ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS

‡ 8VH D VHSDUDWH FRQWDLQHU WR VWRUH WKH pastels you are using on the current painting. This saves time searching for the colour you used previously. I tend to preselect only a few colours for my work as I am never sure of where the painting will take me. ‡ .HHS WKH SDVWHOV FOHDQ +DYH D UDJ handy to wipe each pastel when putting it back into the “selection” container. This also gives you a few seconds’ break in which to admire you work, and makes it easier to see the right colour in the container.

‡ ,I \RX QHHG D VKDUS HGJH IRU D ILQH line, try scoring around the pastel with your finger/thumb nail before breaking the stick. This will give a clean, controlled sharp break.

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work upright or even leaning a little towards you at the top. This will allow the pastel dust to fall from the paper and not lay on your precious work. A folded news paper tray is all I use to catch the falling dust. Do not blow off the dust. It will only float in the air and generally make the whole area uncomfortable to work in. ‡ )LQLVKLQJ 0\ SUHIHUUHG SURFHGXUH is simple. Taping glassine paper or similar over the painting I place them on a hard smooth surface JODVVLQH SDSHU RQ WRS 8VLQJ D rolling pin and plenty of pressure, I roll over the whole surface of the painting, in all directions, as this pushes the pastel into the paper to reduce dust fall out later, particularly at framing time. This action also seems to brighten the painting by bursting the tiny balls of pastel on the surface and pushing them into the paper. I then will leave the painting on the backing board for one or two weeks, out of harm’s way, to let the pastel surface “acclimatise”. This also helps reduce dust falling later. Last steps before framing will be to check and touch up the highlights if need be, and one more final rolling.

‡ 7R UHPRYH SDVWHO , SUHIHU )DEHU Castell “putty rubbers”, after first brushing off with an old paint brush. ‡ , DOVR XVH D FROOHFWLRQ RI YDULRXV size and shape blenders, some rubber and some paper. I find the rubber blenders particularly good for tidying up edges, and also for dragging through “water” to create reflections.