Pastel pencils are so wonderful to work with, especially for someone like me who really loves to draw. They also don't seem to have the problem of floating bits of pastel in the air, particularly the Caran d'Ache pastel pencils which is what I mostly use. My only concern is that they are fragile - not that there is a longevity problem, because I know they are very archival, but much care has to be taken in framing to prevent smearing. Actually I suppose every medium has its drawbacks and this is a small one, so I either frame with spacers or a mat arrangement that creates a gutter for the loose pastel to fall into. Problem solved. This drawing is on Canson pastel paper, about 11 x 8". Thanks so much for stopping by!
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Blue Kimono - original pastel pencil portrait
Pastel pencils are so wonderful to work with, especially for someone like me who really loves to draw. They also don't seem to have the problem of floating bits of pastel in the air, particularly the Caran d'Ache pastel pencils which is what I mostly use. My only concern is that they are fragile - not that there is a longevity problem, because I know they are very archival, but much care has to be taken in framing to prevent smearing. Actually I suppose every medium has its drawbacks and this is a small one, so I either frame with spacers or a mat arrangement that creates a gutter for the loose pastel to fall into. Problem solved. This drawing is on Canson pastel paper, about 11 x 8". Thanks so much for stopping by!
Monday, September 13, 2021
Barrel Racer #11 - figurative oil rodeo painting
Monday, September 06, 2021
Lissy on Red - acrylic and oil pastel portrait
Hope you're all having a great Labor Day - thanks for stopping by!
Monday, August 30, 2021
Bedtime Braid - original oil pastel portrait
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Julie - original pastel portrait drawing
Every now and then I get the urge to get out my pastel pencils and do some drawing. I love them, especially my Caran d'Ache pencils, used in this case on the smooth side of Mi-Teintes. Framing something so delicate is a problem for me, since I always do it myself. I usually make a gutter for the loose pastel to fall into with acid-free foam core or use spacers that attach to the glass. Either method stresses me no end, which is probably why I don't do soft pastel any more than I do, because I really really love to work in this incredible medium. And then the requirement in so many shows that plexiglass must be used. I've heard that the anti-static spray works great for awhile, but must be reapplied. How does one do that without unframing the artwork? Bound to be solutions but I haven't come across any yet.π Thanks for stopping by and I would love to know if you have any answers!
Thursday, August 05, 2021
A Maiko in Pink and Green - original oil pastel portrait
My all time favorite combination - pink and green - Yum! IMHO you can't have one without the other. I'm continuing my obsession with maikos and geishas and their costumes - all of which have meaning rooted deep in their history. I really hate seeing the geisha numbers dwindle, but of course, Japanese women have many more options now, which is a very good thing.
This 5 x 7" piece is done on the ever wonderful Pastelbord (made right here in Texas) and painted using nearly all Sennelier oil pastels, with a few Caran d'Ache Neopastels and CrayPas Specialists. My oil pastels aren't sharpened because I fear killing my art with overworking, but I'm kind of rethinking that approach because maybe a little sharpening would make life easier. For now though, I use some Eye-Tees, those make-up things that resemble Q-tips, but have a very sharp point on one end for doing a little smoothing so they aren't too raw. Perhaps a combination of sharpening and smoothing will be my new technique.
For exciting paintings that have lots of texture check out Victor Wang. I love his work!
Thanks for stopping by - have a great day and happy art-making for all you artists out there!
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Mrs. Kelly - An Amusement in Monotype - a reductive method monotype plate
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Head of an Ancient Soldier - oil pastel on paper
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Sketch of the Model Zette - original oil pastel portrait sketch
This quick portrait drawing is done with Caran d'Ache oil pastel over a dash of ochre acrylic - I especially liked Zette's expression and she was able to keep that slight smile, which isn't easy - have tried it myself. I did several sketches of her but picked this one to post. Instead of working on one drawing the whole time, I sometimes do several using different media and often moving around the room to get a different view. On Canson Mix Media, 8.5 x 5.5" - thanks for looking!
Wednesday, July 07, 2021
Drawings from My Sketchbook - original charcoal drawings
Thursday, July 01, 2021
Mixed Media Figures - original mixed media figurative drawings
Saturday, June 26, 2021
What I'm Working On - ACEOs in Progress
Here are a few of the ACEOs I've been working on - mostly nudes so far, but starting on a few angels, all drawn with Caran d'Ache Neocolor 1 (a couple of sticks showing at the bottom). They are done on Strathmore illustration board (3.5 x 2.5"). Some of them are drawn straight onto the board, others are given a coat of watercolor or acrylic before I begin drawing. I think it's easier to start with some color underneath, so I'll probably keep that up. I love doing these little pieces and, surprisingly, they're not that easy to do - and I think some artists work on even smaller sizes! Don't think I'll be doing that, but you never knowπ!
Sunday, June 06, 2021
Two Women - original acrylic figurative abstract painting
Monday, May 31, 2021
Hmmm - original oil pastel portrait painting
This 8 x 10" drawing on Canson mixed media board is a mostly fun thing for me - I drew it from an old drawing of a model, but then added the dark blue-green next to the orange glints in her hair just because I wanted to - artist's choice, right? - then added a grey and white version of my favorite wallpaper.
More on the wallpaper - I have been looking for that paper for ages for my entrance hall - the background is a medium green and it's probably from the 30s or 40s - good luck with finding any of that! Plus it would definitely not be strippable, so I'm actually toying with the idea of just painting the wall instead. Making those stripes will get pretty tedious, though.
Back to "Hmmm" - when I originally drew the model, she had briefly been looking at something going on to her right in the drawing group. It's been so long now that I don't remember what it was, but I was lucky to capture her while she was looking toward the "activity". That has happened a lot in my drawing adventures. My teacher, Priscilla Treacy, taught her students to get it down in three minutes - I don't mean every pore or detail, but the gist of the drawing. So, there have been many times when the model hasn't completely settled into her pose (and maybe gotten a little sleepy), that I've been able to grab that very first expression. Thank you Priscilla! In this drawing, I felt that the model was thinking critically about the conversation to her right, hence the title "Hmmm".
Sunday, May 02, 2021
Seated Nude on Blue - original oil pastel figurative
I began this drawing with a graphite pencil and then worked on it with Sennelier oil pastels and a few Caran d'Ache on Strathmore 8 x 6"mixed media paper. Didn't do a lot of blending and and finishing (obviously) - just left it pretty raw which is kind of my favorite thing. Loved her sort of dreamy expression. Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Ink Dancers #3 - original ink drawing of tango dancers
Here's a quick ink drawing that I did with ink pen and brush. The ink was water soluble of course, which made it so much fun and totally unpredictable. I don't remember the nib I used to do the lines - I love using different nibs - then went over it to restate some of the outlines after it was dry. And not "finishing" it also appeals to my art senses. This piece is 8 x 6" on mixed media paper. Thanks for looking!
Monday, March 29, 2021
Woman with a Fan - original oil pastel portrait painting
Thursday, March 11, 2021
A Winter Day - original oil pastel portrait painting
This one is on 12 x 9" Pastel Premier paper, using mostly Sennelier oil pastels, some Caran d'Ache and Cray-pas Specialists. She was standing in front of one of our pecan trees with the branches almost touching the ground. Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Barrie - original oil portrait painting
Texas is probably just about done digging itself out of the ice and snow of this past week. Our family fared pretty well, but sad to say, lots of folks didn't. We're just not prepared for this kind of weather - 3 degrees - and I'm hoping this really was a once in a century thing. And if I didn't already love summer, I do now!
This piece, lurking in my studio, is painted on 8 x 10" stretched canvas, beginning from life, then on to photos. I like it for her sweet expression. Thanks for stopping by!
Friday, January 29, 2021
From an Ancient Torso - original mixed media figurative drawing redux
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Krista on Black Paper - original oil pastel portrait
Friday, December 04, 2020
Two-Step Scribble - charcoal and oil pastel figurative sketch
This sketch is one I did from the 2019 rodeo dance (didn't have rodeo in 2020π) and sometimes I just get such satisfaction from one of these drawings, even though it lingers somewhere between drawing and painting. As a line lover, I'm always looking for ways to incorporate line in what I do and not totally cover it up with paint. Will just leave this one as it is and do a painting from it.
I hope everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving!π¦ Thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, November 05, 2020
A Little Sketch of the Model - original charcoal portrait drawing
I absolutely love to work in black and white, especially when drawing from life. I did this drawing using a General's Peel and Sketch with a 'hard' rating which I rarely use, but am actually really pleased with this little sketch. The paper is Strathmore Mixed Media, 8.5 x 5.5". Some of the lines are restated, which I left (obviously) because otherwise, it's easy to keep making the same mistake, plus leaving the lines lends movement and also tells the viewer the path the artist took in making the piece. Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Looky What I Got Yesterday!
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Reluctant Vera - original oil portrait sketch
Here's one from a drawing group where the model didn't show, and in those cases, everybody takes a turn as the model - or most everybody, since I think I avoided it that time - so I call this one 'Reluctant Vera', because she wasn't thrilled to be the model, but she was a good one, nevertheless. Drawing group attendees who have to replace the model soon find out how really tough it is to be a model - staying completely still for 20 minutes at a time, then trying to get back into the same exact position after the break. Models earn every bit of their pay!
Sunday, October 04, 2020
Ready for Night - original pastel pencil portrait drawing
Here's a pastel pencil drawing that I did some time ago, using a very limited palette of Caran d'Ache pencils. At that time, I only had a few of this brand that I was trying out and since they - unlike most pastels, even in pencil form - didn't make me sneeze, get in my eyes and just generally make me feel itchy, I've acquired a nice collection of Caran d'Ache. Most likely, how I use pastels is the problem, but since I'm mainly an oil pastelist, problem solved! This was a pretty quick drawing - don't remember how long - but I was mainly interested in the satiny strap over her shoulder. It's on toned paper, 12 x 9". Thanks for visiting!
Friday, October 02, 2020
Guitar Practice - original graphite portrait drawing
Although I hardly ever use graphite, I had a great time doing this one on Strathmore marker paper that I had to buy for a landscape course. Maybe y'all have used this paper before, but I never had and was surprised to find it such a delight to draw on. Even though there's a slick finish - it's great for graphite! Drawing is my first art language - not painting, really - and I will be doing many more pencil drawings (used HB, 2 and 4B) on this paper - a great find for me! Plus, even though the weight is only 50.5 lb, the paper feels much more sturdy. This drawing is 7 x 12". Thanks so much for stopping by!
Friday, September 25, 2020
Maiko - original oil pastel portrait of a maiko
Monday, September 21, 2020
Feather Earrings - original oil pastel portrait
I was trying to work with neutrals here to give the red feather earrings more 'pop'. This piece is painted on 7 x 5" Pastelbord. The great thing about Pastelbord - when working with oil pastels - is that with time, the oil pastels on this support tend to feel dry to touch. Still, I like to spray with oil pastel fixative several days after the piece is completed. Thanks for stopping by!