6 Tips on How to Avoid Common Mistakes While Painting With Pastels

We all might have attended Painting with Pastels classes during our schooling. Have you ever wondered how it is done with such perfection? Let's read ahead to know more about soft pastel wall art.

Pastel is a medium which gives you the liberty to use your imagination, gestural marks and your smudging with your fingers in a much free manner. In fact, hand and hand movements are the most significant tools in pastel wall art which subsequently results in much visual versatility.

Painting with pastels is one of the best ways to start your painting passion, as pastels are accessible to everyone. Once you own a box full of pastels, all you need is the techniques to use them. However, the maximum you will learn is while actually drawing. Furthermore, we will be discussing Top 6 tips to avoid common mistakes while Painting with Pastels.

1. Choosing the Surface Colour:

The surface usually comes in a variety of colors and choose the one with the right color will help you to enhance the quality of your painting. However, many fail to choose the right surface color and end in less profound effects. The right surface color is quintessential as this creates harmony in the painting and balance of the colors by blending them well.

2. Opting for One Type of Pastels:

It is being perceived by many that buying either soft or hard pastels would be enough while painting with pastels. Despite, it is usually being suggested to buy a set of firm pastels and soft pastels. This will help in creating the right layering effect when both are used simultaneously. You might be using multiple layering of colors for much natural and more finished look.

3. Planning and Addressing the details simultaneously:

In many of the painting types, one starts addressing the detailing from the very beginning. However, in pastel painting, planning of the details is the first stage, which usually occurs in the very beginning and addressing them occurs in the later developmental stages of painting. Initially, the color and tone of the subject are created and detailing is left for the later stage.

4. Avoiding various blending techniques:

Pastels are capable of producing a mesmerizing effect when the blending techniques are utilized wisely. One should learn the blending technique for creating variety in the same painting using the same color. Lacking to explore this technique will lead to a poorly defined painting.

5. Being impatient:

Some paintings may require a few brush strokes or color marks. But to create layers and develop complexity in color, one has to work on the details and this requires patience. Being impatient won't develop layers and create a polished work.

6. Avoiding the usage of various colors:

Since our childhood, everyone has used the stick color. However, to create refined and more detailed work, one can not rely on stick colors. Choosing the pencil colors will create a sharp and high level of detailing within the drawing.

Once you will start avoiding the mistakes mentioned in the pastel art tutorials, you will definitely end up creating a masterpiece yourself. So loosen up a bit and work on the details and refinements with the developing stage of the painting.

How to create a Masterpiece by Painting with Pastels

Artists need to implement the right techniques in pastel painting. The techniques that we use in pastel painting vary from any other type of painting. What are pastels? Pastels are pigments or colors used in paintings. As the properties of pastels vary, we have to consider different factors to create a masterpiece.

Choosing Material

Pastels are available in different varieties, e.g. oil, hard, soft, pencil. Each one of the pastels has different properties.

Tip: You can prefer oil pastels as they comprise inert oil & wax as additional ingredients.

Pastel papers are of different types and are usually rougher than the paper used in watercolor painting. Pastels do not stick to papers. This is the reason why rough papers are used in painting.

Gathering Information

• Material Properties

From oil pastels to pastel pencils, their properties vary. You must evaluate and explore qualities related to them.

• Simple ways to distinguish materials

Take a piece of paper and apply different types of pastels. This will help to gain more information related to them.

• Blend Pastels

Blend different types of pastels to create unique impressions. Try blending and creating unique & distinctive lines through colors. Such experiments will provide you more knowledge and help to develop skills necessary required for painting.

How to Paint with Pastels

• Create a Layout

Think of an idea. Take a graphite pencil & paper to create an outline of your idea. If you think of an object, you can draw it on the paper. A layout or outline will make your work easy and simple.

• Choose Colors

Evaluate your sketch and choose appropriate colors which are to be applied in the outline. Implement a light touch and apply slowly to give it the appropriate form. When you are sure, you can start creating definite lines while painting with pastels.

If you want to create a lighter background, you can apply white pastel on the surface. If still, the background seems dark, you can apply scrapers, and paint on the surface.

• Add Layers

Once you complete your picture or design, then, you can start applying darker strokes of colors. This will make the picture more detailed and realistic.

• Blend to create effects

Till now, you have followed the basic procedure to create art. To keep art unique, appealing, detailed and realistic, you will have to work on extra effects.

Tip: Maintain the painting strokes random while adding swirling colors on the picture. Keep in mind that the texture should be aligned. You can also mix colors and start creating unique effects.

• Add Finish

Now, you have completed art and need to work on finishing works. You can either use color shapers or fingers to add finishing to colors.

• Fix the Painting

The blending and surface of the painting can be damaged with a touch, therefore, we must use fixatives. You can easily find fixatives in art supply stores.

Now, you can enjoy your art!

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Step By Step Beginners Guide For Pastel Art Printing

If you are a beginner and want to start from scratch, then, you should know What Pastel Art Is? The sketches that is drawn by pastels called pastel drawing or pastel painting. Pastels are the pure powdered pigments that are combined with a binder to create broad strokes and precise lines. 

It is available in a wide range of colors that are easy to blend with fingers without the need for solvent or brushes. Here are some pro tips that will help you to learn the pastel art printing from basics.

Painting With Pastels - Pro Tips for Beginners

Step 1: Collect Essentials

It is essential to have necessary items which are required for pastel painting otherwise you will get confused on how to start the experiment and how to cherish it. First, pick the pastel paper, disposable gloves, pastel colors, rough drawing book, sketchbook, apron, eraser, fixative, bulldog clips, hard and soft pencils. After collecting these things, you can imagine the scenery which you want to draw or can read the pastel art tutorials before start painting.

Step 2: Choose the Pastels as per Your Choice

Several types of pastels vary from their color and texture. You can choose as per your desire and budget.

• Oil Pastels – It is difficult to blend but provides a harder edge. It can be used on wet or dry paper, board, canvas, glass, metal, and wood.
• Soft Pastels – It is a traditional form of pastels that are made with binders and dry pigments to produce an intense color.
• Hard Pastels – It is good for drawing crisp lines with less pigment.
• Pan Pastels – It is used by professional artists due to high-quality pigments. It is easy to erase and works well with traditional pastel sticks and fixatives.
• Pastel Pencil – It is water-based, eco varnish pencil comes in distinct colors to create an amazing portrait with natural texture.

Step 3: Select the Pastel Paper

Pastel paper is also referred to as ingers paper that varies from their wide range of colors and texture. In the beginning, you can purchase cheap quality paper under your budget. Further, you can use water-soluble pastel that allows both dry and wet blending. These pastels are creamy in texture and versatile in nature.

Step 4: Start Making Rough Sketch

You can draw light shapes, figure, and objects because it will help you to discover the ideas and transforms the imagination in reality.

Step 5: Focus on Colors

The color matters a lot when you want to express something from a painting, it describes the personal behavior and expression. Always focus on colors and try to use unique ones, so that, they will significantly reflect the mood and atmosphere.

Step 6: Tooth

Pastels can be used on any surface such as canvas paper, sandpaper & boards but few of them easy to bind on the surface. Thus, you should use a grain of canvas called 'tooth' that provides slight roughness in the surface to hold the pigments in one place. For Example – The colored pencil requires a tooth to make the better layers on the paper plus it provides a firm grip to blend the colors properly.

Step 7: Get Reference from Pastel Art Tutorials

The best approach to learn painting is to follow the professional famous artists that will help you to understand new pastel techniques. Even, you can take help from your family and friends who are master in painting.

Conclusion

Pastel Painting can be fun-loving if you know the right techniques to use them. There are over thousands of whimsical colors come in pastels to create a picturesque art. If you want to decorate your home with pastel art, visit the 'Pastel Art Prints' website. We, at Pastel Art Prints, offer a wide range of Pastel Art Painting crafted by renowned Australian artists.

Every Painting Tells a Different Story

An artist starts a painting inspired by a story they have heard before or an imagination one they created in their mind. Either it a still life or Beach Art prints, each painting has a story behind it. Apart from painting, other artwork also hides some story behind their creation.