastel drawing, Steamboat Spring, Colorado. As I was drawing the river a young girl just happened to walk by and I quickly included her into the scene. An elderly couple bought the drawing to give to their grand-daughter for her birthday.

“Red Barn” chalk pastel drawings - ©2019 All Rights Reserved - Plein Air pastel drawing, Steamboat Spring, Colorado. Early in the morning we drove out to one of the local properties. Each artist choose their own spot to draw. I choose the red barn.