Using Pastel as a Medium

This is a pastel PAINTING. It was created with hard and soft pastels, which are sticks made of pure pigment, calcium carbonate (chalk) and just enough water to bind them together. All pastels are not created equal. Some pastels are hand made, like Terry Ludwig Pastels, others are machine made and resemble crayons.

The difference between a pastel painting and a pastel drawing is the level of coverage. If the pastel was layered to create colors (as this one was), it's a painting. If the artist used the pastel like a piece of charcoal or a pencil and didn't cover much of the paper, it is a drawing.

That's your mini art lesson for today. This is Jessica, one of our regular models, who manages to look different in every painting I create of her. She is like a gorgeous chameleon, able to take on exotic colors and become someone altogether different at will. She's also a very nice girl who always goes the extra mile our group. I love the hat she is wearing here. It reminds me of a Renoir prop.

16x20

Soft Pastel on Gray Paper