Painting with pastels: easy techniques to master the medium

Overview: Come enjoy the art of pastel painting with beloved workshop instructor Maggie Price. In this step-by-step guide, she teaches you everything you need to know to make the most of this accessible art form. From selecting the right materials to learning the fundamentals of composition, Maggie starts with the basics and progresses to 21 complete pastel demonstrations that detail specific painting techniques and effects. You'll learn how to: Create depth and movement with color; Paint using a range of strokes; Blend colors to create luminous skies, reflections and more; Underpaint to achieve brilliant light and deep shadows; Mix pastels with watercolor and gouache to create fluid effects; Create new compositions from photographs. In addition to step-by-step guidance, you'll be inspired by the work of ten nationally renowned pastel artists. Their contributions to this book illustrate the limitless possibilities of pastel painting and offer additional insight for working with this versatile medium. Maggie also includes dozens of helpful sidebars to help you save time, avoid mistakes and work more efficiently. With its blend of visual instruction, thorough guidance and breathtaking artwork, this is the only guide you need to experience the joy and satisfaction of painting with pastels.

Includes index.

Introduction -- Inspirational gallery -- What You'll Need To Begin: -- Types of pastels -- Starting assortment -- Setting up your work space -- Keep it clean -- Different types of paper surfaces -- Different surfaces, same pastels -- Demonstration: Control texture with a homemade surface -- Another type of homemade surface -- Working on a colored surface -- Composition And Color: -- Choosing a subject -- Keeping the composition moving -- Importance of value -- Maintaining a strong value structure -- Strengthen your painting values -- Using color -- Designing with color -- Putting Pastel To Paper: -- Making strokes -- Optical mixing of color -- Blending colors -- Tools for blending -- Demonstration: Blending reflections in water -- Demonstration: Beginning with an underpainting -- Underpainting of complementary colors -- Using a brilliant under painting -- Demonstration: Underpainting sunlight and shadow -- Demonstration: Mounting paper to a board -- Demonstration: Mixing pastels with watercolor -- Demonstration: Underpainting with Gouache -- Demonstration: Using water in your underpainting -- Using acetone for quick drying -- Underpainting with an oil stain -- Painting From Photog…