An easy way to keep track of the photo’s source once you’ve saved a copy is to use the “Details” fields in photo properties. This will allow you to enter an author, date, and other pertinent information, so you will never be in doubt months down the line, wondering where you got that photo, left trying to track it down to find the author. I make a habit of copy + pasting the source URL in the photo’s “Description” when I save it, so as long as the original is still online I can visit the source for information.

One great thing about this is that the information will stick to the photo wherever it goes – whether it stays in “My Photos” folder, or whether I share it on my Blog. Just be sure to enter the info as soon as you download it – that way you won’t have to remember later.

These days there are lots of photo resources available in the public domain, and also with various Creative Commons licenses that are free to use with certain stipulations, such as author credits. If you decide to store these pieces for later reference, it’s a good idea to sort them – e.g., keep a “Public Domain” folder, a separate “Creative Commons” folder, and one for protected pieces you have permission to use.

Please remember to respect the rights of other artists in using their works, whether online or otherwise. Attribute photographic works wherever possible to help ensure continuity of information.

See more info on public domain works and intellectual property rights in my post series Artists and Copyright Law.

First of all, if you erase often, be sure to clean your paper surface frequently by blowing or gently brushing to avoid this problem.

But if you are faced with the infamous black blotch that embeds itself into your paper (invariably in the most conspicuous part of the picture) and won’t erase, the most important thing is to leave it alone. DO NOT RUB IT! Erasing it harder, or trying to scratch it out, will only make it more permanent.

Here’s a quick solution: Grab some tape – a small piece of scotch tape or packing tape will do – and fold it sticky-side-out, just small enough to target the obnoxious black spot. Press it on and lift it out. You may have to repeat a couple of times, but this works far better than even a kneaded eraser and won’t cause wear on your paper.

Clean the area of debris and get back to work, your drawing one less casualty of the dreaded “eraser-dust blemish.”

Here’s something interesting to try for those of you working from a reference picture.

Using an image or photo of your choice, make a printed copy on regular office paper and use it as a guide to paint over using pastels. Treat it as a pre-existing line drawing; if it is a grayscale print, think of it as a sophisticated coloring book page giving you a blank check to create the color and feel of the picture, without having to worry about composition. If the print is in color, it can become a challenging exercise in matching the shading and and texture of the original. For a little variety, you might want to try using textured or colored paper for your print.

This is an easy, creative and adventurous way of becoming familiar with your next subject photo. It’s also a very good method for newbies who are just getting the feel of chalk, or as a fun art project for kids. And with the cost of your canvas at next to nothing, it’s easy to let the imagination (and fingers!) run free without stressing out over perfection. It even has potential as a mixed-media application. Just remember before you invest any major effort into it that standard copy paper is NOT acid-free – be sure to use archival-quality material for any serious artwork project.

As in many other cases, underlying mathematical patterns in a structure or design often result in an aesthetically pleasing visual form. The mathematical properties of this proportion have fascinated scholars as long as mathematics has been around. They can be observed in the designs of Egyptian pyramids and in Greek monuments (naturally the Greeks were fascinated with it and today it is represented numerically by a letter of their alphabet).

It was all the rage during the Renaissance, as studies like mathematics were being rediscovered with new zest, and humankind’s natural instinct to find patterns in the world went into overdrive. Renaissance men like da Vinci saw mathematical ratios everywhere – from to the proportions of the human body – and incorporated them into their art and architecture. In fact we get the term “divine ratio” from a friend of his, a monk and scholar named Luca Pacioli, who felt he had found God’s formula for ultimate beauty.

Even before the Renaissance, the medieval mathematician Fibonacci (drawing off of Eastern scholars) uncovered a sequence of numbers that follows this very same ratio. Ever since then, scientists have found more and more ways that this ratio is ingrained in the behaviors of the natural world. The Fibonacci spiral, as an example, is visible in everything from the arrangements of flower petals to the strands of our DNA.

Photo from MathematiciansPictures.com.

Whatever our motives in uncovering the patterns that exist in nature – the fact remains that we find them irresistible. Consciously or not, artists constantly borrow from the patterns that make up the natural world. Every time we create art, we recreate nature ourselves on a very small scale – as if by reproducing it we are somehow able to master it. It’s ironic that Renaissance man tried so hard to find divine patterns in himself to prove that he was a superior part of nature. Nature is so very big and we are really such a small part of it. That begs the question, Is art a product of man or of nature? Is nature the art or the artist?

“Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern.” (Alfred Whitehead North)

ThinkQuest: The Fibonacci Series – more on Fibonacci sequences, da Vinci, and patterns in art

Mathematicians Pictures – lots of interesting posters related to math patterns in art, architecture, etc.

Wikipedia: The Golden Ratio

Space photo from FabulousFibonacci.com.

It happens when you sit down to work, facing a stark white, hopelessly blank page, looming larger and more intimidating by the minute. It can scare the life out of you (not to mention costing valuable work time).

Whether you’re in need of some last-minute inspiration, or just trying to muster some creative juices, there’s no sure-fire way to overcome the blank page jitters. But why not make it a little easier on yourself? Try starting up with a colored page (or canvas) – anything but white. Better yet, go with something that already has a pattern or texture. Seeing a little activity on the page from the get-go is a good jump start to your creativity.

A: Ebony pencils are made with a combination of soft graphite & carbon.

Q: What’s the advantage of using an ebony pencil?

A: Several reasons to love ebony pencils:

1. The carbon mixture allows you to create an extremely smooth finish – it blends very well with few inconsistencies
2. It can achieve a darker tone than any other pencil (and for artists who are forever seeking out those elusive “darkest darks” this is a real bonus)
3. You can use less pressure by applying the ebony in smooth layers almost indefinitely, and in doing so spare your paper longer
4. Its versatility makes it a good candidate for a one-pencil project, so it’s also a very good choice for artists on the go

Q: Are ebony pencils expensive?

A: Fortunately no – they range from a few cents to a few dollars a piece. The most common brands are made by Sanford and Prismacolor. You can find them most places drawing supplies are sold.

Considering the kind of amazing results you can get from such a simple tool, it certainly offers the most bang for your buck of any medium. Pick one up and give it a try – what’s to lose? You might be surprised at what you can achieve.

Maybe it’s a trick to get those creative juices flowing, or to avoid the artist’s version of “writer’s block” when facing a blank canvas. Lots of us doodle – and others do timed drills to see what they can come up with in a quick five minute session.

Some of us right-brain artists need a little music going to help us along, while the more left-brain types require absolute peace and quiet – and have to have our materials set up just so before we can get started.

How do you get started before working on a painting, drawing, or other piece of art? Log-in to share your own routines and ideas.

When it comes to pastel on suede, there’s one thing I’d emphasize more than any other – BASE COAT. It’s the one technique that exploits all the potential and flexibility that pastels have to offer.

Base coating, as I mentioned before, accomplishes three things:
a) it primes the surface of the suede, making the chalk easier to blend
b) it keeps the suede from showing through
c) it adds rich undertones that enhance the coloring

Think of your picture as a landscape laid out in three parts – shadow, highlight, and undertones (dividing it mentally this way makes it easier to map out your project). We work from darkest to lightest using the base coat technique:

1. Find the darkest areas – the areas with deepest shadows and strongest contrasts. The base coat in these places will be black. (Don’t worry if black is not meant to be the final color – it can be covered later.)
2. Find the main colored areas (e.g., the flesh in a portrait, or the fur of an animal) and choose a couple of base colors – no more than two or three at the most – to serve as a foundation. It’s good to choose a soft pastel with heavy pigment, because it will lose some of intensity when worked into the suede, and once again you’ll want to use the richness of tone to your advantage.

   For portraits, I base coat most of the face with brilliant red ochre. The subject starts out looking a little like a jack-o’-lantern, but it works!

Left: Comanche Boy in the awkward half-way stage.


3. Find the brightest areas – the most intense highlights and the places with lightest pigment. Leave these blank at first. Bright whites and similar colors are most radiant the less you fuss with them – and the lighter the chalk, the harder it is to blend. Besides, saving the light areas for last ensures that they won’t collect other pigments while you work. (For more tips on working with light chalks, see my other posts in the Artist’s Tip Bag category.)

Depending on the subject, you may need to add a second coat when you first blend the base layer into the pile. I use my fingers for this except where the small space requires a smaller tool, like a favorite paper tortillion. These are great for smoothing in a nice clean edge or corner.

When it comes time to blend your layers, you can opt for a smooth finish or a “blended look.” For a fine texture, use a paintbrush with the bristles clipped short to loosen the chalk gently, then smooth it out again for an airbrushed look. (This is a great method to combine pastels for that hard-to-match color.) Otherwise, keep your layers distinct to let the nuances of your layers show through and the strokes give an impression of texture.

Below: Combination smooth & textured finish in Mexican Wolf

More: Tips on texture – gradient, contrast, and pattern

Being the methodical type, I’d rather do the planning and measuring up front so I can proceed with a better sense of direction. (Of course, if you’re more spontaneous and would rather plunge right in with chalk on canvas, be my guest!)

I use a simple system for transferring my finished line drawings to the suede.

I’ve described it previously in this illustrated FAQ post, but in summary it involves cutting a piece of tracing paper or vellum to fit your matboard; making a line drawing of your subject; fixing the drawing to your matboard at the edges using painter’s tape; and tracing over the drawing so that the impression created on the suede serves as a guide for your painting.

This can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be, the main principle being that all the erasing and adjusting is done on the paper, before you mess with the suede. Once you have the drawing lightly “embossed” into the suede, you can pull out the pastels.

FAQ’s: “What pastels do you use?”

Where you go from here of course depends largely on your subject; for me, whether I’m doing a portrait or a wildlife painting, I always start off with good base coat to prime the surface for blending and to keep the suede from showing through.

FAQ’s: Top Chalks for Portraits

I’ve used my painting Mexican Wolf as a signature demonstration piece, with lots of close-ups and step-by-step photos to give a visual of the process I use. You can follow the links below to see it in stages:

Painting a Wolf in Pastels, Day 1
Part 2: Mexican Wolf
Part 3: Mexican Wolf
Part 4: Mexican Wolf (Completed)

Got a piece of suede you want to use as a canvas, but worried about some unsightly scratches or impressions? No problem. Damp a piece of fabric – preferably something with a little texture, like a dishcloth – and gently work the marks out with a random circular motion. The moisture will discolor the suede slightly at first, but as soon as it dries back to its normal color, the marks will be gone.

A few words of caution:

• If you use paper towels or tissue, bits and pieces will rub off into the pile.
• If you use so much water so that the paper backing gets wet, it will warp and compromise the integrity of the canvas. Just moisten it.
• If you rub too hard, you will abrade the surface. Removing the pile means that it will no longer hold chalk.
• If you rub in a straight line or any obvious pattern, it will stand out. Blend your repair into the surrounding suede.
• Make sure you let the matboard dry out completely before you try to work on it. If you’re in a hurry, you can always speed up the process using a blowdryer.

I learned this method from an art teacher, and have found it to be successful in removing all but the deepest scratches. In this way, I can salvage pieces that would have otherwise been condemned to the scrap pile.

If you tend to be a perfectionist (like me), it can be hard not to get hung up with the tiny details and lose focus. I usually face this toward the finish of a painting, when last-ditch efforts to “get it just right” leave me with a potentially never-ending project. This is the point where I tell myself, “It’s almost done – just focus on the essentials and only fix what’s needed in order to have it ready for framing.” Sometimes it’s helpful to set yourself a deadline in order to avoid this kind of dilemma.

As artists, it’s our nature to keep challenging ourselves to do even better things, yet we also have to learn to work within self-imposed limits and move on, or we’ll never truly accomplish anything. It’s a hard line to straddle, but a lesson well worth the learning.

(To catch up on the project from the beginning, check out this post:
Sneak Peek: Mexican Wolf – Day 1)

Now let me show you how we got this far – lots more in-progress photos below (click any of the pictures to enlarge)

I left off work last time with a good start on the head, so I’m moving on to the rest of the body.

Just like I did before, I start out with black, shading in the darkest areas. (More on the advantages of this later.) When this done I can come in with a base color, in this case one of my primary browns. I go over lightly and blend this first layer in with my fingers.

For each color that appears in the fur, I apply another full layer so it doesn’t show up in isolated patches. Blending together the browns, reddish-browns, yellows, grays, and beiges (like the ones you can see laid out in the photos) makes it much easier to recreate the texture and color diversity of real fur. I can just draw out whichever tones I need to emphasize in a particular area.

Notice again, I’m working from dark to light, as I mentioned before. Only later, after the other colors are blended in, do I apply anything like white or beige, because I find it really hard to work with. If used correctly it can come across looking soft and fluffy, the way I’ve tried to show here.

You can see the layers really starting to come together in the following pictures. I’ve added Nupastels 253 (cocoa brown) and 223 (burnt umber) to my palette for undertones; 233 (raw sienna) for golden highlights; charcoal gray; and 276 (buff beige) as the brightest layer. This project has a fairly limited color range – in all I won’t need more than a dozen or so chalks.

Right: The blunt edge of a Nupastel is perfect for making the short, choppy strokes that imitate layers of thick fur.

Another advantage to this kind of layering is that with the darks underneath, anytime you mess with the chalk you’ll get some nice rich undertones showing through (that’s why you’ll want to choose your base coat carefully).

One of my favorite techniques – particularly when doing hair or fur – is using a tortillion, or paper stump, to pull the darker layers out between the lighter hairs. This is much easier than trying to add dark chalk between the light areas to make them stand out, and running the risk of blurring the edges.

Think of it as a kind of “reverse pencil.” In general, I like to use tortillions in lieu of my fingers in any places too small for me to work.

Left: A well-loved paper tortillion.

Next up: A little closer to the finish – finishing the fur, paws, and small details.

By popular demand, I’m finally doing a wolf on suede. It took me quite a while to find just the right shot (thanks to April King for a gorgeous photo of a Mexican wolf – read more here).

My matboard is 16×24 black suede and I’m using mostly Nupastels. This is what it looks like after the first day’s work.

(Click on any of the pictures to see them larger.)

I’m taking a lot of stage shots of this one (compared to the usual 3-step photos) so I can use it as a kind of demonstration piece for my pastel series. So many people are interested in the pastel blending process that I thought this particular project would serve as a good illustrated tutorial.

My first step, after gridding my reference photo (more on that here) is tracing the line drawing over onto the suede. I sometimes like to make the impression a bit more visible by going over my guide drawing with a light-colored pencil – just barely, so I can see it more clearly on the black.

I’m starting out with the head on this picture. Since I always work from dark to light, I’ve put in the shadow layer first. Not just the black areas but any very dark places I start with a black base.

I know it’s a little hard to see at this point – no thanks to my studio lamps not getting along very well with my camera! Sorry about the glare.

Again, working from dark to light, I blend a couple of base colors into the suede. For the most part I’m using Nupastels 203-P (burnt sienna) and 353-P (Cordovan red) for the rich undertones, and lighter browns 313-P (nut brown) and 283-P (Van Dyke brown) over top. As I add color layers, I try to keep the general form of the outline. This stage is very fluid and not at all as simple as coloring book “staying inside the lines.”

(A detail shot showing how to use the chalk edge to put texture in the fur. Click to zoom in.)

Now I can’t resist putting in the eyes – they’ll need a little more work later but they’re good for now.

Notice I haven’t put any white on the areas with fur. That’s because white is notoriously difficult to work with – and because so much of what we call “white” is actually an off shade of another color. If you use white for anything other than an accent, your paintings will end up looking flat. I’ll add white highlights to his coat in the last stage.

That’s all for the first day’s work. More to come later!

> When you say “pastel on suede” exactly what do you mean? What materials are involved?

I use mostly soft pastel sticks – brands like Sennelier and Prismacolor, occasionally a few pencils.

Instead of paper I use suede matboard as a painting surface. It’s a heavy paper board just like regular picture frame mat, but on the top surface is a thin, carpet-like layer of velvety suede. It’s this fine layer of pile that enables you to “rub” the chalk down into the suede, instead of just sitting on the surface as it would with paper.

(Product photos from DickBlick.com.)

> How is the suede different from paper?

Using chalk on paper with a heavy tooth gives you a more textured feel; suede on the other hand lets you blend in a color – even several colors – and have a very smooth, even finish that almost resembles airbrush. But there are still plenty of ways you can add variety to the texture. It’s very versatile. And unlike paper, it can hold quite a bit of chalk – and the more chalk you’re able to use, the more realism you can achieve.

> Where can I get suede matboard?

This can be obtained from a local picture framer or ordered through an art supply store. I get mine through Dick Blick. It comes in many colors; my preference is black. Whatever color you pick, it has the advantage of a naturally mottled texture which is a great backdrop in itself.

It comes in large sheets measuring 32″ by 40″ – you can use the entire canvas if you paint big. If you have the tools you can cut it into any number of smaller pieces, or have a local framer cut it down to size.

An important thing to remember is that you can’t store unused pieces by standing them upright or leaning them against a wall. They will warp and bend under their own weight, creating major complications in painting. A warped matboard is pretty much unusable.

> How does pastel on suede compare to other mediums?

I would say it compares very favorably. Not being an expert with paints (my previous background is mainly graphite/charcoal pencil) I can’t elaborate on the finer details. But on the whole I find it to be a very forgiving and versatile medium with enormous potential, and one that requires relatively few supplies.

People often mistake my paintings for oils, because of the intense coloring and rich textures that you don’t normally associate with chalks. In fact the process I use is very similar to oil painting, involving several stages of layering and tone-blending. I often like to compare it to sculpting, because of the similar constitution of the clay-earth pigments, and the direct hands-on nature of the molding process (which is by the way also very messy!)

This kind of painting is very rewarding and one I strongly encourage others to experience first-hand.

> How do you finish a pastel on suede painting? Do you use fixative?

The only materials that go into my paintings are the suede and the chalk. That’s it. There are no chemical solutions required in using the pastels, and I don’t spray the finished product with sealants or fixatives. (This seems to be a customary finish for pastels done on paper.) If you’ve ever used fixative you’ll know that the smell alone is a powerful deterrent from using it – not to mention the toxicity. Besides that, you run the risk of undesirable discoloration. I prefer to leave mine in their natural state.

I store my paintings by laying them flat (this is VERY important) in a safe, dry place under a protective dust cover.

> How do you frame a pastel on suede?

Normally my paintings are framed right away, since I sell my originals. I use only non-glare glass when framing. It costs a little more but it’s well worth it, because regular glass has a reflection that is extremely annoying, and is much more noticeable with suede paintings because the soft surface absorbs light more readily.

(Left:Blackfoot, 24×30 pastel on suede. The non-glare glass is almost invisible – even with the camera flash.)

The two most important things in framing:

1. Make sure the painting is completely free of debris. The suede is a magnet for airborne dust and fuzz – trust me, it comes out of nowhere at the last minute and it almost never fails that you’ll notice it after the fact, and have to take the frame apart. You can remove any conspicuous specks by gently blowing, or with tweezers if necessary.

2. Place the glace directly on the suede. This makes an airtight seal that serves multiple purposes: e.g., it keeps any debris from getting on the painting after framing, keeps the chalk permanently in place with a static bond, etc.

Beyond this, you can frame your painting just like you would any other picture. Have fun experimenting with unique textures and patterns to complement the unique look of this medium.

White chalk is very difficult to work with on suede because it has such low binder and pigment content. White pastels of both hard and soft varieties are essentially just chalk – and consequently they look and feel chalky. Compared to other colors they almost never layer or blend well.

Your best bet is to start off with a base coat of a color other than white – for instance a rich dark gray – depending on what undertones you want. The base layer of pastel will act as a primer to make blending and molding on the suede possible.

Using this technique, you can develop your painting without losing the pastels’ flexibility. Use the base coat to your advantage to help with the shading, and just add the white tints as a final top coat. They will show up much brighter and the suede mat won’t peek through.

My latest pastel is about halfway finished. Next I’ll be working on the armbands and hands, and finishing his leather vest. After that, some detail work and a few finishing touches and I’ll consider it done.

A quick trick I learned for imitating metallic objects, like the silver-studded border on his vest:
use a plain white colored pencil.

Colored pencils are terrible on suede, but they come in very handy for this one purpose. I use them wherever I need to indicate points of light or very small areas of brilliant white. It’s so much easier than trying to achieve this with chalks. The best part is that the combination of textures works very well – the pencil won’t smear on the suede, so I can cover it with chalk and it still shows up well. Besides, I like the effect.

More to come…

A painting or drawing, even if it is proportionally correct, looks flat and lifeless without shading. Chiaroscuro is an essential element, especially in portraits and still life, where it is not only functional – giving the shapes depth and definition – but a potentially explosive means of conveying drama and emotion.

The basis of chiaroscuro stems from the observation of the way light behaves on surfaces. By reproducing this behavior accurately on paper or canvas, you can create an image that is visually authentic to the eye of the viewer. We all have an intuitive grasp of how light interacts with the world around us – for instance, we all expect to see an area of brightness where light reflects off an object, or a patch of shadow where light is blocked. But light sometimes behaves in more subtle ways of which we aren’t always conscious. The artist can take advantage of these subtleties to create a convincing chiaroscuro effect.

Image: University of Evansville

Adding the dimension of color creates a whole new set of complexities in working with chiaroscuro. Because the level of intensity in the lighting changes the way we perceive a given hue, color chiaroscuro is more challenging for artists to work with than just black and white or gray-scale (more on light and color here). But black and white is the best way to learn chiaroscuro, since it illustrates how powerful a tool it is even in the absence of color. With a little study, it is a simple and effective application of the comparatively difficult science of optical physics.

Chiaroscuro first came to prominent use during the Italian Renaissance. An especially popular form known as tenebrism, pioneered by painters such as Caravaggio, used exaggerated lighting contrast for heightened effect. This was a favorite style of painters like Rembrandt and El Greco and heavily influenced later styles of painting in the 19th and 20th centuries.

It is interesting to note that many of the famed artists who made the strongest use of chiaroscuro were also great draftsmen, having first mastered the use of shading through drawings in mediums such as pencil or silverpoint.

Rembrandt, The Philosopher in Meditation

More on this subject:

Chiaroscuro in Painting: The Power of Light and Dark – illustrated article from Empty Easel

WebExhibits: Color Vision & Art – fully interactive, with lots more on the history of contrast & color in art

HINTS OF COLOR: Light & Color

1. Contrast
2. Gradient
3. Pattern

The primary goal of art is to draw the eye of the viewer in order to capture their attention, and then focus it on the detail and meaning of the piece. Since this principle is the same whatever medium or genre you work in, it’s good to be familiar with the fundamentals of aesthetics.

Generally, we are most attracted to things that display these elements:

? CONTRAST:
Contrast, next to color, is possibly the most striking feature in visual art. As a rule, the stronger the contrast, and the sharper the dividing edge, the higher the visual attraction.


Photo: interfacelift.com

? GRADIENT:
A smooth gradient from one color to another, or between tints (color > white) or tones (color > black) suggests light and depth. The sense of texture it creates is a powerful and appealing visual element.


Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service – public domain

? PATTERN:
Patterns – including implied patterns, such as broken lines – create symmetry and direction for visual interest.

They’re found everywhere in nature (a good example is fractals, for instance) and our brains are hard-wired to recognize them – so unless you’re working in something completely abstract, it’s important to work some kind of pattern into every composition.


Photo: Wikimedia Commons

You can take advantage of these simple elements to make any artwork more compelling.

Click on the “Artist’s Tip Bag” tag below for more posts like this one.

More on CONTRAST in art: Chiaroscuro