Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Pastel is a pigment mixed with a base. Traditionally, chalk is used as a base, but now it can be replaced with more modern materials. Pastels allow you to create layered artwork and subtly blend colors to create muted tones. Many famous artists, including Manet, Degas and Renoir, preferred to work in this technique.

Steps

1. 1 Choice of pastels.
   • Buy a small set. You can buy a set of pastels that includes twelve colors of crayons. This will be enough for most artwork. You can choose a specific palette, such as earthy tones or grayscale.
   • Soft pastel crayons are better for feathering, while hard ones are useful for drawing details. You can also buy pastel pencils to draw fine lines.
2. 2 Work on special pastel paper or painting surface. You need paper with a "jagged" texture that will capture and hold the pigment. Most art stores have specialty pastel papers. In addition, a charcoal grinder, canvas or even fine-grain sandpaper is suitable for these purposes.
3. 3 Buy paper sticks for shading and a nag eraser to remove excess pigment.
   • Stew sticks are cylinders made of multi-ply paper. Use these pastel shading sticks to keep your hands clean. Do not blend the pigment with your fingers. When the surface of the stick becomes dirty, peel off the top layer of paper.
   • Knead the eraser with your fingers until it softens, then press it against the drawing where you want to remove the pigment. Clean the eraser by stretching and kneading it. Do not try to remove excess pigment by rubbing it off with an eraser.
4. 4 Sketch it. Sketch thinly with a pencil or sketch with hard pastel chalk.
5. 5 Go from dark to light. Start with the darkest color, painting over the parts of the drawing where you plan to apply this color. Then work with the next strongest color. Gradually move to lighter colors and fill in all parts of the drawing, applying pastels in several layers and shading the pigment.
6. 6 Remove pastel dust from your work as often as possible. It is not necessary to blow off the dust as this will inevitably inhale some of the dust and this can irritate the respiratory tract. If you have an increased airway sensitivity, wear a mask while working with pastels.
   • If you are working on a horizontal surface, take your work outdoors and let the dust fall from the drawing.
   • If you are working on an easel, dust will spill onto the floor. This will keep your work clean, but you will have to mop the floor after painting. You can try covering the floor under the easel with a special fabric to protect the floor.
7. 7 Take care of the cleanliness of your hands. Wipe your hands with wet wipes or use gloves to prevent pigment from accumulating on your skin. Dirty pigments on your hands can make your drawing look messy, especially if you are blending pastels with your fingers.
8. 8 Clean each crayon after use. Use a dry towel or paper towel to remove any other color pigments from the crayon that have gotten onto the crayon from your drawing. You can also keep your crayons clean by storing them in dry rice grits.
9. 9 Spray the finished drawing with a special fixative so that the pigment does not smudge or crumble. Keep in mind that the fixative is quite poisonous, so be sure to follow the directions exactly when working with it.
   • Alternatively, you can use a fixative to fix individual layers of pigment. This will help you start a new coat while avoiding mixing the pigment with the pastels applied underneath.
   • If you need to move your work before you fix it, or you decide not to fix your drawing at all, place your work between two sheets of non-acidic transparent paper. Many artists prefer to do without a fixative as it changes the colors of the work.

Tips

• Do not press too hard on the crayon, otherwise the picture will get a blurry stain.
• Working with pastels is called painting if the entire surface is covered with pastels. Otherwise, the work should be called pastel graphics.
• Place each crayon in a separate container.

Warnings

• If you mix warm and cool colors, your work will look sloppy.

What do you need

• Pastel crayons or pencils
• Pastel drawing paper, canvas or special sandpaper
• Sticks for stewing
• Rubber eraser
• Wet wipes or gloves
• Towel
• Floor protection fabric
• Rice
• Easel
• Fixative or transparent acid-free paper.