Tag Archives: portrait

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Pastel Pencils: The Quest for the Best

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The quest for the best brand of pastel pencil for portrait drawing is a subject I have seen discussed all over the web, and, in my search for the ideal tool, is something I have researched extensively. However, my choice of pastel pencil will vary from other artists’ as I don’t limit myself to a single brand.

Buying (or receiving a gift of) a tin of pastel pencils, to get you started, is a common reason for singling out a particular brand. This may appear economical but it is worth considering starting with a selection of open-stock pencils and adding to your collection as needed. In buying a set, you will always be left with colours that sit unused for years. And conversely, however big a set you buy, you will always be left wanting.

Array of Pastel Pencils
Array of Pastel Pencils

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]The Choices[/custom_headline]

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”true”]Faber-Castell Pitt[/custom_headline]

Following the advice of other artists (Colin Bradley, Art Tutor and others) I bought a good selection of portrait-type colours in Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils. I find them firm enough to allow good control and with a decent amount of pigment. They are certainly a good choice and have a reasonable range of colours. But, they’re not my favourite.

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”true”]Conté[/custom_headline]

Actually my least favourite. As well as the core often arriving shattered, these are hard and scratchy with an apparently high chalk content. I will avoid in future.

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”true”]Derwent[/custom_headline]

My regular online supplier, Jackson’s offer an excellent choice in open stock, so I have tried quite a few. However, my modest collection of Derwent pastel pencils originates mostly from tins I bought long before I had the world wide web of pastel choice available to me (yep, that was a very long time ago!). As you might expect, they haven’t aged well. They are dry and brittle, and it wouldn’t be fair to give the brand a bad review based on my decades old collection.

I have, however, bought a few Derwents from Jackson’s in recent weeks and I’ll let you know, just as soon as I’m able to form an opinion.

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”true”]Caran d’Ache[/custom_headline]

These pencils are a work of art. They are so beautiful I want to eat them! With their bleached wood finish and dipped end of colour, they do for me what sweets must do for most children. The pastel itself is just as delicious – no I haven’t tasted it, but I’m tempted!

They sweep onto the page like butter and are highly pigmented. But… a yummy tool experience does not necessarily equate to a good drawing implement and I’m afraid I generally find these too soft. Their high colour value and luscious choice of hue means I find myself choosing this brand just for the colour. The softness feels nice but isn’t practical as it leaves an uneven texture which is especially fiddly for smooth skin or hair. My solution is to lay the Caran d’Ache colour down, however unevenly, and almost burnish it to a smooth finish with a harder (Pitt) relevant shade.

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”true”]Bruynzeel design[/custom_headline]

My collection of Bruynzeels is very small and the only experience I can report is that they are brittle and I have found them almost impossible to sharpen. More research is needed though and I will be back with more information when I have it.

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”true”]Stabilo Carbothello[/custom_headline]

Often softer than Pitt, and brighter too, these are usually my favourite. Some of the colours, such as orange and caput mortem, I could not live without.

However, as I implied, quality of the core is inconsistent as the texture of Carbothello varies between colours. Caput mortem has a distinctive mid-tone hue and I always use it for drawing out the line but it is a bit harder and more scratchy than the equivalent Pitt colour, so for rendering a smooth texture I am more inclined to use the Pitt.

Coloured Pebbles in Pastel Pencil on Strathmore Charcoal Paper
Coloured Pebbles in Pastel Pencil on Strathmore Charcoal Paper

[custom_headline type=”left” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true”]So Which?[/custom_headline]

I have given you so many options and no definitive answer. So which should you use? Which do I use?

All of them!

Each has its own benefits and pitfalls. I would always suggest trying as many different brands as you can. The way to do this without costing a small fortune is to write yourself a list of the types of colours you need, eg, dark red, ivory, pale pink, yellow ochre etc and then go through the open stock of each brand selecting only one or two from each colour-type, but spread your choice over 5 or 6 brands.

You will soon come to know the textures and ease of use for you and like me, you will probably find the right choice of pencil for you is all of them!

FAQ

Photography Checklist

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[columnize]This checklist is a much condensed version of my Photography Guidelines article. If you have photographs ready to send me, I would just encourage you to check them against this list:

Resolution: Can you see individual eyelashes and lines on the lips (when zoomed in)? I am not necessarily going to draw every last hair but I can’t create a likeness if the images are vague. The more detail that’s visible, the better.

Light: Good quality daylight is essential. And – I hate to keep giving you rules but – please don’t send me a portrait in silhouette – honestly, this happens a lot!

Permission If somebody else took the photographs you are sending, please make sure you have their permission for me to recreate them.

Finally: I am not judging your skills as a photographer. Just send me a few images and we’ll take it from there.

You can upload photos here, or email to enquiries@wendybooth.co.uk.

[image src=”http://wendybooth.co.uk/art/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Oscar-Contrast.jpg” alt=”Backlit photograph” type=”thumbnail”] [/columnize]

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The Bare Essentials

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If you’ve been following my posts you’ll know that we’ve spent the last few months – in fact a year and a half – debating a home extension versus moving house and many other options, to find the space we need. A fair chunk of this fantasy was to include a studio.

I won’t traumatise you with the ins and outs of why we eventually opted to move.  But we’d made the decision and so our journey began.  Our home was particularly ‘busy’ (to put it nicely) and probably not too attractive to buyers. We had to completely rethink how we used the space and whittle our possessions down to the bare essentials.

So, with all my pastel drawing equipment safely hidden away in storage, our cramped cluttered home was transformed into a space that somebody could picture full of their own possessions and would actually want to buy. And eventually they did!

So here we are.

I absolutely love my sparkly new studio! It has everything I need. Walls, floor, light and SPACE! The only thing left to do is erect some shelving – next job after writing this blog!

And drawings? Well, I have been experimenting with all sorts. I conducted a secret ballot with members of my family to see which pictures were preferred – I didn’t want them influencing each other. I was particularly surprised to see how popular the rabbit is. I like it, but I wouldn’t have rated it compared to the others. However, this is a pleasing revelation as I had been thinking of drawing more wild animals, especially British wildlife. In fact my head is buzzing with all of sorts birds and mammals, I can barely make my mind up. If you have any ideas for animals you’d like me to draw, please let me know.

So, surrounded by boxes of paper and stacks of equipment, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have my cup of Yorkshire tea with soya milk and my gluten free Hob Nob. My studio is feeling a lot like home.

Some of the People and Animals That Have Kept Me Busy Lately

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Keep It Colour Stupid

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Those familiar with my portrait drawings may be forgiven for thinking I only see in sanguine and white. This is something I am very aware of, and for a long time I have been working on incorporating colour into my portraits.

I am not an artist who avoids colour – if you’ve seen my Artfinder and Etsy pages then you’ll know that my problem is more about which medium to settle with! I have worked in oils, watercolour, pro-markers, pastels, coloured pencils… mixed media! There a pros to ALL these media. I would like to say each have their cons, but to be honest I’m not sure I could list them. I love them all!

Another thing the more observant of you will know – I’ve not been around for a while. Our house has been so hectic these last few months. First there was the extension which never materialised, time I’ve spent on other artistic projects, then the summer holidays (impossible to make any plans during this time!) and then we put all the ‘clutter’ into storage with a view to selling the house. Yes, I’m afraid that clutter includes my paints. Believe me, if you’d seen our house before this decluttering then you’d probably agree. Pencils and sketchbooks stayed out – I have to keep some grip on sanity – but even most of my sanguine pencils have been banished to a corrugated tin shed on the other side of town.

The good news is that we have now made some progress with the sale of the house and no longer need to live such a sparse existence. So the watercolours are back in the house!

Why watercolours? Well, they were the first medium I used when I started painting 24 years ago and I’ve always loved their freshness, versatility and personality. Also – they are easy to clean away! Until we move house, my studio is confined to the dining table, and as the kitchen table left in the big clear-out, we really do need that dining table for eating!

You have no idea how excited I am to be painting again. I hope to share some of my work with you soon, and soon after that I might let you see my coloured portraits!

FAQ

Choosing a Frame

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[columnize]Most works on paper require mounting (matting) with acid-free mount board and then framing in order to protect them.

As an artist or collector you will probably already have a strong eye for the right kind of colour but it’s always worth checking the little things. Will the colour of your mount lead the eye to centres of interest in the painting, focus the eye only on areas of shadow or negative space, or point out things you would never have considered, even adding a new dimension to the whole piece? The mount can be considered an extension of the painting’s background so ensure the colour is it subtle enough and of the same palette and warmth as the painting. All good mount suppliers will send samples on request. This makes it easier to see the colour relationships, and can save you a lot of time (and money) but for a rough guide some online stores will show your image superimposed on various mounts and frames. This can be quite a fun way of trying out different scenarios and stumbling on fantastic results you wouldn’t have dared to try otherwise.

The colours in my drawings are quite earthy. I wanted a mount of a much lighter shade than the grey paper but found the bright whites would give my picture a ‘dirtiness’ and compete for attention. I settled for a shade called ‘Snow White’ by Coltswold Mounts. It has a very slight pink tinge and feels as though it’s from the same palette as the earthy red pastel I draw with. The eye is now drawn straight to the picture and it receives all the attention it deserves. A mount’s (and frame’s) job is to present the work – if the first thing you notice is the mount then something is wrong.

Framing is far easier (actually cheaper) if the work is mounted with a standard size frame in mind. Mine allow for a 50 by 60cm size frame. I don’t frame the drawings myself because I find customers far prefer to choose their own.

The most common question, however, is – Should I match a frame to the picture or to my décor? And then the next question – Is it possible to do both?

Firstly, we should consider the style of frame and how the type of frame suits the art. Vibrant or abstract art will often fit best in a plain geometric frame of a black or bold colour.

picture frame

Traditional genres, such as portrait or landscape benefit from a more ornate frame. possibly with some gilt or scrollwork. But, it’s always important to consider the level of detail in the painting – don’t overpower your delicate watercolor with a huge scroll-carved frame.

Also, you will want to consider the style of décor in the home. A dark, classical style will suit the more lavish dark frames, but if the painting itself is rather too delicate for this then perhaps consider an understated dark wood frame.

Something like a drawing or sketch can often be framed in a neutral colour or pale wood and fits well in either contemporary or traditional setting.

So, is it possible to fit the frame to both your art and your décor? With a little careful planning, most definitely, yes![/columnize]