A Monochrome Exercise To Strengthen Your Skills

“I often use this simple monochrome exercise at the start of a pastel class,” says Felicity House.

“The idea is to shed color for a few moments and work in either black and white, or grades of a single color.

“It reminds you that tone (value) is as important as color in creating an interesting image, and also to use interesting and lively marks in your pastels: 

• Drawn marks
• Rubbed marks 
• Erased marks
• Thin and thick pastel marks
• Fine graphic marks
• Soft marks 
• Bold strong marks 

“Using a viewfinder to select a small composition which has a range of tones from dark to light is important. It helps you think about your composition and the edges of your image.”

MAKING A SMALL CHARCOAL TONAL STUDY

“On cartridge paper, tape off a square or rectangle with masking tape then:

• prepare the panel with a gently rubbed dry ‘wash’ of charcoal to create a mid-tone
• look through the viewfinder of the corresponding format – square/rectangle
• find an interesting composition with a range of tones
• translate the composition with a charcoal stick drawing
• add tones by hatching and rubbing, strengthening for darks
• subtract highlights by erasing with putty rubber or plastic eraser wedge
• check tonal range – add darker marks if necessary
• look for and include textures by using graphic marks
• remove tape carefully.

“Or, work in a similar way using one pastel color to create a monochrome piece.

MAKING A SMALL TONAL STUDY USING PASTEL

“On paper, tape off a square or rectangle with masking tape then:

• prepare the panel with a light layer of white pastel
• and a layer of your chosen pastel colour (monochrome eg. blue)
• look through the viewfinder of the corresponding format – square /rectangle 
• draw composition with pastel pencil
• add tones by hatching and rubbing in with pastel – strengthening for darks
• subtract highlights by erasing with putty rubber or plastic eraser wedge
• check tonal range – add darker marks if necessary
• remove tape carefully

Paint with top world-class artists Albert Handell, Karen Margulis, and Aaron Schuerr at the Plein Air Convention & Expo in the Great Smoky Mountains in May!