Painting with Pastels: Easy Techniques to Master the Medium

128 Pages·2007·16.16 MB·english

by  Maggie Price

Petals in the Stream
11" × 14" (28cm × 36cm)
painting with
pastels
Easy Techniques to Master the Medium
Maggie Price
Founding Editor of The Pastel Journal
www.artistsnetwork.com
Painting with Pastels. Copyright © 2007 by Maggie Price. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission
in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by North Light Books, an
imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. [phone]. First Edition.
Other fine North Light Books are available from your local bookstore, art supply store or direct from the publisher.
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Price, Maggie
Painting with pastels : easy techniques to master the medium / Maggie Price. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58180-819-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60061-611-2 (EPUB)
ISBN-10: 1-58180-819-4 (pbk. : alk. paper)
eISBN: 978-1-44031-743-9
1. Pastel drawing--Technique. I. Title.
NC880.P75 2007
741.2’35--dc22
2006029048
Edited by Erin Nevius and Jason Feldmann
Designed by Guy Kelly
Production art by Kathy Bergstrom
Production coordinated by Matt Wagner
about the author
Maggie Price is the co-founder, former editor and current contributor of The Pastel Journal; she has
written numerous articles for it and other magazines. She studied fine arts at the University of
Missouri and has attended many workshops with well-known artists, such as Albert Handell,
Elizabeth Mowry, Eric Michaels and Deborah Christensen Secor. She currently conducts her own
workshops on pastel painting in the United States and other countries and is an active member in
numerous art societies. Her work can be seen at www.maggiepriceart.com.
Contributing Artists
Deborah Bays
Greg Biolchini
Thomas DeCleene
Sam Goodsell
Bill Hosner
Richard McKinley
Desmond O'Hagan
Deborah Christensen Secor
Ruth Summer
metric conversion chart
To convert to multiply by
Inches Centimeters 2.54
Centimeters Inches 0.4
Kilograms Pounds 2.2
Ounces Grams 28.3
Grams Ounces 0.035
acknowledgments
No artist exists in a vacuum. I have learned from every painting I’ve ever studied in a gallery or museum, from every instructor, and
from every artist I’ve interviewed or read about. I am grateful to all those artists for the opportunity to learn and committed to my
mission to pass that knowledge on to others.
Many thanks to the artists who contributed to this book and generously shared their expertise. It is an honor to have their paintings
and demonstrations included, and I am very grateful to each of them.
Special thanks to North Light Editorial Director Jamie Markle, who not only guided me through the first phases of the book outline but
made substantial suggestions for improvement. And to Erin Nevius and Jason Feldmann, my editors, for their support and great ideas. It
has been a delight to work with all of these fine editors.
I also want to thank the readers of The Pastel Journal magazine, whose response to my articles over the years made me believe I
could write this book, and all those who have taken my workshops, who helped me learn to teach.
Montecatini Alto
11" × 14" (28cm × 36cm)
dedication
Dedicated to my husband, Bill Canright, with thanks for his support and encouragement, as well as his photographic and artistic expertise.
table of contents
INTRODUCTION
INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY
CHAPTER ONE
what you’ll need to begin
Types of Pastels
A Starting Assortment
Setting Up Your Work Space
Keep It Clean
Different Types of Paper Surfaces
Different Surfaces, Same Pastels
DEMONSTRATION: Control Texture with a Homemade Surface
Another Type of Homemade Surface
Working on a Colored Surface
CHAPTER TWO
composition and color
Choosing a Subject
Keeping the Composition Moving
The Importance of Value
Maintaining a Strong Value Structure
Strengthen Your Painting Values
Using Color
Designing with Color
CHAPTER THREE
putting pastel to paper
Making Strokes
The Optical Mixing of Color
Blending Colors