Very often, novice artists can not decide on the material. Often the choice is between watercolor and oil. However, there is another group of art materials - “soft”. Pastel belongs to it. This material is pleasant and easy to use.
Pastel Drawings
Still life is the most artificial genre, both in painting and in graphics. In this case, the choice and location of all objects is determined not by the real situation, but by the composition itself and its requirements.
However, a still life in pastel should not convey reality at all, for this there are photographs. An artist is capable and has the right to his own fantasies and an original image of objects, due to which works similar to a dream are created. The master builds the key, trying to find harmony in his drawing.
History of pastels
The history of pastels begins in the 15th century. This material is mentioned in the writings of Leonardo da Vinci. However, the French word itself began to be used much later - in the middle of the 17th century. Translated from Latin, it means "pasta." Lighter shades were obtained by grinding pure pigments with chalk. It is from here that the well-known word "pastel" came from.
This material was actively used by Renaissance artists and representatives of the New Age (Ingres, John Russell and many others). Later, the technique became popular among the impressionists. Pastel was written by Pierre Bonnard, Edgar Degas and many others.
What is pastel for drawing
There are three types of pastel crayons :
- Oil. It’s best to choose them if you have certain skills, because correcting what is already drawn is quite problematic.
- Dry crayons are the best option for aspiring artists. They are easy to shade, wash with an eraser and overlap with a different color. With the help of this material, beginners get wonderful still lifes pastel with fruits.
- Wax paints lay a beautiful glossy layer, however, working with them is not easy, since they do not shade.
It is not customary to combine several types of crayons in one work. And for beginners, as mentioned above, it is best to opt for dry pastel crayons.
In the work it is necessary to carefully treat the finished drawing and the crayons themselves. Dry pastels are great for depicting sketches, quick sketches, or lengthy productions. Due to all its properties, dry crayons are perfect for lovers of expression and long painstaking drawings.
The only disadvantage of this material is that it requires special storage conditions for the finished work. There are rules that every artist must follow:
- So that the pastel does not crumble over time, it must be opened with a special lock.
- Paintings should be protected from sunlight.
- Finished work is stored in a separate folder, laying tracing paper between them.
Necessary materials and tools
Easel
Before creating a still life with pastel, the sheet must be placed vertically or at an angle. It is in this position that it is most convenient to transfer lines from nature and evaluate the overall picture. Therefore, it is worth getting a tablet or easel, which can be supported on the back of a chair or table.
Paper
To demonstrate the maximum capabilities of pastel crayons is possible only using special tinted corrugated paper. Moreover, it is worth buying special albums in specialized stores, in which there is paper of several shades, between which sheets of tracing paper are placed.
Pastel crayons
Quality pastels will never be cheap. But with the rational use of one set is enough for a long time. At the same time, do not chase a lot of flowers: 12-14 will be enough.
When choosing a material suitable for yourself, you need to pay attention to how it lays on the paper (the layer should be velvety, while small crumbs should not remain on the paper).
Sponges and brushes
You can use flat brushes or a sponge in your work - it all depends on your own preferences. However, at the initial stage, it is worth working with your fingers. Thanks to this technique, you will be able to better feel the material and understand how best to achieve this or that effect.
Lock
Still lifes painted with pastels must be opened with a special varnish. However, in its absence, hair spray can be an alternative. The sprayer is applied at a distance of about 30-40 cm from the painting.
Features of the technique
The main thing that you need to be able to do in such a job is to see the colors. Performing a drawing from nature, it should be understood how some objects cast shadows on others. It is necessary to use different shades, and not blindly paint an object from one edge to another with one color.
Special attention should be paid to the direction of strokes. They are imposed not arbitrarily, but in the form of an object. So all the elements are more voluminous. Large areas of the same color are most conveniently covered, placing the chalks flat.
It is always necessary to work on the drawing evenly. Do not take on the image of any one subject. First of all, all the bright places are covered, then all the dark ones, at the end they highlight highlights and active accents.
The advantages of dry pastels when performing still lifes
Dry pastels are often produced in the form of special pencils or crayons. It allows you to create fairly thick strokes. Still life with dry pastels is obtained with a more elegant structure. Moreover, colors can be quickly shaded or diluted with other shades.
Still life oil pastels
Oil pastels make it possible to achieve particularly vivid colors and accents. This material is notable for its “softness”, it is a bit “greasy”. They are very easy and pleasant to work with, but you can get carried away, forgetting about the shape of the objects and their volume. Therefore, you need to get acquainted with oil pastel after dry pastel crayons are mastered.
Still life pastel in stages
Draw a still life
They start drawing any work as if all objects are transparent. This method will help to get an idea about the shape of each item and their location in relation to each other.
Moreover, it is best to use additional horizontal and vertical lines that will help to represent symmetrical objects of the correct shape.
Apply colors and tones
This stage of the work involves sketching the background. In doing this, it is necessary to soften the texture of the pastel and mix the colors, making the transition smoother. For these purposes, use fabric or shading.
And although a still life is being drawn from near objects, this process can be started from the end. Thus, accuracy and sharpness of work are improved. By depicting objects on a finished background, you can avoid gaps between the background and the object.
Development of secondary objects
After the background and main objects are painted over, you need to move on to working with secondary objects. We must not forget about the white glare and smoothing the rough texture with the help of fabric and shading. Before applying color, you need to outline the areas of shadows on each of the objects.
Color correction
When all the colors, shades, shadows and highlights are ready, it is necessary to work separately on a harmonious balance of colors and contrasts - in this way it will be possible to increase the expressiveness of perception of a still life. This can be done by increasing the contrast of background tones and objects in the foreground. All objects should be at the same level of contrast.
Final stage
Finishing the still life with pastel, you need to increase the tonal contrasts on lighter objects. This can be done with the help of sharp darkening and shadows located on these objects.
To create the darkest areas, you can use all kinds of shades of red, blue, brown and dark green. While to create glare, small areas of white color are used.
In addition, at the final stage, you need to use black color, with it you can deepen the darkest areas. Black color is used at the last stage due to the fact that it always overpowers the brightness and freshness of other shades.
Creating a still life with pastels, novice artists often make a mistake: they underestimate the contrast of shades. This is obtained by mixing several colors. To prevent this from happening, before mixing, the difference in light and dark tones is increased. Thanks to this technique, the loss of contrast after mixing is compensated.
How to store or move finished work
Finished work can be stored in many ways. If the picture is not fixed anywhere, then you need to pick up the sliding paper and wrap the drawing in it. However, you need to check whether the entire masking tape and bends were on the back of the picture.
If there is a desire to place the finished work under glass, then this is not as easy as other paintings. First of all, the work is limited by the frame. This is necessary so that no one can smear the image with your fingers. Moreover, the frame and glass will protect the work from falling off excess pastel dust.
Pastel is a noble material. All the shortcomings of craftsmanship can be easily hidden with the help of effective finished work. Each novice artist can easily find his own special style and manner of depicting objects, creating a still life. Pastel drawings fit perfectly into any interior.