Email nicolehilsabeck@yahoo.com to inquire about individual paintings or upcoming classes and events!

A Unique Way to use Pastel

by Niki Hilsabeck in Recent Posts
     
Want to see more art?  View my current ebay listings.
 
There’s a lot you can do with pastel: use it dry on paper, scratch it over some acrylic or watercolor, or even blend it with water.
 
   
“Oorah” 9 x 12 Chalk pastel on flat canvas
 
Sometimes I like to take a piece of flat canvas and make a quick pastel sketch on it.  Pastel works under acrylic, but out of curiosity I usually end up dipping a brush in some water and blending the chalk into a nice painting.  If it looks like it’s going to work out, I’ll get a full set of pastels and turn it into a finished piece.  If not, I can wipe most of the chalk away with water and start over. 
 
Sometimes the chalk gets a little too heavy and loses its punch, so I have to add fixative and get some lights back on it, or work in a little oil pastel for darks.  The painting above is all chalk and water, with a layer of fixative in between. 
 
You can read more about this piece on my art blog.
 
Here are a couple more pieces painted with water and chalk on flat canvas:
“Cool Water” 9 x 12
 
“Seabird” 8 x 10

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FOLLOW