How to Draw Effects With Pastel Pencils
Painting or drawing sketches with oil pastels or pastel-colored pencils can open up a world of possibilities for your art work. With their easy-to-blend consistencies, pastels can make it possible to create various effects such as shading or the appearance of light hitting an object. Many different techniques exist in the world of pastels.
Instructions
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Use light pressure while shading with your pastel to create an almost sheerlike appearance. This technique may become useful to draw sheer fabrics or anything that is see-through in appearance. This technique can also go from the dark to light by gradually applying lighter pressure while shading in a given area. Use this technique with a lighter variation of a color when you plan to go back and create darker shadows later with a darker colored pencil in the same color family.
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Create a bold piece of art by underpainting. Underpainting is a technique that can be used to create a "wet effect." The finished piece will appear as a watercolor painting, but pastels will be used on top of the painted portion. Use watercolors to paint the basic outline of the painting. After the painting is dry, go back in and shade with pastels.
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Make tiny dots with the fine point of a pastel colored pencil to shade in an area. This technique is called pointillism. It is very time-consuming, but the result can be very beautiful. Use various colors within the same color tone family to create an interesting and eye-catching result. The tiny dots will need to be made throughout the given area to complete the look, so patience is key.
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Shade in an area with the broad side of a pastel stick. The stick may need to be broken in half for this technique to take full effect. Use white paper when using this technique. The technique will create a look similar to water color. Layer another color on top of the first one to create a darker effect. Avoid layering too much, as the watercolor effect will be lost.
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Wrap a small amount of kneaded eraser around the tip of a brush handle or other pointed object and mold it into a pointed shape. Pastel Artists Canada recommends this technique over using a "stump," which is commonly used to spread pigment from a pastel drawing because a stump can absorb more pigment than it spreads around on the paper. Use this with only one color, and when switching, reshape the eraser into a clean point or use fresh material.
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References
- Photo Credit George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images
