“Pastel as a medium is rapidly gaining recognition around the world, and it’s one that simply cannot be ignored,” said Eric Rhoads in our opening to Essential Techniques Day of the 4th annual Pastel Live. “Whether you’ve already mastered other art forms or are just beginning your artistic journey, pastel offers something unique, vibrant, and incredibly rewarding.”
We saw this first-hand with incredible pastel painting lessons from the likes of Lisa Skelly, Gail Sibley, Robert Lemler, and more, not to mention special segments with some of our sponsors: Blick Art Materials, and Sennelier & Fabriano.
Pastel Live continues September 18-20, 2024, and you can still join us by signing up at PastelLive.com now.
“Tell yourself right now: I can do this. It’s not a question of whether or not you can — it’s simply that you haven’t learned how yet,” Eric continued. “All it takes is paying attention and then using the techniques you’ve seen done.”
Here’s a recap of some of those essential techniques:
In “Composition and Strong Design,” Lisa Skelly shared what she wishes she had learned (or listened to) when she started her pastel journey years ago. She painted a field of lavender, starting with the rule of thirds to decide on the focal point.
“Excellent instruction! So enjoyable…cannot wait to dive in. I’ve been painting for years, and still learning so much already!” ~ Sandra B.
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Shawn Dell Joyce, who founded the Wallkill River School of Art, led us through her mark-making and pastel application techniques, including a handy tool she uses to apply the rule of thirds to her compositions. For Pastel Live, Shawn painted a near-crashing wave coming onto the beach.
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Kathleen Kalinowski is a contemporary impressionist painter who is passionate about painting directly from nature, en plein air. In her demo, she explained how color follows value.
Kathleen’s tip: Use both warm and cool layers of color within each value mass to keep creating interest and variety.
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Gail Sibley joined us again at Pastel Live with a deep dive into color – specifically, how to be expressive with it. “We all have a tendency to copy our reference … even though we all yearn to paint in our own way and to be more of who we are in our paintings,” she says, adding that, “Using color more boldly and with confidence can be a way of expression.”
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Sharing a demo from her donut series, Judy Leeds painted a “jelly sandwich” still life with an emphasis not only on technique, but also composition and movement.
“Having a unique, personal point of view in your painting is very important,” Judy says. “Also, a bit of humor doesn’t hurt.”
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After years of working in acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, and pastel, Kim Eshelman has steadily gravitated toward working solely with pastels. “The immediacy of using dry pigment appeals to my restless personality,” she says. “It gives me the ability to combine the aesthetics of drawing into my work. I love slashing in hatch marks or allowing the underlying armature to become part of the finished painting.”
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Robert Lemler led us through the last demo of the day, painting a compelling side-profile portrait from a model. He used a smoothly finished black paper and very soft pastels, which he says allow him to establish his blended underpainting in a relatively short time frame. Working from the general to the specific (big shapes to small shapes), he brought together the elements of tone, color, and shape. He also explained that the drawing or shape refinement is not a preliminary step, but an ongoing process.
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“Unbelievable experience. So excited for the rest of the week!” ~ Wendy P.
“Excited that a lot of this is really sinking in and impacting my abilities.” ~ Eugenia G.
“Great program…4th time here, still learning something new every time. Worked last night and rushed home to be here👍😁just super wow!” ~ Ruth S.
In addition to all of the amazing pastel painting lessons, our team announced giveaways and special discounts just to those attending Pastel Live, our Pastel Today Community Ambassador Kari Stober shared a special presentation on pastel societies featuring IAPS, and we ended the day with a favorite: the cocktail hour and paint-along.
There’s a faculty art auction that’s open to the public, taking place now through September 21, so browse the available artworks here and make your bid.
And, join us for the Pastel Live Main Event, taking place today through Friday. Simply visit PastelLive.com and register now so you don’t miss another minute!
Next, read “One for Dark, One for Light, and One that’s Intense”
