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…

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:

(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.

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…

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.

Check out my Latest page to see them all step-by-step.

(Click to enlarge)

My reference photo was from the Fish and Wildlife Service database (which are all public domain). I used mostly Nupastel chalks for the fur and birch trees, and a white pencil for the accent hairs, whiskers, and other fine details. You can click one of the tags below to see the step-by-step photos of this project.

See more of my wildlife portraits and pastel paintings here.

If you’re working in pastels, the size of your matboard canvas is especially important. Too small, and you won’t be able to achieve as much detail in your painting; too big and you have a huge amount of area to cover and often some wasted canvas space. 16×20 is my favorite size to work with. It’s just right for a life-sized head and shoulders view. For a portrait I don’t use anything smaller than 12×16, which is best for smaller, close-up facial portraits.

Comanche Boy, 12×16

24×30 or 24×36 on the large end is perfect for a bust or three-quarter length portrait, and it can accommodate plenty of detail without being completely unmanageable (at this size they can be awkward to transport before they’re framed!)

Blackfoot, 24×30

Almost any canvas – including very small or odd-sized pieces – will suit wildlife paintings, since animals come in so many shapes and sizes. If I have a project that requires a special size, so that when I cut my matboard the result is several odd-shaped scrap pieces, I can always use them for my animal portraits.

Before cutting, I use a list of standard frame sizes I use most often to determine how to arrange the layout of the cut with the least waste. Over time I’ve come up with a few layouts that work best for the canvas sizes I use most frequently. Here are a few graphics made to scale showing various ways to divide a 32×40 matboard.

Click to enlarge:

Just outline the desired cut layout on the back of the board and use the lines as a cutting guide. Of course, if you work with smaller canvases you can get many more out of a single sheet, and you can always cut these larger pieces down later on.

Note: It’s important to measure the entire matboard before cutting – each one has its own size irregularities and you’ll want to make sure your pieces are the right dimensions. This is much better than finding out right in the middle of cutting, or once you’ve finished a painting and it turns out to be a quarter inch too small for your frame. “Measure twice, cut once” is always a very good rule!

JESSICA CRABTREE NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS & WILDLIFE: Zuni

Now I can add the signature and it will be ready for my Gallery. You can see the painting in various stages by clicking the “Latest” tag below, or “Sneak Peek” on the menu.

This portrait is based on a 1903 photograph from the Edward Curtis collection. A huge portion of this work is dedicated to images of the Southwest, particularly the Pueblo regions where this man is from.

One of the most interesting features of this picture, I think, is the fairly inconspicuous heishi necklace he is wearing. Heishi is a Pueblo word meaning “shell jewelry” which refers to a type of jewelry manufactured only by the Pueblo Indians. It is possibly the oldest form of jewelry in the Americas, and examples of this ancient art form dating back as far as 8,000 years have been unearthed throughout the ancestral Pueblo homelands in the Four Corners area.

(Click to enlarge)

Heishi making is an extremely fine and painstaking craft that involves the grinding, piercing, and threading of tiny pieces of shell and semi-precious stones into uniformly shaped beads. The materials best suited to heishi jewelry were usually imported via trade network from the Pacific and Gulf Coasts, and sometimes from as far away as South America. A single necklace composed of several strands could contain thousands of beads. Pueblo craftsmen still produce these exquisite necklaces today.

The Collector’s Guide – New Mexico Native Arts: Heishi Jewelry