Your Eyes to the World of Soft Pastel Art
Publications
Elements of Painting with Crayons by John Russell
Oct 12th
Here is the link on Google books to “Elements of Painting with Crayons” by John Russell from 1700s. It is an interesting booklet on 40 pages, especially when you consider when it was written. Do not expect fancy color paintings and be prepared to many spelling errors, most likely due to book digitizing software. Russell explains drawing basics, pastel application, approach to painting portraits and drapery. The last section covers materials and explains how to mix your own pastels.
Here are some excepts that might ignite your curiosity 
“When the Student paints immediately from the life it will be most prudent to make a correct Drawing of the Outlines on another paper the size of the Picture he is going to paint which he may trace by the preceding method because erroneous strokes of the sketching Chalk will prevent the Crayons from adhering to the paper.”
“The Student will find the sitting posture with the box of Crayons in his lap the most convenient method for him to paint. The part of the Picture he is immediately painting should be rather below his face for if it is placed too high the arm will be fatigued.”
“Brilliant greens are produced with great difficulty. In Switzerland they have a method of making them far superior to ours. We usually take yellow Oker and after grinding it with spirits mix it with the powder of Prussian blue then temper it with a knife and lay the Crayons on the Chalk without rolling them.”
PastelNews Painting Challenge
Jul 17th
Participate to win a new book by Maggie Price. All participants get a free digital issue of The Pastel Journal.
I’m sure most of the pastel artist have already heard about the new book Painting Light and Shadow with Pastels by Maggie Price. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all recipe for painting light, this book shows you how to capture the particular ambient qualities of any scene before you, be it a gloriously clear morning, a rainy afternoon, or the joyful dance of sunlight on water. Master pastelist Maggie Price, together with five contributing artists, explores different styles, approaches and subjects, including landscapes, water scenes and people.
If you would like to play with light and shadow and share your work with us here is the pastel painting challenge for you.
- Download and read chapter one The Basic Principles of Light and Color.
- Choose any of the paintings from this chapter or use your own reference.
- Make a soft pastel painting with the clearly visible play of the light and shadow.
- Upload your painting to the Pastel News Facebook page by end of August 2011.
- I will chose one of the participants randomly to win a paper copy of the book.
- All participants get a free digital issue of The Pastel Journal.
- Your work and link to your site will stay on the Facebook page and in the Gallery on this website.
If you don’t have a Facebook account you can e-mail your work to info@pastelnews.com
The Basic Principles of Light and Color’ is an excerpt from Painting Sunlight & Shadow with Pastels copyright (c) 2011 Maggie Price. All materials used by permission of F+W Media. All rights reserved
Newsletter: the Pastel Scribbler, Feb 2011
Mar 6th
The Pastel Guild of Europe published the February issue of the Pastel Scribbler. This is a free newsletter dedicated to a soft pastel art and is gathering European pastel artists. You can find old issues here and if you like it you can subscribe.
Meet the Get Dusty winner: Isabelle Renoncet
Meet Johannes Vloothuis, landscape teacher
Northern Light — meet German artist Astrid Volquardsen
DVD review: Dawn Emerson paints Ghat Women.
An Interview with Harley Brown
Aug 31st
Harley Brown
The August issue of the Pastel Scribbler is bringing an interview with Harley Brown. Harley is Canadian artist best known for his pastel portraits of Native American Indians and other characters of the Wild West. He is author of sold out bestsellers Confessions of a Starving Artist, Eternal Truth’s for Every Artist and Inspiration For Every Artist and is a regular contributor to International Artist Magazine. He is one of the living legends of the Soft Pastel Art and I warmly recommend reading this inspiring, 12 pages long interview.
Newsletter: the Pastel Scribbler, June/July 2010
Jul 14th
Steffi Decker "Sammy"
The Pastel Guild of Europe has published the June/July issue of the Pastel Scribbler. This is a free newsletter dedicated to a soft pastel art and is gathering European pastel artists. Please note the new website address pastelGuild.com.
- Meet the June Get Dusty winner: Steffi Decker
- PanPastel Artists? Colors
- Challenge: Composition in the landscape
- Street Painting with Pastels
- The French pastellist society – La Société des Pastellistes de France
- Gallery of recent paintings by members
- Composition and Design Matters – Tiziano and Rubens
Franch Magazine “Pratique des Arts” Special Pastel Edition
Jun 18th
J.F. Le Saint
The prestigious French art magazine Pratique des Arts has today published a special edition dedicated to pastel artist around the world. Some of the published artists are listed below. The magazine is accompanied with a DVD.
Claude Texier (FRA),
Cynthia Blair (USA),
Nathalie Picoulet (FRA),
Penelope Milner (GB),
Jean-François Le Saint (FRA),
Sergueï Oussik (RUS),
Claude Bauret-Allard (FRA),
Marie-Élise Larène (FRA),
Mickael Norman (GB)
Linda Gross Brown (USA).
Newsletter: the Pastel Scribbler, May 2010
May 20th
The Pastel Guild of Europe published the May issue of the Pastel Scribbler. This is a free newsletter dedicated to a soft pastel art and is gathering European pastel artists. You can find old issues here and if you like it you can subscribe at the bottom of the PGE home page.
- Announcing a new competition for Apprentice Members.
- Get Dusty Winner: Susan Cottrell from Wales, UK.
- The Sealed Package Framing by Marie-France Oosterhof.
- Traveling Europe and Painting with Pastels by Steven Hill, USA.
Pastel Journal Annual CDs on sale
May 16th
The North Light is having the Pastel Journal and other art magazines Annual CDs on sale. The 2009, 2008 and 2007 are 18$ and 2006 and 2005 are for 10$. I prefer the paper version but the CD version is very useful when I do some research.
Newsletter: the Pastel Scribbler, April 2010
Apr 22nd
The Pastel Scribbler
The Pastel Guild of Europe published the April issue of the Pastel Scribbler. This is a free newsletter dedicated to a soft pastel art and is gathering European pastel artists. You can find old issues here and if you like it you can subscribe at the bottom of the PGE home page.
- New formula Derwent Pastel Pencils by Charlotte Herczfeld.
- Get Dusty Winner: Joe Spiteri Steines from Malta.
- Tonal Contrasts in Pastels by Heather Harman.
- Water’s Edge demo by Ruth Mann.
Newsletter: the Pastel Scribbler, March 2010
Mar 24th
The Pastel Guild of Europe published the March issue of the Pastel Scribbler. This is a free newsletter dedicated to a soft pastel art and is gathering European pastel artists. You can find old issues here and if you like it you can subscribe at the bottom of the PGE home page.
The Value of Value Studies by Malcolm Jarvis.
Do your own Framing by Marie France Oosterhof.
Get Dusty Winner – interview with Heather Harman.
Meet the artist: President of the Pastel Society of Spain, José del Riego.
Jill Stefani Wagner
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