Ella Walter
When it comes to creating art with pastels, there are various methods and techniques to consider. Pastel pencils, soft pastels, and pan pastels each offer unique advantages and can be used in different ways to achieve specific effects. Layering with pastel pans and pencils is a popular approach, especially when drawing waves, as it allows artists to build depth and realism in their artwork. This involves carefully combining colours and blending them to capture the light and shadow within the scene. The process requires patience, and the choice of paper and application tools also plays a significant role in the final outcome.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pastel pencils vs coloured pencils | Pastel pencils produce softer colours with more vibrancy and saturation than coloured pencils. |
| Paper type | Lightly coloured paper with a fine tooth that will hold the pastel pigment. |
| Layering | Layer a pastel pencil over another, starting with a lighter colour. |
| Pan Pastels | Can be layered quickly, providing a nice base for coloured pencil applications. |
| Paper type for Pan Pastels | PastelMat paper has a distinct tooth (texture) that accepts both pastels and coloured pencils. |
| Paper type for pencils | Seawhite paper is harder and less black, taking Pan Pastel and coloured pencil without lifting the paper surface. |
| Blending | Use a paper stump, a finger, or soft pastels to blend colours together. |
| Directional strokes | Strokes flow down the face of the backside of the wave. |
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What You'll Learn
Layering pastel pans and pencils on the correct paper
When layering pastel pans and pencils on the correct paper, there are a few key things to keep in mind. Firstly, the type of paper you use will impact the final appearance of your drawing. Pastel paper with a fine tooth, such as Pastelmat, is ideal for pastel pencils as it holds the pastel pigment and provides a good texture for multiple layers. Lightly coloured paper can also help to showcase your highlights and complement the soft colours of your pastel pencils.
Pan pastels, a form of soft pastel, can be quickly layered to create a substantial depth of colour without much effort. They can be applied with small sponges or special applicators, similar to makeup brushes, which makes the process similar to painting with a brush. You can use pan pastels to create an underlayer that shows you where your lights and darks will be and gives you a good mid-tone to work with. They can also be used on drafting film, which is then placed behind your drawing.
When using pastel pencils, you can try different hues of the same colour to get a feel for how you'd like to blend your colours. You can layer pastel pencils by laying down a lighter colour first and then adding thin, linear lines to create an optical blend. Pastel pencils are more fragile than coloured pencils due to their softer lead, so care must be taken when sharpening them. Use a hobby knife to sharpen your pastel pencils, as a standard sharpener may damage the wood or the colour strip inside.
By combining pan pastels and pastel pencils, you can create a drawing with depth and precision. The pan pastels provide a nice base for the pastel pencils, which offer additional depth and precision. This combination of media and the use of layering can help to develop depth and realism in your drawings.
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Using pastel pans to create a base for pencils
When using pastel pans to create a base for pencils, it is important to consider the type of paper you are using. Pastel pans can be used on cartridge paper, coloured papers with a non-glossy surface, and pastel paper with a fine tooth to hold the pastel pigment. Lightly coloured paper can help showcase highlights and complement the soft colours of pastel pencils. PastelMat paper, with its distinct texture, is also a good option as it accepts both pastels and coloured pencils.
To create a base for pencils using pastel pans, start by applying a thin layer of pastel pan colour to your chosen paper. PanPastels can be easily blended, so you can mix colours on a piece of standard printer paper before applying them to your main surface. You can also use a colourless blending powder, which can be applied over the pastel colour to make it easier to blend. Once you are happy with your base layer, you can move on to adding details and precision with coloured pencils.
When adding coloured pencils over your pastel pan base, it is important to consider the type of pencils you are using. Oil-based coloured pencils, such as the Polychromos pencils by Faber-Castell, differ from wax-based coloured pencils due to their oil-based binder. This makes them behave differently and often requires more layers to build up a solid application. However, this encourages multiple layers, which can lead to better results and a more realistic drawing.
Overall, using pastel pans to create a base for pencils can be a quick and effective way to add depth and colour to your drawings. By considering the type of paper and pencils you are using, as well as blending and layering techniques, you can create beautiful and realistic artwork.
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Using pencils to add detail and precision
When creating art with pastel pans and pencils, layering is an important technique to master. Pastel pencils can be used with a range of different mediums, including hard and soft pastels, and can be blended with fingers, paper stumps, or soft pastels. When blending with fingers, use a colourless blending powder to make it easier to blend. This technique works well on pastel paper, but smoother papers will need to be primed with a layer of fixative first.
When layering with pastel pencils, it is important to start with a light colour and then add thin, linear lines to create an optical blend. Pastel pencils are ideal for adding detail and precision to a drawing, especially when creating line work or colourful, expressive sketches. They can also be used for scumbling, feathering, and stippling.
To sharpen pastel pencils, use a hobby knife rather than a standard sharpener, as the pastel inside is more fragile than that of a coloured pencil and can break or crumble easily. When drawing with pastel pencils, use a pencil with flat sides to prevent it from rolling off the drawing board and to make it more comfortable to hold and easier to control.
When drawing waves with pastel pans and pencils, start with the background and work towards the foreground, keeping in mind the directional strokes and the flow of the wave. On the shadowed side of the wave, use cooler colours like blues and blue-purples, and on the highlighted side, use warmer colours like yellow-greens. Layering these colours takes patience, especially when working with a textured surface.
To add detail and precision to your wave drawing, use pastel pencils to create deliberate, strong marks, especially in areas like the sea spray, to capture the energy and power of the wave. You can also add black to force some of the values to be darker, but be careful as too much black can make a drawing look flat or unnatural. Layer some colour over any black applications to make it appear more natural.
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How to sharpen pastel pencils
Pastel pencils are different from coloured pencils in terms of the binder used and the effect they produce. Coloured pencils have a waxy binder to hold the pigment together, while pastel pencils have less binder, making them more fragile. This also means that pastel pencils produce softer, more vibrant, and saturated colours than ordinary coloured pencils.
Pastel pencils have a thin pastel stick encased in wood, similar to a coloured pencil but more fragile. This makes them easier to control and less likely to crumble. However, their fragile nature requires extra care when sharpening. While pastel pencils might not come pre-sharpened, they should not be sharpened with a standard sharpener as it can damage the wood and the colour strip inside.
To sharpen pastel pencils, use a hobby knife or craft knife to carefully shave away the wood around the pastel without breaking it. Then, use sandpaper to shape the pastel into a sharp point. Twisting the pencil while running it along the sandpaper will help achieve a good point. This method provides more control and a better point than a standard sharpener.
Another option is to use a razor blade or X-acto knife, which can create a very sharp point. However, these tools can be dangerous, and there is a risk of cutting oneself. Therefore, it is important to be cautious and consider the level of sharpness desired before choosing a sharpening method.
It is also important to note that over-sharpening pastel pencils can lead to breakage, so it is crucial to use the appropriate sharpening tools and techniques to get the most out of your pencils.
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Blending pastel pencils with other mediums
Pastel pencils can be used with a variety of different mediums, including hard and soft pastels, to create a mixed media effect. They can also be used to add detailed line work to drawings or to create colourful, expressive sketches. Pastel pencils have a thin pastel stick inside their wooden casing, similar to a coloured pencil but more fragile. This makes them easier to control, cleaner to use, and less likely to break and crumble like a soft pastel stick.
When blending pastel pencils, you can use a paper stump, a finger, or a colour shaper to blend the colours together. You can also use pastel pencils alongside soft pastels to blend colours. It is recommended to try different hues of the same colour to get a feel for how you would like to blend your colours, starting with blues and greens and moving to oranges and reds. Keep a kneadable eraser close by to remove any mistakes or create highlights on the paper.
For layering, you can layer a pastel pencil over another, starting with a lighter colour and adding thin, linear lines like cross-hatching to create a thin overlay. This will create an optical blend, where the eye blends the colours together rather than on the paper. Pastel pencils are excellent for creating skin tints in portraiture work, and they can also be used to create highlights in your drawings.
When combining coloured pencils and pastels, it is important to understand how these mediums differ in pigment application and mixing on the paper. Pastels lightly adhere to the paper surface and can be easily blended and layered. However, they can also be smudged or erased with a single accidental brush of the hand. A spray fixative can be used to keep pastels in place and protect your artwork, but it may slightly darken the colours.
Pan pastels are another medium that can be used in combination with pastel pencils. They are small lidded plastic containers containing very fine compressed powdered pastel pigment, which can be applied to the painting surface with small sponges or Sofft Tools. Pan pastels can be used on cartridge paper and coloured papers with a non-glossy surface and can be erased with a standard plastic eraser. They also offer a colourless blending powder that can be applied to the paper to make it easier to blend with wax-type coloured pencils.
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Frequently asked questions
PastelMat paper is a good option for layering pastel pans and pencils. It has a distinct tooth (texture) that accepts both pastels and coloured pencils. It is more expensive than other pastel papers but is worth the price. Alternatively, cartridge paper or coloured papers with a non-glossy surface can be used.
It is recommended to start with pastel pans to create a base tone and then work on top of that, refining with each new layer. This can be done by applying pastel pans with small sponges or Sofft Tools. Then, use coloured pencils to add precision and depth in colour. When blending pastel pencils, you can use a paper stump or your finger.
On the shadowed side of the wave, use cooler colours like blues and blue-purples. On the highlighted side, use warmer colours like yellow-greens.
