Pastel Drawing Tutorial – Pink Orchids
THE SUBJECT
For this second pastel drawing demo, I used the picture of two pink orchids highly sunlit from the top left. The two orchid flowers protrude from the background which is composed of elongated leaves rising from the ground. The lower background is shadowed and makes the orchids stand out even more with color and shape contrast.
THE MATERIALS
Again, for this demonstration I used a 64-color set of Mungyo soft pastels (27 mm x 8 mm) and a sheet of Strathmore Pastel paper (11” x 14”) of somehow pale yellow color. This type of paper requires at least 5 mm sticks or pastel pencils to be able to fill the texture more efficiently and render details in realistic drawings.
THE PALETTE
I did not find much problem matching the colors, tones and shades on this one with my Mungyo colors but a set with more color gradations and shades is recommended.
THE DRAWING PROCESS
The following sections do not follow an exact step by step process but rather stages which contain different steps to work with drawing and coloring areas. My intention here in this second pasted drawing demo is to show more pigment addition without saturating or bloating the paper with colors that causes cloudy patches. I recommend shaking your paper from time to time to avoid the accumulation of dust in the lower parts which contaminates the already colored areas, especially the light colored areas. My expertise with soft pastel colors is not extensive so this is actually part of my pastel drawings self-teaching and learning that I publish on the Web.
STAGE 1
With my base drawing carefully and precisely drawn, I begin to match some of the lightest shades in the orchid flowers. This first layer is to slightly fill in areas which define the main subjects and to cover paper texture. White areas have been indicated. Some dark hues have also been added to the orchid. Lemon yellow and yellow ochre are also visible. As I pointed out in my first pastel demo, at this starting stage, it is important to start by just hovering the pastel sticks over the paper without applying much pressure.
STAGE 2
After putting in some coloring from Stage 1, I focus on the lower orchid and start blocking in its shape against the background area which appears a little undefined and blurred. This is yet with the lightest of the various brown and green tones of which the dark background is made. From here I extend outwardly but not far outside of the orchid enclosing area. Here I verify and constrain the orchid’s shape because my base drawing is already concealed.
STAGE 3
Following you can notice that I haven’t moved much farther from the drawing of the lower orchid. The orchid itself shows some loose colors which will need further blending and definition. The dark areas in the background have been strengthened to make the orchid contours stand out. A mosaic of related colors is noticeable which I will later fuse to produce the necessary tonalities. Some leaves have tentatively been drawn with their lightest sunlit or shadowed tones.
STAGE 4
From here I have extended to the left and right but still not much to the bottom and top areas. Light tones first for both light and dark areas to progressively obtain the right gradation and blending. Little by little, step by step and area by area the background becomes apparent and integrates with the foreground. I advance on the top orchid by filling in more areas and defining tones. Not much pigment is yet added, just an overall layer without saturating any specific area. Don’t despair on ending one main subject yet, completing it later as we advance is more rewarding and we can save time on correcting mistakes that can’t be undone otherwise.
STAGE 5
Next, I have covered the bottom with dark blue (ultramarine blue) but it will require some black to achieve the darkest hue. The leaves in the background are continuously and progressively filled with hues that intermingle with each other. Some dark ochre becomes apparent over the green areas but it will be downgraded as I darken these areas. More polishing and strengthening of colors and shades will be left for the last stages to achieve a thorough application of pigments and overall balance of color and composition as well as contrast.
STAGE 6
In advancing to the leaves at the top, the colors need to be some kind of sap green and hookers green using the light shades to match the sunlit areas. Some lemon yellow is also added on the edges of the orchids’ leaves. The upper orchid is not yet well defined or constrained against the background. I do this later as I advance to the upper half. Here, pink shades from the orchid; and pale green and lime green from the leaves are complementary colors whose interplay becomes apparent at the end of the drawing. At this stage, the background appears more integrated and less chaotic than the previous stage.
STAGE 7
To this point, after several days and paused working, an overall layer of the drawing surface has been completed. The only uncovered area is where I will put my signature. The background at the top has been filled with dark blue and some scattered black. A lot of polishing and color restating, shading, blending and texturing will ensue to help define overall color balance and contrast. Edges will be enhanced where needed with contrasting colors and shapes. In the lower background area, dark ochre predominates which will subsequently become the lighter areas when darker tones are added over. More retouching will be required to eliminate color and composition inconsistencies in the drawing.
STAGE 8
At this stage we have a pre-finished drawing. I have added my signature and the upper orchid has been mostly constrained and redefined proportionally. More time has been invested in polishing, saturating and darkening the background. From my experience in photographing orchids, orchid colors can be highly tinted and others quite pale. These contrasting colors can provide interesting results in drawing or painting orchids in any media. Orchid’s leaves, on the other hand, are almost devoid of any texture except for longitudinal divisions that produce certain color changes with light.
FINAL WORK
After much more reworking, dedication and effort on trying to achieve a more realistic approach, I treated every area separately and rendered them to the utmost. The paper texture, however, did not allow for further smoothing of the surfaces and some stippling may be noticeable. This can be overcome by using finer textured paper and trying different pastel sizes, brands and quality.
Please feel free to follow this pastel drawing process to create your own drawing and self-teaching. The process does not start if you don’t take the courage to grab your pastels and start to apply colors over the paper. It emphasizes the application of pastel from small amounts to successive layering of pigments as necessary and allowed by the drawing surface. Working this way will create more confidence in the artist and the ability and capability to handle more colors, hues, shades and tonalities to enhance pastel drawing with time. Until another art demo, best wishes in your everyday art making and take the most advantage of your pastel drawing experience. Please send me your comments to email attached below.
WEBSITE: http://www.georgemax.co.nr/
EMAIL: georgemaxart@hotmail.com
Introduction to Pastel Drawing Mediums
Pastels are available in a wide range of exciting colors and materials from soft pastels and oil pastels, to pastel pencils and crayons. You could literally spend a lifetime exploring this versatile and exciting medium.
TYPE OF PASTELS
Pastels are available in a wide range of types and this is to accommodate the different tastes artists have. These various types of pastels are all created using similar pigments, only they are composed of different quantities or kinds of binding materials.
Soft Pastels
Soft pastels are the original form of this medium and probably the most popular. Soft pastels are composted of pure pigment, chalk and a gum solution. They produce rich colorful lines and are more often than not, looked upon as painting mediums more than drawing mediums. Soft pastels can produce subtle lines or can be built up into rich impastos. It provides the artist with the best of both worlds essentially. Of all the various types of pastels, soft pastels are available in the widest range of colors. They can be purchased individually or in sets.
Hard Pastels
Hard pastels, as the name implies, are hard and more suited for drawing and producing lines. Artists often use hard pastels and soft pastels together in the same drawing. The hard pastels are used to layout the drawing and the soft pastels are worked in over the hard. The hard pastels are then used again to finalize the drawing by adding in details. Hard pastels do not have the extensive range of color that soft pastels have. It is for this reason that you must utilize various optical color mixing techniques on your paper if you want to produce different colors.
Pastel Crayons
Pastel crayons are a hybrid medium of medium hardness that combine the characteristics of the hard and soft pastels. They are available in a limited range of colors when compared to soft pastels. Crayons are quite popular for artists that enjoy outdoor drawing as their convenient size makes them suitable for transport and their composition makes them less prone to breakage.
Pastel Pencils
Pastel pencils are very similar in composition to crayons only they are encased in wood in the form of a pencil and tend to be a bit softer than crayons. Pastel pencils are perfect for detailed work and also have the ability to be blended somewhat. They are available in roughly the same range of colors as crayons and are available as individual items or in sets.
Water soluble Pastels
These pastels are an ingenious invention because of their ability to be used both dry and wet. Obviously you can see the amazing possibilities with this kind of medium. You can lay down lines as you would any traditional drawing medium and then brush over these lines with water to create colorful watercolor like washes. These pastels are available individually or in sets and are available in a limited range of colors.
Oil Pastels
Oil pastels are quite different than other types of pastels in that they use oil as a binder rather than gum. Oil pastels are very sensitive to temperature and they will soften as you use them. They are versatile medium and can be used on a number of different supports including canvas, paper and board. Just like oil paints, oil pastels can also be used with turpentine opening up a whole new world of exciting techniques.
Pastel Portrait Drawing Demonstration
ABOUT THE ARTIST
George Max is a Geologist, Fine Artist and Professional Translator from central Guatemala in Middle America. He was born in 1968 in a small town called of Cobán, 200 km north of Guatemala City. He traveled to the USA (Colorado State) in 1989 to study English under a one year scholarship program. He started getting acquainted with art since his first year in College in 1988. As an autodidact, he started his labor of art in 1992 making oil paintings on canvas. Nevertheless, it was until late 2004 when he began to produce formal artwork (oil paintings mainly) for exhibition and sale to date.
Artwork Website: http://www.georgemax.co.nr/
Translation Website: http://www.geodirect.co.nr/
Artist Email: georgemaxart@hotmail.com
Translator Email: geodirect07@hotmail.com
ABOUT THE SUBJECT
For this pastel drawing I used the portrait of a little fellow from the highlands of Western Guatemala. His skin is burnt brown because of the cold climate there. He is wearing typical clothes and a decorated hat from the region; Todos Santos Cuchumatan. Although I printed the picture in my Canon iP1300 the colors came out bright so I used the picture in my screen for better reference to the colors, hues and shades.
THE MATERIALS
For this demonstration I used a 64-color set of Mungyo soft pastels (27 mm x 8 mm) and a sheet of Strathmore Pastel paper (11” x 14”) of the clearest color. I found out that this paper requires at least 5 mm sticks or pastel pencils to be able to fill the texture more efficiently and render details in realistic drawings.
The Palette: To the lower left are the yellow ochre colors I used to do the face. In the middle, the brick or maroon tones for the cheeks and lips. To the lower right are the orange and pink colors for the “neck warmer” of the kid’s shirt. In the middle row are the brown and dark colors I used to define, draw and shade the eyes and hair. Grays were used for the shines in the hair and other shades in the eyes and else. To the middle right are the pale blue colors I used for the sweater. And to the top left are other random purple, dark reds, and reds I used to strengthen some values in the neck warmer. To the top right are the dark blues I used for the dark areas and shades of the sweater.
THE DRAWING PROCESS
Although I have used oil pastels for head portraits before, my contact with soft pastels has been limited to sketches and a few drawings due to material unavailability. It is until this year (2008) that I began to make some formal pastel drawings and build my own collection.
In the following, I will go on describing the process or method I used to make a pastel portrait drawing. I would like to say that this is not an instructional demonstration rather my inventive approach to creating a portrait using soft pastels.
Base Drawing: A precise drawing is always required to begin a pastel drawing. For this case I made a nearly fainted drawing which I have enhanced for the purpose of viewing it on the web. The only thing I have modified is the eyes. The subject is now looking straight to the viewer. Notice that I have drawn a line at the bottom as the base for my drawing which I can later use to crop the drawing if framed. You can also notice that I have fitted and centered my subject horizontally as compared to how it is in the picture. In another demonstration I will show you how to create a pencil portrait over drawing paper.
STEP 1: Using the lightest yellow ochre I begin filling the lightest areas such as below the eyes, lower nose, above the upper lips area and on each side of the face. For this primary layer, it is important to just gently and slightly rub the pastel over the paper to avoid bloating it. This is just a reference to our coloring which we will later redefine and enhance. Square strokes are not good for any drawing so I just hover the pastel stick over the paper in circle patterns without applying much pressure.
STEP 2: Using darker yellow ochre I continue filling the areas above the cheeks and below the sides of the nose. Some darkest yellow ocher is used to define the nose, and the areas below the cheeks and the eyebrows.
STEP 3: Here I have tentatively defined the eyes and the eyebrows. Not much filling is yet noticeable. This is just yet with the lightest brown color so that we can overwrite it later. The mouth has also been slightly defined with brick and dark red colors. Some gray is noticeable below the lower lip and left side of forehead.
STEP 4: Most areas of the face have been filled and facial features are identifiable. Hair and cheek colors and some light brown on the right of the forehead have been added. Overall, this is just a thin layer which can be easily removed with a kneaded eraser if needed to correct color inconsistencies.
STEP 5: As soon as I have filled most of the face area, I begin to work on the adjacent elements to help me limit and redefine the shape and size of the face. I constrain and verify proportions and location of features at this stage. We don’t need to rush on filling or finishing an area at once, just pause your work as necessary and come back later when you feel like to continue your drawing.
STEP 6: Once I have constrained proportions and progressively but slowly continued to fill more areas, I extend my drawing up and down. I start to define overall color balance and contrast at this stage. This is at the second day of the drawing I haven’t yet constructed the eyes.
STEP 7: At this time (2nd day, late night) I have carefully filled and defined the eyes and eyebrows. To produce a fine tracing and avoid making mistakes I use the corners of the sticks. I continue drawing the hat and sweater as I continue polishing and refining the face and features. This is a long process but it renders good results in soft pastel drawing. Dark shades in the cheeks are not yet added.
STEP 8: Here I continue filling adjacent areas and working on the hat as well. Also I start to add the dry grass on which the kid is resting. For this I use the lightest yellow ochre and the darkest hues to define strings and strips of the dry grass. Some details in the lappets are also visible.
STEP 9: Now I have almost finished with all surrounding elements and continued drawing the sweater to the end of the arm. You can notice that I have at last added the darks in the cheeks that give them a burnt effect in the skin. Red hues are intermingled with the darks hues by rubbing pastel over the previous layer.
STEP 10: At this point only some details in the clothes are pending and then I continue with the drawing of the hand.
STEP 11: Almost at the final stage here. Some overall detailing is necessary for completion.
FINAL STATEMENT:
After our subject has been thoroughly and evenly covered with pastel I proceed to do a final refining and polishing as a final step. This will give chance to work on some final detailing, strengthening and enhancing color values and defining more contrast and color balance. Note that the overall coloring of the drawing is brighter than the reference image. Due to my limited palette I was not able to produce much of the original values and hues. Also my digital camera picks up much brighter colors that they really are in the drawing.
I hope you can grab something important and useful from this pastel portrait drawing demonstration. Please feel to contact me for any comments or questions you may have on this pastel drawing demonstration. Until another drawing demonstration I wish you all the best in the making of your artwork.
“Pastels for Life” – Pastels Demonstration By Pauline Adair
“Pastels for Life”
Author: Pauline Adair – Australian Artist
Note: This painting won the Pastel Award at the 2006 Gympie Gold Rush Annual Art Exhibition.
For this Soft Pastel Demonstration I am using a double sheet of Canson Mi Tientes pastel paper, in a warm grey colour. I prefer to work on the smooth side of this, but I know many pastelists who choose the textured side. The smooth side still has a good tooth which suits my application.
The model is Sophie…. a favourite of mine, and I am working from a photo as it will probably take me several days to complete this to my satisfaction.
Here is the reference photo, which I cropped to achieve a more close up and intimate feel in the
painting.
(The photograph below contains tasteful nudity. Click image to reveal)
I’m starting with a willow charcoal drawing…. I like the willow because I can just manipulate it with the heel of my hand… wiping it off easily if I want to adjust the drawing. After each couple of strokes I step back to view it as a whole, trying not to get bogged down to much in the detail of any one area.
I’m happy with the start now, I can begin to add some colour.
I’m adding some shading here, using a deep purple….. I really want to just colour the paper at this stage and to mark where the accents will be…. bones beneath the skin, the darkest shadows, etc. This is still at the drawing stage…. not the painting stage.
Just getting a feel for the lights now, finding where the light falls on her body from the one light source. All those planes must be facing the light to create the illusion.
The shadows need warming up…..I’m putting a couple of warm skin tones in over the purple, still working loosely.
I call them ‘hot spots’….where I see the warmest of the skin colours…. in the creases, on the elbows, lips, cheeks. Nothing is set in concrete at this stage…. I’m still feeling my way around…..tentatively!
Sophie has red hair…. so while I have the red in my hand….in that goes too!
I’m strongly leaning toward a dark background.
Yes…. I’ve made the decision to go really dark in the background, as Sophie is obviously sleeping so a night scene seems to make sense….. it is all part of the story.
I have this vision in my mind of a kind of glow behind Sophie….I need to make it richer. As an experiment I’ll try to bring it to life with a bright orange over top of the dark purple. The first few strokes are a bit of a shock so I’ll just leave that there for a while and do some work on the foreground…tucking the background away into the recesses of my mind for now!
Just as I put some of the foreground colour into the skin, I need to also put some of the skin colour into the sheets. This will unify the whole painting.
Back to the background! Will I…. won’t I….I will! I carry the orange through. I must now include some of this colour elsewhere in the painting as well as in the background. I check to see how it will look with the mat around it.
Close up of Sophie’s face at this stage.
These are all the pastels I selected as the work progressed. Included are some Schminkes, Windsor & Newton, Art spectrum, Holbein and some contes. I find the contes great for blending over the very soft pastels, rather than using my fingers or a stump.
I’m finishing off the skin tones using some pink variations, and lightening the highlights. The purple sheets go in, and I add some variation to the background using the same purples and blues from the sheets.
I’ve almost put Sophie ‘to bed’ now, and I’ve a feeling this painting just might work out. (I never really know until the end!) Final details go in, and I use the lightest colours in my chosen palette to bring the skin to life.
Finally, Sophie is done and popped into a frame I already have. I had a few tense moments with this painting, but afterall…. that is why I paint….I love the challenge, the nervous start, the frustration, the exaspiration…. and the thrill at the end of having gained a little more experience and knowledge along the way.
B i o g r a p h y
Born in New Zealand, Pauline moved to Sydney, Australia where she worked as the Advertising Manager of a national retail chain. A relocation to Queensland meant that her long postponed passion for art could be given some attention, nurtured, and brought to life.
“I have many, many people to thank for encouraging me and assisting in my neverending quest to create one masterpiece during my lifetime…. one piece that may be considered special and everlasting! I’m having so much fun trying to achieve that.
“The whole of creation is the greatest masterpiece of all……….I see the beauty of each and every individual……… I paint people because that is how I celebrate humankind and each person’s uniqueness…… and I paint them as a tribute to our creator.
“I paint in oils, pastels, watercolours, acrylics, and I use many drawing mediums…. sometiimes in various combinations to make my marks.
“I endeavour to paint every day….. if I don’t I feel as though I have waisted the entire day. I just don’t want to go to my grave with my paintings still inside me…. and I mustn’t have any paint left over! ”
Pauline Adair’s ‘BodyWorks’ Blog
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My 2009 Calendars for sale at RedBubble.com
September Sunflowers
This beautiful pastel painting demonstration is courtesy of Dan Gray. Thanks Dan for sharing another wonderful painting with us!
You can learn more about Dan and view more of his work at his website:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/dfgray/home.htm
September Sunflowers
From the garden into the studio
I had a extra sheet of Fabriano pastel paper in poppy red so tried the still life on this
Working on composition (placing the subject), light yellow pastel and light with my touch
Adding the lights without using my lightest colours, then working towards the dark
Further along trying to get the details and forms
Working with a heavier touch working the details and deepest dark, going deeper with my darks then my lightest light (but never using white)
Eliminated the window from the background and finding the details
Going deeper with all the values using deepest dark red and lightest pale yellow, dragging complimentary colour (blue greens) over the background to make the red poppy jump
September Sunflowers soft pastel 18 x 16″
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