Creating a Tonal sky in Soft Pastels Tutorial
Welcome to this step by step tutorial of a Northumberland sky in soft pastels. Completed on Brown Canson Mi-tientes 'Touch' paper. The tutorial below is aimed at those interested in learning how to create soft and delicate tonal backgrounds in soft pastels and is aimed at those new to pastels. The high quality Unison pastels have been used for this tutorial but you can try this exercise out using any brand (not suited to pastel pencils) Use the colour guide next to the reference image to select your own pastel tones, however it is not important to match them precisely. Pastels work well on textured paper to minimise 'pastel drop' and are easier to blend on papers such as Pastelmat or Art Spectrum Colourfix smooth, but there are many others out there which suit other artists better due to their style. Although it is not the only way to work with pastels, this tutorial is based on my own preference that I have found works best for me. Pastels are a great medium in that you can easily cover up mistakes by simply applying another colour over the top and are fun to work with. Obviously they can be messy and I do always stipulate that this medium can produce a lot of dust, so ideally wear a mask or if you plan on working with pastels on a regular basis and ensure you work in a well ventilated room. Some online research will help you set up a safe, working space for you.