Use of pastels is unique and fun. Since there is no need for brushes, you can actually try your hands while painting. Its simple and there is no rule against it. Just go with the flow and use your creativity to give your painting a diversity. But do not underestimate the use of pastels while painting as you can create an excellent artwork with its use. Many renowned painters make use of dry pastels in their artwork and their work of art represents the strong side of its use.
Ramananda Bandopadhyay is one of the famous representatives of Bengal School of Art. All his works of art stand unique with the use of four principal colors- red, brown, green and white. Paintings by Ramananda Bandopadhyay reflects a perfect blend of tradition and modern day world. In spite of having such a big name in the field o f art, he uses dry pastels along with other mediums to bring his thoughts on the canvas.
The use of dry pastels is convenient for both a beginner and a well-established artist. Let us get to know the important techniques that should be applied when painting with dry pastels.
- Pastels work best on both rough and smooth base such as paper, cardboard or canvas. Surface with rough texture will give a grainy result and the smoother one will give a sharper result. It is ideal to try it on different surfaces.
- Draw the outline with the help of a pencil to remain clear when filling the colors with pastel. You can use colored pencil to draw the outlines as well.
There are different pastel techniques that can be applied while painting the sketch. The main ones include:
- Use the end of pastels while drawing a figure. You can make thin or thick lines by gentle or hard pressure.
- Use the edge of pastels to fill colors fast. Flat edges give a different texture to the painting and can also be used to create fine lines.
- Unlike other mediums, pastels are not mixed before putting on the paper. There are two ways to mix and create color variations- hatching and blending. Hatching is making parallel or criss-cross lines using pastels. Blending is versatile and the most traditional way of doing it is by using fingers. The others include blending using paper cloth, scumbling, feathering or dusting with pastels.
- Last but not the least. Do not forget to wash your hands properly.
