1. Pastel Fundamentals

2. OBJECTIVE
To gain an understanding of the basic techniques and applications of chalk pastels through material experimentation, exercises and extended study.
Pastel Fundamentals

3. Unit Overview… During this unit we will explore the following topics:
Methods & Materials:
Overview of materials and options for surfaces to work on
Layering
Blending vs. not blending
Color:
Working with complementary colors
Working with a limited palette
Composition:
Creating balance with shape, value and color
Pastel Fundamentals

4. Pastels
Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder.
The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation.
Pastel Fundamentals

5. Methods and Materials Pastels Rich color is achieved through layering
Wonderfully expressive effects possible with loose mark making and minimal or no blending
East 9th Street, pastel on U-Art sanded pastel surface
Anne Kullaf © 2008
Pastel Fundamentals

6. Methods and Materials PAPERS or GROUND things to consider… Texture
Tooth
Texture
Color
Thickness
Archival quality
Flexibility
Availability
Cost
Pastel Fundamentals

7. Methods and Materials Pastels
Hard pastels – excellent for under layers
Medium pastels – are excellent medium hardness pastels, use these for layering on top of hard pastels
Soft pastels – are ultra soft and best used for the upper most layers
**all make dust – do not eat or drink in class during this unit. This dust is harmful to ingest. Do not blow dust on to table or floors. If you are making dust you are over working your surface. Shake dust into trash can and always wipe work areas clean before leaving.**
Pastel Fundamentals

8. Methods and Materials Working in layers Begin with a light sketch
Apply dark / medium values first (complements only) to establish values
Continue to layer, migrate to medium hardness pastels as you add lighter and brighter colors
Finish with soft pastels for the highlights and lightest areas of the painting
Fifth Ave, pastel on Wallis sanded pastel surface
Anne Kullaf © 2008
Pastel Fundamentals

9. Pastel Application

10. Color
Pastel Fundamentals

11. Color Basics
Colors that complement one another should be used to create shadows and darks NOT BLACK
colors that appear opposite one another on the color wheel**
Example: shaded area on a lemon (yellow, primary color) use violet (secondary color)
Mix your secondary colors whenever possible instead of using them directly from the box
Pastel Fundamentals

12. Blues and Purples in Shadows

13. The Limited Palette
This is a little more complicated with pastel than it is with paint because you need to mix your colors optically on the surface rather than on a palette
Try limiting yourself to primary colors as you begin your painting
Add in more colors (secondary) as you move along, choose brighter shades as you begin layering
At the very end when you add in your highlights and brightest colors with soft pastels
Pastel Fundamentals

14. PASTEL EXERCISES
1) COLOR WHEEL RIBBON: Using only the primary colors and crosshatching create a color ribbon with all the primaries / secondary colors. Begin with yellow and work your way around the color wheel until you have all of the colors in the ribbon. DO NOT BLEND WITH YOUR FINGER.
2) COLOR MATCHING: 6 color squares (at least 1” x 1” squares)
Cut out 3 color squares from magazines. You will try and match the color by blending just the primary colors. Start with a base color with hard pastels and lightly layer another color on top to create a third color (experiment with layering hard/soft pastel). For example: Start with red and mix to rust. Start with blue and mix to light yellow. Layer lightly! If you are getting piles of dust you are pressing too hard.
Cut out 3 more colors from magazines. This time you can use the full range of pastels we have to mix your colors but you should still be layering your marks to create the color. WRITE DOWN COLORS!
3) OBSERVATIONAL COMPLEMENTS:
Gather two pieces of fruit from the still life closet. Sketch both pieces of fruit life size on pastel paper. Using layering and complementary colors for shadow areas, create a representational full color drawing of each fruit.
REMEMBER: Start by layering the complements in the shadows. Work dark to light. Put hard pastel down first than layer soft pastel on top. No smudging! Layer lightly and slowly to keep from getting dust and overworking.

15. DO NOT BEGIN DRAWING YET.
DO NOW
Please get out the chalk pastel exercises you began yesterday and your sketchbook. Review yesterdays notes and your work.
In your sketchbook please write down one thing you learned yesterday and one challenge you are still having that is apparent in your work thus far.
DO NOT BEGIN DRAWING YET.
Pastel Fundamentals

16. TRUE OR FALSE
Always apply complementary color in shadow areas to build value and depth.
Blending chalk pastels with your finger is the best way to blend pastel and leaves an expressive quality to your work.
Always apply dark values to the ground of your paper first.
When color matching, use colors straight from the box rather than layering complements.
Your mark making should never go in just one direction when drawing with pastels.
Layering cross hatching is the best way to build value, blend colors and allow your “underpainting” to show through.
Always knock excess dust onto a scrap sheet of paper or directly into the trash, NEVER blow it on to the table or floor.
More dust is to be expected when drawing with hard pastels than compared to soft pastels.
Normally, you should apply soft pastels on top of hard so your highlights remain bright and sharp.

17. Tying it all together…
Painting with pastels provides rich color and a sense of expressiveness
Layering is key to color depth and dimensionality
Experiment with larger loose strokes and avoid over blending for a painterly feeling
Use complementary colors for shading
Try working with a limited palette
Pastel Fundamentals

18. Reflected Color

19. Apple looks FLAT or like a sticker

20. FLAT…lacks interest

21. Expressive Still Life Extended Study
OBJECTIVE: Apply your understanding of optical color blending through the layering of chalk pastels. The end result should be a vibrant drawing, which accurately captures the colors of the original photograph but incorporates an expressive quality through loose cross hatching that your complementary color underpainting shows through.
Pastel Fundamentals

22. INSPIRATION: VAN GOGH
Pastel Fundamentals

23. INSPIRATION: VAN GOGH
Pastel Fundamentals

24. INSPIRATION: VAN GOGH
Pastel Fundamentals

25. INSPIRATION: VAN GOGH
Pastel Fundamentals

26. Composition
Pastel Fundamentals

27. Composition Basics
Composition refers to the way you arrange the elements/objects contained in your painting in order to create and maintain:
Balance
Harmony
Viewer interest
Pastel Fundamentals

28. Composition Basics
Look for things that repeat to keep your composition cohesive and to engage your viewer:
Shapes
Colors
Directional movement
Motion
Look for examples of
the items listed above
in the painting at right
Pastel Fundamentals