Bobbie Shatsoff Pastel Pointers

To blend edges try using pastel pencils. My favorite brand is Faber-Castell Pitt as it is the softest brand to date (9/04). Here is a chart of hardness of pencils listed in order of softness with Faber-Castell Pitt being the softest:
FABER-CASTELL PITT
CARBOTHELLO
BRUYNZEEL
VAN GOGH
DERWENT
CONTE
CRETACOLOR
If you are using paper as your support you can use a fixative by spraying from the BACK SIDE and thus insure that only the smallest amount of fixative will be penetrating your painting, and thus you won't dull the colors.
In lieu of a mahl stick (artists’ bridge) try using a cane.
One method of cleaning your pastels is to place them in a large plastic bag with enough ground rice to coat the pastels. Shake the bag well, then pour the contents into a sifter. The dirty ground rice will fall through the sifter and your pastels will be as clean as the day you purchased them. Ground rice is also a great way to line the box in which you keep your pastels, as it will prevent the pastels from acquiring the colors of their neighbors as well as clean them.
Instead of using extra sheets of paper between your support and your board, use felt to cover your board. It provides a wonderful surface for your pastels. In addition I use foam core as my board as it is lightweight, and for me, much more portable. I cut several boards and cover them with felt so I always have one readily available.
To make use of fallen pastels, sweep up the dust and crumbs, crush all the crumbs into dust, (A pill crusher works very well.) blend with distilled water, set aside to harden and you will have a new pastel.
In lieu of "fixing" painting, I place unwrinkled white tissue paper over my painting and press down in various places. This pushes the pastel particles into the paper. Be sure not to move your hands in any other direction but down or you will smear.
When I go to workshops I always bring two towels with me. I bring a large bath size to place on the floor between me and my easel to prevent pastels from breaking when they drop. I use a smaller towel on my lap to wipe off my pastels. Another item you might bring to classes is a small bath mat in lieu of the large bath towel. That provides even more protection from breakage.
In my "Travel Kit" of pastels, I line each box with a small piece of white towel. The piece is large enough to pad bottom of box as well as fold over the top of the pastels to protect them from jarring. This cuts down on dust as well as protecting my pastels.
As soon as I purchase a new pastel, I immediately break it in half so that half goes into my travel kit, and the other in my home supply.

I will be updating my entire site at least monthly, so please visit frequently. If you wish to e-mail me I will notify you of updates.

Home Artwork Media Archives Pastel Pointers the Artist		Bobbie Shatsoff Pastel Pointers
		To blend edges try using pastel pencils. My favorite brand is Faber-Castell Pitt as it is the softest brand to date (9/04). Here is a chart of hardness of pencils listed in order of softness with Faber-Castell Pitt being the softest: FABER-CASTELL PITT CARBOTHELLO BRUYNZEEL VAN GOGH DERWENT CONTE CRETACOLOR If you are using paper as your support you can use a fixative by spraying from the BACK SIDE and thus insure that only the smallest amount of fixative will be penetrating your painting, and thus you won't dull the colors. In lieu of a mahl stick (artists’ bridge) try using a cane. One method of cleaning your pastels is to place them in a large plastic bag with enough ground rice to coat the pastels. Shake the bag well, then pour the contents into a sifter. The dirty ground rice will fall through the sifter and your pastels will be as clean as the day you purchased them. Ground rice is also a great way to line the box in which you keep your pastels, as it will prevent the pastels from acquiring the colors of their neighbors as well as clean them. Instead of using extra sheets of paper between your support and your board, use felt to cover your board. It provides a wonderful surface for your pastels. In addition I use foam core as my board as it is lightweight, and for me, much more portable. I cut several boards and cover them with felt so I always have one readily available. To make use of fallen pastels, sweep up the dust and crumbs, crush all the crumbs into dust, (A pill crusher works very well.) blend with distilled water, set aside to harden and you will have a new pastel. In lieu of "fixing" painting, I place unwrinkled white tissue paper over my painting and *press down* in various places. This pushes the pastel particles into the paper. Be sure not to move your hands in any other direction but down or you will smear. When I go to workshops I always bring two towels with me. I bring a large bath size to place on the floor between me and my easel to prevent pastels from breaking when they drop. I use a smaller towel on my lap to wipe off my pastels. Another item you might bring to classes is a small bath mat in lieu of the large bath towel. That provides even more protection from breakage. In my "Travel Kit" of pastels, I line each box with a small piece of white towel. The piece is large enough to pad bottom of box as well as fold over the top of the pastels to protect them from jarring. This cuts down on dust as well as protecting my pastels. As soon as I purchase a new pastel, I immediately break it in half so that half goes into my travel kit, and the other in my home supply. I will be updating my entire site at least monthly, so please visit frequently. If you wish to e-mail me I will notify you of updates.
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