Moving along, but still a ways to go. You can see how I’ve added the “shadow effect” to keep the figure from disappearing into the backdrop (compare to the first stage photo where you can see the original suede color).

I’m using a blend of brown chalks in both the robe and the background, with sepia as the dominant tone (Nupastel 293) – it suggests a warm, almost dreamy atmosphere. Wide, lengthwise strokes with the chalk are especially good for texturing and shading.

More to come soon…

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

For the face I started out with an initial layer of black (for shadows) and my favorite Sennelier red ochre. A little bit of Nupastel 353 (“Cordovan red”) and it’s beginning to look a bit more human. I’ll add the highlighting on the cheeks and nose last. I also added the some of the same red tones to the hair, to indicate reflected light.

In the original Curtis photo, the girl is wearing a gorgeous floor-length buffalo robe. The color of the buckskin will stand out against the suede backdrop once I’ve blended a darker color around the edges for contrast. A little background shadow will add depth and pull the picture together.

More coming soon!

Close up view:

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.

(Click for larger view)

JESSICA CRABTREE NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS & WILDLIFE: Mexican Wolf

Ok, NOW it’s done. I’ll be posting a photo of the finished framed painting shortly. For now you can see it up on my Gallery.

I saved the finest details for last, for instance you’ll notice a few whiskers and claws (plus the sparkle in the eye), but no major changes.

As far as the background and rock setting, I randomly blended some dark greens, blues, and browns into the black suede to give indication of a natural setting; nothing distracting. The rocky ground was also straightforward; I used some of the browns from my wolf’s palette (Nupastels 313 and 283) and the side of a black chalk to block in some craggy textures – no underpainting here, I wanted to keep the texture rough.

Last of all I’ve added my signature using my trusty Pilot marker (for more on this check out my Artist’s Tip Bag post How to Sign a Pastel on Suede Painting).

Not much to add since the last time I worked on it – the further along the picture gets, the slower the going is, because most of the time is spent working in finer detail. You can see from looking at the last shot that I’ve roughed in the rocks and an indication of a backdrop, and added some finer detail to the fur around the head and shoulders.

I find that a lot of time in this stage is spent stepping back and looking at the overall picture (especially in the mirror), making last-minute adjustments and a few touch ups here and there. (A word on finishing…)

See the project from the beginning with the following posts:

Sneak Peek: Mexican Wolf – Day 1
Painting a Wolf in Pastels, Part 2

Coming up next: the last installment (finally finished!)

(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.

Incidentally, there is an oil painting by Joseph Henry Sharp of a Shoshone of that name, leaving many to speculate whether it is actually the same individual. The painting dates to a period when the young Rabbit Tail would have been a middle-aged man. Based on the comparison, I see some similarities, maybe even enough to make the two relatives, but I’m not convinced they’re one and the same.

JESSICA CRABTREE NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS & WILDLIFE: Shoshone

Shoshone, 14×24 original pastel on suede. (click for larger view)

About the Shoshone

The Shoshone people were originally part of a very large extended family of nomadic peoples in what is today the American West. Their traditional territories centered in the arid Great Basin region, where they migrated seasonally hunting wild game and harvesting wild foods. Each of their main bands identified themselves after the staple food they followed.

Migratory bands of Shoshone were among the first Native Americans encountered by European fur traders and adventurers who ventured West in the early 1800s. Perhaps the most famous Shoshone individual of all is Sacagawea, the young woman who worked as a guide and translator for the Lewis & Clark expedition in 1804-1806.

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…

My reference photo is an old black and white of a young Shoshone scout, taken in the 1870′s. More on that later…

A: When I first started with pastel on suede, there were a lot of small details I found I had to work out, where traditional painting methods didn’t apply. One of these was the seemingly simple matter of how to sign my pieces. It was really a process of trial and error to find out what would work and what wouldn’t. The main issue was finding a medium that would stick to the suede, would show up well, and if possible could be applied over top of the chalk.

Here are a few tips.

WHAT NOT TO TRY:

Ballpoint pens: It’s absolutely impossible to get an ink flow trying to write on suede, or over the chalk for that matter. At best you will only scratch your name into the pile.

Fountain pens: These have two main problems – too much flow, or not enough. The chalk will usually clog standard metal nibs, leaving you with no flow at all, or worse, with ink blotting.

Markers: If you try signing with any kind of felt-tip markers, the most likely result is that the chalk will cover the soft felt tip and stop the flow. As with a fountain pen, a marker with a high flow will bleed out into the suede.

Paint: Any kind of liquid that is not extremely viscous will bleed out when you try to apply it. You will not end up with a nice clean line that looks like a signature. I would strongly advise against using paint, unless your signature is a really, really simple logo, like a symbol or initials.

Chalk: I’ve tried a few different kinds of chalk for signing and none of them work really well, including pastel pencils and hard pastels which I would normally use for hard, clean edges. The problem with these is that you just can’t write with a fluid hand, so the signature looks choppy; if you try using certain chalks on top of the finished painting, you risk it not showing up at all, or ending up with half a signature that you can’t finish.

THE SOLUTION:

After trying all of the above (and considering the alternative of not signing at all) I finally found an acceptable solution. The best results came from a signing pen that I swear by, made by Pilot.

Dick Blick: Pilot Metallic Marking Pens

This marking pen will supply an even ink flow over almost any thickness of chalk (or almost any surface for that matter) so I can sign on the suede effortlessly. It is also ideal for signing pastels done on paper. To prime it, just shake and press down briefly on a scrap piece to test, and you’re ready to sign your masterpiece. Each pen is good for a couple of hundred uses, and I haven’t had any trouble with blotting except when the pen runs empty.

I generally use the silver with the extra-fine tip, which shows up beautifully on all but the lightest backgrounds. It’s also available in gold. For only a couple of dollars, it’s a welcome solution to a frustrating conundrum.

Tip: If you want the metallic ink to show up on a white background, for instance, first make sure the ink is dry after signing, then dust the signature with some darker chalk and brush it away. It will leave a nice subtle outline that makes the signature stand out.

Click here to view it as a magazine in full-screen mode.

Click for screenshots:

Please check it out and leave your feedback!

Acoma, 18×24 pastel on suede matboard.
The original photo was taken in 1905 by Edward Curtis.

JESSICA CRABTREE NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS & WILDLIFE: Acoma

About the Acoma

The Acoma people, who call themselves “Haaku,” are one of nearly two dozen Pueblo communities in northern New Mexico. Their pueblo, known as “Sky City,” is built on top of a mesa where for centuries the only access was a single staircase carved by hand out of the sheer sandstone walls. Thanks in part to this defensive position, Acoma is possibly the oldest continuously inhabited constructed settlement in North America.

From its remote perch on the steep white plateau, the Acoma pueblo has witnessed the rise and fall of the Aztec and Maya empires (its trading partners in ancient times), the incursions of Spanish conquistadors, and the American conquest of the Southwest. Today, the Acoma still live in their ancestral fortress, where they continue to practice traditional arts, ceremonies, and farming.

More on Acoma history:

Acoma Sky City

Pueblo of Acoma

Over time I’ve worked out my favorite combination of chalks to use for portraits (see examples below) in order to achieve a rich skin tone with some highlighting and dark, dramatic shadows. Here’s my list of must-have chalks:

Black
I always apply black first. It helps outline the portrait and gives a boundary to work with, and still shows up even after several layers of blending. I use my Prismacolor Nupastel black for this (I always keep two boxes just of this black on hand, since I go through them so fast) because they are semi-hard and you get a firm clean edge, good for outlining. But you can use really any texture of black for the under coat.

Sennelier #004 Red Ochre (“Black Brown”)
I use this as a wash over the entire flesh area. You don’t see this in the final product, but it serves two important purposes – 1) it keeps the matboard from showing through (especially important if you use dark suede) and 2) it acts as a base coat when blending the chalks, to keep the tone from looking washed-out. I’m told this typical of the oil painting process – which I wouldn’t know, not being an authority on oils, but it makes complete sense for any medium that uses heavy layering. The bright red wash looks bizarre in the beginning, but it’s well worth it.

Art Spectrum V552 (“Burnt Umber”)
This is the other under-layer or chalk. I apply this very light color wherever I want to show areas of strong highlight or reflection. If you are layering your chalks, DO NOT PUT THE HIGHLIGHT COLOR ON TOP; using white or light-colored pastel over the skin tone to add brightness only makes it look dull and pasty. Apply it as an undercoat and blend the flesh tone over it. This way it shows up very smooth and gives a nice subtle glow, rather than looking chalky. The stronger or brighter you want the light, the thicker you apply the umber, so it doesn’t blend away when you apply flesh tone.

Sennelier #3712 (“Gamboge”)
This is my second choice for highlighting, but I use it sparingly because Sennelier’s soft pastels are so thick and clay-like. Too much and you risk filling up the suede pile and not being able to layer. I use it only where I need some very dense highlighting.

Sennelier #89 (“Venetian Red”)
This is a lush, luminous orange color I use as a mid-tone in conjunction with highlighting to keep the flesh from looking washed-out. It’s rich texture and vibrancy make it incredibly pleasant to work with – but a little goes a very long way, so I never apply it directly. Just smudge a little on your finger and brush it on the suede.

Nupastel #353-P (“Cordovan”)
This is one of my favorite colors for dark flesh tone. It is semi-hard but extremely smooth so I can blend over several layers of chalk with it. A good coat of this really starts to bring the face to life. It is especially useful for shadows where you don’t want the black chalk to make the skin lose its color (skin under a shadow looks redder, not grayer).

Nupastel #273-P (“Tuscan Red”)
A second shade of flesh tone that’s little lighter, a bit closer to pink. I layer this over much of the face and use it to transition between the darker areas and the bright highlights. Because these chalks don’t go on very thick, the pigments are not as intense as they appear in color swatches, making them much more flexible. They can be as solid or as subtle as you want, so at this stage I start working with the texture in much more detail.

Of course you’ll need a few other colors to finish your portrait, but these are a pretty good starting combination. My Sneak Peek: In Progress category shows portraits in various stages of completion, so you can get a good idea of the process.

Both of these finished portraits, Lummi (16×20) and Crow (24×30) were made with the same assortment of pastels (click to see full-size images.)

See more like these on my Gallery page.