Jessica Crabtree

Painting a Wolf in Pastels, Part 2

(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.

Painting a Wolf in Pastels

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. (continue reading…)

This is the first installment of my new series filed under the Artist’s Tip Bag category. You can keep posted with the latest updates by using this post’s RSS feed, or by subscribing to my free monthly e-newsletter.

> 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. (continue reading…)

It’s finished! This is my first half-length portrait; normally I opt for a closer head and shoulders view. The original photo, as I mentioned earlier, was an old black and white taken around 1870 (public domain). As far as I can determine no one has been able to identify the photographer. However it is known that the subject’s name was Rabbit Tail and he was one of the Shoshone scouts serving in the US army under Captain Patrick Ray.

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.

(Click for larger view)

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…

Here’s the first look at my newest portrait, Shoshone, 14×24 pastel on suede. Click to enlarge.

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

Q: How do I put a signature on a pastel on suede painting?

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.

I’ve just released the 2010 edition of my digital portfolio. It’s powered by the Issuu publishing module, an incredibly sophisticated script that converts standard media documents into digital magazines. The function and appearance are similar to Flash, but the load time is minimal.

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

Click for screenshots:

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