Chalk pastels are a popular artists' medium for drawing and painting.
Pastel artist chalks are pure color pigments mixed with chalk and binder material. Chalk is a soft, rock-like sediment made up of diatoms and other fossilized marine organisms. Artist chalk pastels were developed by the Italians in the 16th century. The chalk-based drawing material became popular with the explosion of synthetic colors in the 19th century. Chalk pastels were used extensively by the French Impressionists to create finished works of art. Their chief proponents were Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt and Toulouse-Lautrec. Chalk-based pastels were also used by the American Impressionists, including William Merritt Chase and Childe Hassam.
Instructions
1. Study your subject matter closely and sketch it with charcoal on paper before attempting to paint it in chalk-based pastel. Observe and interpret the subject, whether it's a portrait, landscape, still life, or abstract work. Arrange the elements of your composition in a balanced, pleasing manner according to the basic rules of design. Establish a light source and keep it consistent throughout the artwork. Use the direction of light to properly place your highlights and shadows. Use your sketches and preliminary studies to work out your final composition.
2. Try out your artist chalks on different types of paper before choosing which kind to use for large-scale works. Use a toothy textured cold-pressed watercolor paper for good results. The rough-textured paper will better hold the pigment and chalky binder to its surface. Experiment with different types and brands of pastels. Try softer pastels with more chalk and less pigment. Use a harder pastel with less chalk for brighter, more fully saturated colors. Paint or draw your finest details with pastel pencils, which are chalk pastels covered with wood.
3. Finish the final drawing for your chalk pastel painting on a sheet of paper. Tape the paper to a smooth drawing board. Overlap the paper with the tape for a nice straight line framing the painting. Draw your idea precisely with lots of details or sketch it in roughly, changing it as you go. Work quickly and spontaneously with the pastels; they don't need any time to dry. Work from dark to light and from thin to thick. Lay in your base colors to block out your basic forms. Use thin layers of pastel to define the tonal structure of your chalk painting. Establish value relationships to add a sense of depth and dimensionality to your work.
4. Apply the pastels to the paper using pure colors and letting your strokes show in places. Blend the pastel colors together with a stump or with your fingers in areas where you want a smooth transition of colors. Use softer chalk pastels for easier-to-blend effects. Keep your colors pure, and contrast complementary colors with each other to intensify their hue. Set up pleasing color relationships in your painting for a unified, harmonious look.
5. Blow the chalk dust off your painting frequently to keep your working surface clean. Lay your drawing board flat until you're finished painting to prevent the chalky pastel from falling off. Spray fixative on the painting if you've built up your chalk layers too thick. The fixative will cause the chalk to settle into the paper and you'll get back some of your toothy surface. Continue working, as your pastels will stick again to the paper. Use only as much fixative as you need to hold the chalk, because it darkens the colors.
