Soft Pastel Stories
Learn new techniques, hear artist's stories, and stay up to date on Soft Pastel News.
Colour is a wonderful thing, and for me, most of what I do creatively revolves around the initial spark that colour send to my brain and how I go about trying to capture that spark in my soft pastel paintings.
In this part 2 short video of my day at Rievaulx Terrace, I seek to capture the majesty and beauty of the view of Rievaulx Abbey far below the Terrace, set in a late Autumn landscape.
In most cases, I don't use any fixative but sometimes I do, for example, when I work quite thickly with pastel marks. In this case, I might only spray these particular areas.
Let’s talk about fixative! I think it is fair to say that when it comes to the use of fixative there are polarised views. In fact, there are probably as many opinions about the use of fixative as there are pastellists.
When you’re planning your summer holiday, what are you looking for? Tropical beaches, action packed activities, local cuisine & wine perhaps. Well, that’s a pretty nice list but we decided to stay in the UK.
For me, choosing a holiday destination will also mean choosing the right mediums and methods that are suitable for the venue and trip!
In this Part 1 short video, I create a mixed media painting of the Ionic Temple on the Terrace, using ArtGraf Tailor Shape blocks of water soluble pigment, watercolour and Unison Colour pastels.
Be transported to stunning upland regions in Autumn, with Stephen Fuller, in the next 5 Day Pastel Challenge.
Working alongside artists who respect your creative vision and in return who’s work you admire can create something magical to organise together.
It is such a privilege to be part of the forthcoming Exhibition ‘A Yorkshire Year’ to be held at Nunnington Hall in the heart of the North York Moors between 14 September and 15 December 2024.
As pastelists you may have come across the misguided thought that pastel paintings are more fragile, yet when prepared and framed properly they are as enduring as any other medium if not more so.
After having won a prize in 2023 for a drawing entered in the Royal Pastel Society Open Call, I was given the opportunity to select a set of pastels, to add to Unison Colour’s ‘Artist Sets’.
