The Pastel Pointers Blog

When the Light Comes Through the Trees

2010-02-08T16:55:53.056-05:00

The sky is the giver of light in the landscape and the earth the receiver. This simple observation has been at the core of understanding the landscape since artists started painting. John F. Carlson in his popular book, Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting, separates the basic landscape into four sections of light and dark value: the sky, being the source of light, is the lightest; the flat earth of fields and bodies of water is second; the angled earth of hills and mountains is third; and the upright nature of trees and vegetation makes them the darkest. Of course there are situations that dispute this theory, but in general it's a good observation and has helped many to become more sensitive to the quality of light and its reflective abilities, which is what makes us better painters.

Having dark, upright trees against a light sky produces one of the most beautiful and difficult to handle situations in the landscape: sky holes. The amount of visible sky holes depends on the density of the foliage, but as an artist friend often said, “You have to give the birds a place to fly in and out.” It's commonly believed that once a value and color are selected for the sky area, the sky holes should be painted with the same tone.

However, when this is done, the holes appear too light and bright, looking more like ornaments on the tree instead of light traveling through the tree. This is where keen observation—and a good understanding of the physics of painting—will prove invaluable. The appearance is due in great part to two conditions. First, the light behind the tree has to travel through the mass of the tree to your eyes—a tunnel of sorts. Along that path, it's diffused and scattered, and thus becomes weaker. Second, the relationship it will have with the darkness of the tree can make it appear lighter than it really is (refer to my previous blog on simultaneous contrast). Since these sky holes have to penetrate the bulk of the tree, and are visually isolated by the darkness of the tree, the pigments chosen to portray them should be slightly darker than the rest of the sky. The larger the sky hole, the lighter its center can be.

Another problem is the definition with which these sky holes are painted. Overly sharp edges flatten out the tree, making it look like a piece of paper that has had holes cut out. This can be remedied by smearing one edge of the pastel mark with the flick of your finger. This better translates the illusion of light bouncing its way through the tree space.

By implementing these simple remedies, our painted trees will appear more lifelike, providing my friend’s birds a place to fly in and out.

pictured: Pastel, “the poetry of trees”

That Special Color

2010-02-01T12:03:34.557-05:00

Color and light are the two biggest attractions artists mention when describing what draws them to subject matter. They are synonymous; one doesn’t exist without the other. Science has proven that no two of us perceive color in exactly the same way. The complexity of the human eye, combined with environmental and cultural influences, make each of us unique and individual artists.

As pastelists, we have a rainbow of colors from which to choose in our paintings. A well-structured palette will represent the full spectrum of the color wheel in a full range of light and dark values completed with the addition of an assortment of weaker grayed tones, which are easily mixed with paint but problematic to the pastelist. This affords the pastel painter the ability to work without limitation (see previous blog post about palette setups). Over time our palettes expand, we make additions and subtractions to better fill in what seems to be lacking. As this process unfolds, it becomes apparent which areas are our favorites. They are the pastels most often replaced and a larger portion of the palette is devoted to them. This may reflect subject matter choices but those choices also reflect a personal attraction. These expanded, well used, areas are the color families you are attracted to. How many times have you selected individual pastels at the art store only to find that you already had an abundance of them when you return to the studio?

Understanding our individual color preferences, and realizing they will inevitably be placed in a painting, can make the other color choices easier. They are major players, producing an influence over the whole of the painting. Sometimes it is expressive, relating more of how we feel. At other times, they are old-friend colors that we have grown to rely on. These color preferences should not be something to fret about. They are part of what makes us the painters we are.

Over years of painting I have had color preferences that have come and gone. One that has been a big influence the last decade is violet/gray. At times it leans to blue, at other times to red, but without a doubt, it is always present. For me, it is the tone in the landscape that threads the scene together, adding atmosphere and continuity. I am not sure if it is really present in all the scenes I paint or if I have just convinced myself it is there. Whatever the answer, it is a major part of my palette and finished paintings. What are yours? Please reflect on your work and post a comment. Then, look for that "Special Color" in other artists’ paintings you admire. It’s often what makes them stand out.

[pictured above] A field-sketch with color swatches showing my favorite pastels. They are easy to identify in the painting.

Creating Colored Pastel Surfaces

2010-01-25T10:23:39.357-05:00

In last week's blog post, I discussed how working on various value and color surface choices could produce exciting outcomes. After deciding on a texture, value and color for your pastel painting surfaces, you may find it not readily available. Even with the ever-expanding availability of new pastel surfaces, finding exactly the right combination can often prove frustrating. When the perfect combination is not easily found, existing pastel surfaces can be altered, or you can make your own homemade surfaces that allow you to control the texture, color and value.

If you wish to purchase ready-made pastel surfaces, there are many currently available. Clairefontaine Rhodia’s “PastelMat” and Ampersand’s “Pastelbord” offer fine choices. When it comes to black or rich dark offerings, and Art Spectrum’s “Colourfix” and Jack Richeson’s “Premium Pastel Surfaces” are many artists’ favorites. Both offer a variety of color and value combinations. Richeson’s surface has a toothier texture and is available on heavyweight Paper, Hardboard, and Gator Foam (a popular choice among plein air artists, due to its strength and lightweight nature).

If you are happy with your lighter/white surface but wish it were available in a different color/value combination, try toning it yourself. A thin application of pastel spread with rubbing alcohol often provides a desirable result with little effort. Make sure to test this in advance of committing to a large sheet of paper. Some acrylic based surfaces are susceptible to the effects of rubbing alcohol. A light spray of workable fixative will add additional durability to the tone, allowing for more technique opportunities. If the surface can tolerate water, a liquid pigment product, often utilized for airbrush techniques, can be a good choice. These have great covering ability with minimal threat of filling the tooth of the surface. Be cautious with acrylic-based paints. They can easily fill the surface tooth when not properly diluted.

If you wish to produce your own surface, start by substituting artist grade acrylic paint for the binder in your grit recipe (see my blog post from April 7, 2008 or my article download “Supports, Grounds & Underpaintings”). My recipe for a homemade black surface is to start with black gesso, available from Golden Acrylic Company or Utrecht Company. Fine pumice powder and water are added to make the desired consistency. Art Spectrum’s “Colourfix Primer” is also available in their full range of surface colors. These primers, along with homemade grit primers, can be applied in a variety of methods to produce a multitude of textures.

With a little effort, you can fine-tune any surface to exactly the color and value you desire, allowing you to be in control of your own process and as creative as you wish.

[pictured above] A variety of colored surfaces and Colourfix Black and Clear Primer.

The Visual Relationship Between Pastel and Surface

2010-01-19T09:55:04.863-05:00

Many pastel artists have witnessed the “pop” pastel can have when applied to certain surfaces. This is, of course, an optical illusion. The pastel stick hasn’t changed, just the relationship it has to the surrounding area. This perceived change is the foundation of the theory of “simultaneous contrast” (described in July 30, 2007 blog post). The phenomenon can be summed up this way: Everything is affected by the opposite of what it is next to.

To better understand this, and ultimately harness its power, do a series of experiments. Select an assortment of surface scraps that have various value and color differences. Next, choose various pastel sticks that also have variation. Apply similar pastel marks on all the surfaces. You will instantly see the differences. A pastel stick applied to a dark surface tends to look lighter. On a lighter surface it appears darker. Color bias, or temperature, of the stick will also appear to shift depending on the color of the surface. Warmer toned surfaces make pastels look cooler, and cooler surfaces make things look warmer.

We respond to these perceived shifts while painting and that is why pastel selections vary from situation to situation. There isn’t a perfect pastel for blue skies, green trees, or flesh tone. It is all relative to it surroundings. What worked perfectly in one painting situation can be a failure in another. Next time you feel like the mountains are not dark enough, try lightening the surrounding sky and see if they change. If the flesh tone of your portrait appears too dull, try weakening the chromatic intensity (brightness) of the background. There is a reason most classic portrait painters begin with a dull warm gray-green undertone and traditional landscape painters have relied on a warm undertone when starting; they both create a base tone for the color choices that follow.

Our pastel paintings are nothing more than a series of relationships. The tones we choose to work on set up a situation for the pastel to interact with. Some painters may prefer to work on dark surfaces, while others prefer light. Some prefer warm hues, while others prefer cool. By practicing on a variety of surface tones, you will gain experience on how they affect your pastel choices, allowing you to be better equipped to respond to the various scenarios your painting adventures may get you into. Viva la Difference!

[pictured above] Different value and color surfaces with the same pastel marks.

________________________________________________________________________
Richard McKinley's column "Pastel Pointers" appears reguarly in The Pastel Journal. See the latest issue here. Look for downloads of his articles on Grounds & Supports and Fixing Mistakes in our shop.

Out with the Old and In with the New

2010-01-11T11:12:34.665-05:00

New Years, besides providing a time for resolutions, is the perfect time for studio cleaning and reorganization. The days are short, cold and dreary for most of us in the United States, and motivation to paint is lacking. This provides a perfect opportunity to clean house.

Over a year of painting, it is easy to accumulate many good starts, a few mediocre attempts, and a number of complete failures. These pile up in the nooks and crannies of our studios and, with time, become a burden. Personally, I am an advocate of walking away from any painting when the motivation is gone. Otherwise, if forced to completion, it can easily become mechanical and lack artistic merit. The enthusiasm and inspiration have to be there, or else marks of pastel are just being made to make marks. Sometimes the inspiration returns, and it is easy to pick up where it was left, but, when the urge doesn’t return after a period of time, it is best to move on. The more these attempts are held on to, the more they own us. They represent the struggles and failures that are an everyday part of painting and can lead to painting anxiety and depression. Every time we enter our studios, they remind us of our shortcomings.

It is easy to justify retention of these attempts. We retain a certain degree of hope for possible completion or the awareness of the dollars invested in the supplies expended on their behalf. This is where individual personalities come into play. There are those that easily discard and those that easily amass. Diversity is good. Each of us needs to confront this with a degree of introspection by honoring our individual comfort levels. Being someone that has more starts sitting around his studio than finished paintings, I can attest to the weight they can pose. I know I am capable of finishing most of them but at what cost? I remember being told once by an early painting mentor that internally we all know with the first few strokes to surface if a painting is going to work or not. While it is important to persevere through the ups and downs of the process, it is equally important to not keep looking back but to look forward.

Getting rid of unwanted art supplies and failed paintings can be a chore and is often difficult to confront, but the energy produced by purging can prove quiet exhilarating. Reclaim surfaces when possible (see the blog post "Can This Surface Be Saved?") or destroy them. Trust me; it is a great feeling. Suppress the urge to store them away for another day. They will always be in the back of your mind, reminding you of the past. Even though hope remains eternal, there is a time to move on. Begin the new year with a clean painting slate. It will provide an optimistic setting in which to look forward.

[pictured] Stacks of “waiting” paintings in my studio.

Resolutions for a New Year in Pastel

2010-01-05T11:55:40.6548133-05:00

The end of the year is a time for reflection. Resolutions have been made to loose weight, exercise more and save money. Usually they will be forgotten in time. As artists, the beginning of the new year is also a perfect time to re-evaluate artistic goals. These aspirations provide a purpose to our painting endeavors. Without them, we often find ourselves aimlessly drifting from one painting to the next. By setting goals and resolving to accomplish them, we push ourselves to greater artistic levels.

When setting goals, be realistic but don’t underestimate yourself. It is to the tenacious that the rewards eventually come. In artist Birge Harrison's 1909 book, Landscape Painting, he devotes chapters 17 and 18 to the subjects of temperament and character. I am often reminded, and bolstered, by his words, “If I were myself asked to supply a formula for the making of an artist, my receipt would be, one part genius and nine parts hard work. I sometimes glance back to my student days and wonder what has become of all those clever and brilliant chaps over whose easels the rest of us used to hang in awe and admiration. One by one they have all dropped out. Things came too easy to them. They were not obliged to plug and grind, and so they never learned their trade. Their places have been taken by others—the plodders who stuck to their studies throughout the whole week with grim determination, dropping their brushes only on the stroke of twelve on Saturday.”

Look back over the last year and see how you did with your previous year’s goals. Feel good about the ones you accomplished and remind yourself of where you fell short. Re-evaluate your priorities for the coming year and make note of what is required to accomplish your goals. Don’t compare yourself to others. Be practical; you understand your skill level and aspirations better than anyone else. Even a couple hours of painting every week will add up to growth. You don’t have to be a full-time professional artist to find artistic fulfillment. Dreams and aspirations are wonderful but, if they are unrealistic, it is easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged. Stay truthful with yourself and resolve to be disciplined in pursuing your goals. Like most things in life, it is more about the journey. Be sure to enjoy it and stay tenacious.

My New Year artistic resolutions:
• To worry less about finishing and honor the stages of a painting.
• To work more in series around a theme to better explore the poetic nature of certain subjects.
• To paint larger in the studio and smaller on location.
• To sketch more on location.
• To reread old favorite art books.
• After watching Ken Burns PBS series on the National Parks, to visit them all.

Please post a comment sharing your personal artistic resolutions.

The Big Picture

2009-12-29T10:34:21.88-05:00

[Anne here] While Richard is enjoying a short holiday from the blog, I thought I'd treat you to an excerpt from his latest column, "Seeing the Big Picture," appearing in the latest issue of The Pastel Journal:

When starting a painting, it’s best to begin with a few simple elements before proceeding to the more detailed components. Detail is something to which we’re all attracted. We focus on the writing on a page, the fabric patterns on a dress and the sunlit leaves of a tree. As interesting and attractive as these may be, however, they’re not good places from which to begin a painting.

Robert Henri, in his 1923 book, The Art Spirit, admonishes painters for this, encouraging them instead to learn to see below the superficial to the strength of what lies beneath. It’s the positioning of the skeletal system and muscles that creates the flow of a garment, and the underlying nature of the tree and earth that creates the character of the landscape.

I joke with my students that we spend too much of our painting efforts trying to cram the cake under the icing—a messy undertaking indeed. Instead, by simplifying a scene to a few large shapes and by associating a general value and color sense at the painting’s onset, we can more easily see “the big picture.” We bake our cake, so to speak. Then the icing can be added to individual taste.

You'll find the complete article in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of The Pastel Journal on sale now.

[pictured above] Winter Morning (top; pastel) with the initial shape drawing.

Painting Magic with Sfumato

2009-12-21T10:58:48.45-05:00

Painting is a magic show. We are the illusionists. By arranging a pattern of shapes, values, and colors, we represent on a surface what is not really there. Ask viewers of your paintings: “What is it?” and they will respond with a description of the scene before them. After a brief pause, inform them that it is indeed a depiction of those elements, but more importantly, it is a painting of those recognizable objects. As the painter, you have utilized the tools of your craft to express your impressions, ultimately communicating your intentions to your audience.

One of those tools, which can be traced back to the Renaissance, is the principle of sfumato, a Latin/Italian word derived from fumare, meaning "to smoke." It denotes a painting technique in which there are no extreme darks and lights and no harsh/sharp outlined appearance. This lower-contrast, slightly blurred appearance creates a smoky effect, thus the name. It is as if a veil of smoke and fumes has drifted between you and the scene, creating a more realistic rendition of light and color.

The most famous proponent of sfumato was Leonardo da Vinci. There is probably no better example of its use than in his masterpiece, Mona Lisa. With its softness of edge and subtle transitions between value and color ranges, a lifelike quality is created that haunts many views to this day.

As pastelists, the practice of sfumota can easily be produced by gradually transitioning between values and colors, and by not over-delineating edges. Since pastel never dries, a gentle smudge of the edge between shapes, either with a light tapping of a finger or the gentle application of a transition tone (something that resides between the values and colors that are present) can create the sfumoto effect. Resist over-blending. Sfumato is not meant to produce a blurred appearance as if the scene is out of focus, but instead, the slight softness represented by atmospheric conditions. In landscape painting, a faint drifting in an up and down direction proves very useful in portraying these atmospheric effects.

There are many lessons to be learned from the painters of the past and sfumoto is definitely one of the most useful. Remember that what we view is always a distance from our eyes—we look through a veil of air and space to the objects of our attention. A subtle portrayal of the smoke and fumes that inhabit that air space can ultimately heighten the illusion of reality, placing you in the master magicians’ league.

[above] In this pastel painting, I purposely employed the principle of sfumato.

________________________________________________________________________

Read Richard's latest column about composition, called "Seeing the Big Picture," in the February 2010 issue of The Pastel Journal now on sale.

Pastels - A Drawing or Painting Medium?

2009-12-14T10:43:12.524-05:00

What is the difference between drawing and painting? Can I draw, as well as paint, with pastels? These questions are frequently discussed among pastel painters. Defining a difference between the two can be subjective and often leads to passionate opinions from those involved.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, drawing is the art or technique of representing an object or outlining a figure, plan, or sketch by means of lines. Painting is simply defined as a work produced through the art of painting. We can infer that since paint is wet and easily spread, it tends to create shapes that represent value and color, while the act of drawing—done with a dry utensil—easily makes lines or marks. Line is the one thing that man has created that does not exist in nature. We see light as it falls on form. Line is a type of calligraphy, or handwriting, that we created as a means of communication.

Since pastel is a dry medium, kindred to charcoal and chalk, it is easy to see why it is so often associated with drawing. Many painters enjoy its ability to easily produce line and use it in a fashion closely associated to drawing. Others choose to work with it in the fashion of paint. This makes pastel a very versatile medium, providing a gamut of possibilities.

If you are a landscape pastelist that longs to be more painterly, representing the fine texture of grasses or tree limbs can be an issue. While overstated detail can be the curse of any representational painting, a degree of it is often needed. This often prompts the pastelists to draw lines with their pastel sticks. A better method may be to let the edge of the pastel stick do the work for you. By holding the pastel so that an edge is placed onto the painting surface, a more natural looking, less drawn, line will be produced. This works especially well with softer pastels. A pastel stick broken into a usable size of approximately 1 to 1.5 inches works well. When the long edge of the stick is struck against the surface, a broken application of pastel is deposited. Practice this procedure on scraps of paper or failed paintings in advance of a masterpiece. The effect is similar to what an oil painter achieves by loading a bead of paint on the long edge of a painting knife. Small brushes tend to make lines, while the painting knife creates a more serendipitous, natural appearance.

Whether you use the attitude of the draftsman or the painter, pastel sticks are capable of providing a multitude of techniques. Peel the label off, and experiment. It’s not so much how you put it on, but the end result that matters. Make it your own!

[pictured here] Compare drawn pastel lines to those marks made with the side of a pastel stick.
_________________________________________________________________________

Richard McKinley's article about supports, gounds and underpaintings and his article about fixing mistakes in your pastel paintings can both be purchased as downloads in our online shop.

The Perfect Pastel Plein Air Setup: The Search Continues

2009-12-07T10:56:55.712-05:00

As winter sets in, the bulk of the year’s pastel plein air adventures are behind me. I promised in the July 6, 2009 blog, “Traveling Even Lighter”, to share how my newly downsized travel kit worked. I am pleased to report that it worked very well! As described, everything was in one backpack and I was able to keep it with me throughout the adventure. It did get a little heavy at times. (On my next trip abroad, I will consider attaching the backpack to a collapsible folding wheel cart.) At the final destination, extra packed supplies were removed, reducing the weight. You may want to consider a carry-on size bag that has wheels in place of the backpack. It all depends on your stamina. What seemed do-able in the morning became a bit bothersome after a long day of painting!

The major components that made it work were:
• A sturdy backpack or rolling carry-on bag. Remember that your painting equipment is heavy and often has sharp edges. A flimsy bag will fall apart before the painting trip is over and finding a replacement in exotic locales can prove difficult. Bags made for executive travel purposes are often the best to consider.
• A smaller, sturdy pastel palette. Pastels weigh a lot. A box that weighs very little empty can become quite heavy when filled with pastels. If you work with your pastel palette attached to a tripod/easel setup, you will most likely be reaching over it to work on your painting. Consider this reach before selecting a box. Dakota Art Pastels compact travel box and the Heilman backpack box are good choices.
• A , tripod. Don’t skimp on this accessory. Most camera tripods are not built for the weight of our pastel set-ups. The better built the tripod, the better it will stand up to the abuses of painting. Avoid tripods that have a lot of plastic parts. They are often very flexible and easily broken. My travel tripod is a Bogen Digi model 725B. The ball-joint, quick-release head holds the drawing board for the surfaces.
• A secure tray for holding the palette. Sun Eden has a couple of attachable trays that fit a multitude of tripod/portable easel models. I use the “Artist Self-400”. It attaches easily to the Bogen tripod and holds either of the above mentioned palette boxes. Secure the open palette to the tripod with a bungee cord before exposing the pastel sticks. It is of note that the Heilman box comes with a camera quick release built in. This allows for the use of their supplemental easel attachment that attaches to predrilled holes in the open box.
• An attachment for the painting surface. While there are good easel attachments available from the Heilman and Sun Eden companies, I decided to flush mount the camera quick release plate that came with the tripod to a 12x16 piece of hardboard. This allows me to change positions and painting angles with ease. Paper can be taped to the rigid surface; mounted paper can be adhered to a 12x16 surface and clipped to the board; or preexisting 12x16 or 16x20 surfaces can be clipped to the drawing board - allowing for a multitude of possibilities.
• A means of carrying painting surfaces and finished paintings. With the addition of another 12x16 hardboard, or lighter-weight gatorboard, surfaces and paintings can be sandwiched one on top of the other between the drawing board and the additional board. The boards create a hard puncture resistant outer shell. A perfect means of holding this sandwich together is a shirt “Pack-it Folder” from Eagle Creek Luggage Company. It accommodates a 12x16 very well and has four folding sides with Velcro for adjustable depth.

The "perfect" set up will always be elusive. This one came out of many years of trial and error, and undoubtedly will continue to evolve. It served me well this year and I look forward to putting it back into action in 2010!

[pictured at top] The travel setup (on the right) with students as we huddled under a bridge during a light rain one morning in France.

[pictured above] The drawing board with the camera quick release attached and the Eagle Creek shirt “Pack-it Folder” bag.