Don't be intimidated by them... they are sooo much fun to work with. Just make sure you get a nice set. You don't want them to have a brittle consistency that just make a mess as you work. You also don't them to have a crayola consistency either. The best way I can put it is if it has a lipstick consistency to it, as a kid I was bored and used my moms lipstick as crayola and it felt as it was melting on the paper. That is the same feeling you want to have with a pastel. It makes the blending soooo much easier.Very nice! It looks beautiful in the frame. Someday I'm going to try my hand at pastels. They're kind of intimidating to me, though.
Thanks for the tips! So what do you use to blend them? I rely heavily on the paper blending stumps (tortillions?) with my drawings. Can you use them with pastels?
You did a very nice job on this piece.
I do pastels also, it comes very easy for me.
I blend with blending stumps (tortillions) and my finger. I keep a damp washcloth for cleaning up my fingers and hands.
Purchase good quality pastels the pigment is better. Spray fixative is a must for each layer spray VERY lightly before starting next layer. Some of my pastel paintings have 6 layers. Be carefull not to over spray, you will melt the pastel and possibly ruin a piece you have hours of work into. Be carefull not to fill the tooth of the paper also. If the tooth is filled, forget the next layer, it's done.
Practice, practice and practice some more. Pastels can be fun.