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Richard McKinley’s Pastel Pointers Blog
Pastel Pointers | The Art of Edges in Our Paintings
Any creative who’s trying to depict reality—whether an author, sculptor or painter—must try to master the art of illusion. One of the most useful tools an artist can use to produce this magic is the manipulation of edges. The dictionary definition of “edge” is the line where an object or area begins or ends: a border. In the framework of a painting, the governing factors in determining how an edge should be handled are: the character of the object or area, the degree of value and color contrast that make up its surroundings, its overall importance and its placement within the composition.
Pastel Pointers | Loosening Up
A frequent question I hear at workshops is, “How can I loosen up as a painter?” After devoting years to learning craft, many painters often find themselves trapped in utilitarian methods that may render a competent painting but lack the elusive poetic quality of more painterly works. Just as a poet plays with syntax to express his thoughts (think e.e. cummings), so too must the painter. We start with a basic study or drawing, value relationship, color harmony, and media mastery. These are our syntactical starting points. How we orchestrate them ultimately becomes the poetic statement.
Posted in Art Demos & Techniques, Articles, Blogs, Medium, Pastel, Richard McKinley's Pastel Pointers Blog, The Pastel Journal
Tagged Pastel
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Basic Pastel Techniques Part Two | Hatching, Cross-Hatching, Feathering
In last week’s blog post, I started the discussion of basic pastel techniques, covering blending, scumbling and glazing. These are techniques often associated with wet painting, which can be easily adapted to pastel. This week I will discuss hatching, cross-hatching and feathering. These techniques rely more on mark-making and are closely associated with drawing. Whether you consider your pastel approach to be more painter or draftsman, being practiced in all the various techniques will ultimately make you a better artist.
Basic Pastel Techniques Part One | Blending, Scumbling, Glazing
Discussing the obscure technique of “dusting” in last week’s blog post got me thinking about some of the other techniques of pastel application frequently used by artists. Due to the nature of pastel as a dry medium applied in a stick form, pastelists have had to learn to marry traditional drawing and wet painting techniques such as blending, scumbling, glazing, hatching, cross-hatching, feathering to facilitate their needs. Most of these techniques fall under the category of “layering” in which one pastel is applied over, or into, another. Workable fixative, wetting techniques, surface tooth, and the relative hardness/softness of the pastel stick also play a part in the outcome. It serves anyone that is serious about painting with pastel to be well versed in these basic techniques.
Pastel Pointers | The Technique of Dusting
Pastel is one of the most diverse painting media that artists can use today. Since prehistoric man first gathered pigment from the earth and formed it into a stick for cave drawing, aspiring artists have found innovative ways for applying it to a variety of surfaces. One of those methods is a technique often referred to as “dusting.”
Pastel Pointers | Reclaiming Pastel Surfaces
In addition to the year-end review I discussed in the previous blog post, the new year also prompts me to reorganize my studio. One of the ways I do this is to segregate unfinished pastel paintings into three categories: will finish, might finish, and time to let go. Paintings that may have been in the “will finish” pile one year often end up in the “time to let go” pile after a year of neglect. It isn’t that they don’t have any merit and could even be completed to a satisfactory outcome; it is that the inspiration and motivation to do so has been lost. After considerable time passes, every painter needs to realize that he or she has changed. What inspired, and the methods and technical abilities employed then, has been left to the past. It is time to look to the future.
Posted in Art Materials & Tools, Articles, Blogs, Medium, Pastel, Richard McKinley's Pastel Pointers Blog, The Pastel Journal
Tagged Pastel
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Pastel Pointers | The Year End Review
As we transition into the new year, it is a good idea to take some time to reflect back on our artistic accomplishments. Most painters have high aspirations. These artistic goals may be the thing that pushes us to be more disciplined with time allocation, reach for greater subject matter depth, continue to study with master painters or ultimately receive the approval of peers.
Posted in Articles, Blogs, Inspiration and Creativity, Medium, Pastel, Richard McKinley's Pastel Pointers Blog, The Pastel Journal
Tagged Pastel
1 Comment
Pastel Pointers | Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
During this season of the year, many landscape painters find themselves motivationally challenged. The daylight of winter is short, depriving the stimulation of much needed light which is the most frequently mentioned inspiration by painters. The air outside can be freezing, making it difficult if not impossible to paint for any extended period of time. The palette winter presents commonly lacks the luscious colors present in other seasons, providing little visual stimulation.
Posted in Articles, Blogs, Inspiration and Creativity, Medium, Pastel, Richard McKinley's Pastel Pointers Blog, The Pastel Journal
Tagged landscape, Pastel
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Pastel Pointers | Homegrown Surfaces, Part 2
In last week’s blog, I discussed various substrates commonly used by pastelists when making their own pastel grit-ground. Once a suitable surface has been selected, it’s time to apply the ground. There are three components that make up a homemade grit-ground: the “binder” that acts as the glue holding the grit to the substrate; the “grit” that is the source of texture; and “water” that is used to affect the viscosity of the ground.
Posted in Art Materials & Tools, Articles, Blogs, Medium, Pastel, Richard McKinley's Pastel Pointers Blog, The Pastel Journal
Tagged Pastel
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Pastel Pointers | Homegrown Pastel Surfaces, Part 1
With the number of commercially available pastel surfaces on the market today, many pastelists find little need to make their own. It has become somewhat of a lost art. When I began working in the medium, this was not the case. Outside of Canson Mi-Teintes, there was nothing being manufactured specifically for pastel, especially if you wanted a gritty, sanded surface. The only choice was to compromise archival standards by using commercial-grade sandpaper (which is not pH-neutral) or to make our own with a grit recipe. These homemade surfaces consisted of three major components: the Substrate, the Binder and the Grit.
Posted in Art Materials & Tools, Articles, Blogs, Medium, Pastel, Richard McKinley's Pastel Pointers Blog, The Pastel Journal
Tagged Pastel
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