13 Tips for Better Pastel Paintings

 

13 Tips for Better Pastel Paintings

by Beth Williams

Many artists aspire to a faster, looser style. I’ve learned that the first step to interpretive freedom is to develop your own confidence as a painter, according to award-winning pastelist Tony Allain.

pastel_landscape_marina-reflections_tony_allain_10x14 , pastel painting tips, pastel techniques, pastel compositions, pastel paintings, painting tips, Tony Allain
Marina Reflections (pastel, 10×14) by Tony Allain

Here, Allain shares his 13 tips for better pastel paintings designed to strengthen your skills and improve your results.

  • Use the best-quality artist’s pastels. Inferior materials result in inferior paintings.
  • Carry a sketchbook and make thumbnail sketches.
  • Stand at your easel, if possible. You’ll have more freedom of movement.
  • Lay in the underpainting using the side of the pastel and broad, direct, light strokes.
  • As you look at your subject, squint as much as possible, which allows you to see the shapes rather than the details.
  • Paint what you see, not what you think you know is there.
  • Paint “fat over lean,” as you would in oil—that is, heavy over light, or soft over hard.
  • Paint the highlights last to keep them clean and bright.
  • Read books, watch DVDs and take workshops with artists you admire. You’ll acquire a lot of knowledge, but follow that with effort. Without a heap of practice, this knowledge will amount to nothing.
  • Try to put a stroke down and never touch it again.
  • Use your photo references to explore different ideas. Draw on them with marker pens. Add acrylic in some areas. Crop, cut and move things around until you find inspiration.
  • Work quickly. It teaches you to think before you make your mark.
  • Finally, have fun and enjoy the expressive medium of soft pastel.
pastel_landscape_gibbston-valley_nz_tony_allain_18x18 | pastel painting tips, pastel techniques, pastel compositions, pastel paintings, painting tips, Tony Allain
Gibbston Valley, New Zealand (pastel, 18×18) by Tony Allain

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