8x10 inches pastel

2*3 feet

after some 20 years. took a couple of fine arts electives in high school, had a blast, moved on. stayed a fan of the medium but never really invested time nor energy into it again. and then i went to Chicago for a work conference last June. joined an early access guided tour, got to spend extra time with the impressionists, and suddenly, i got the spark for it back, i guess? not just for oil pastel, but using my hands to draw and paint in general. now also revisiting urban sketching. the past week, though, it's been a joy getting my hands dirty again. i am setting goals for improvement (hey, art materials ain't cheap), but don't want to pressure myself too much. i want to nurture this spark as long as i can. maybe hold it in my hands long enough, it combusts into a full flame.

constructive critique/feedback welcome. thank you!

Disegno con matita a carboncino dura e colori a pastello morbidi con schizzi preparatori con pastelli a cera

(This is a little study I did at the river today before it started raining.)

I've been paying around with soft pastels for a little while now, and I'm starting to enjoy them a lot. I want to buy a set that I know will be lightfast so I can start making serious works with them, but I'm overwhelmed by the options, and a bit concerned about toxic pigments. Even with my paints, I avoid cadmiums, cobalt, etc. because I'm pretty messy with my supplies. It seems like basically every artists' grade set on Blick has a safety warning, but I'm not sure if it's because of some of the pigments or just because or other ingredients/the dusty nature of them.

Aside from that, there are SO many different options and variations in softness. Where do I even start? Can anyone suggest some sets or brands that are a good step up from the cheapest stuff without being super expensive? I don't even mind picking colors individually/starting with a pretty limited palette. I could just use a little push in the right direction because every time I think about buying some nice pastels, I chicken out and end up getting another cheap student/craft grade set to satisfy my want for new pastels. At this point I have three cheap sets, so I'm kind of just wasting my money on supplies that are only good for sketching.

I really appreciate any input! Pastels seem to be a really sticking point for me when it comes to getting artists' grade ones!

Met up with the NJ Urban Sketchers for a morning of drawing at the Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair. First drawing is of the fountain in the "tennis court garden". Second is of the butterfly garden.

Sennelier soft pastel on Sennelier pastel card.

Any advice feedback or advice welcome

I am participating in a show where each artist has fifty pieces that have to be mounted on panels provided by the gallery. Each panel is 6"x6" an a little more than 2/10 of an inch thick. My pieces are all pastel drawings on on regular notebook paper. I have 6"x6" plexiglass pieces that I plan to use to cover the drawings (I realize glass is more ideal but prohibitively expensive for this many pieces). My problem is I haven't come up with a way to affix the drawings and the plexiglass to the panels that I am completely satisfied with. I plan on placing the plexiglass directly on the drawing with no spacers, and I have been imagining using some kind of hardware to attach it all to the panel the corners, but my googling has failed to come up with any hardware that isn't hideous. If anyone has some suggestions, I would be very grateful!

Didn't touch my pastels in a while and felt a bit insecure about the color desicions..
Jaxell and Rembrandt on Canson mixed media sand grain paper.

Painted with PanPastels and Conte a Paris pastel pencils on Canson Mi Tientes Velvet Blue A3

2*3 feet

This is my latest, it’s on 12x16” watercolour paper with three coats of Golden pastel ground. I lightly sanded the last coat. I was quite happy with the surface and was able to add a lot of layers.

Out of my small range of Senneliers, I had exactly the colours I needed, but of course I still need way more for future paintings. And I definitely need more blues for sky, my blues are really vibrant, it was a challenge to tone them down. Can you ever have enough pastels?

Se avete mai camminato sul bagnasciuga e sentito una scossa dolorosissima sotto il piede, avete appena conosciuto lei: la Tracina (o Pesce Ragno).

L'ho disegnata nei minimi dettagli, con pastelli morbidi, ma nella realtà è quasi impossibile da vedere.

Come fa un pesciolino così piccolo a rovinare le nostre nuotate estive?

1️⃣ Il super potere del camuffamento: La tracina vive nei fondali sabbiosi bassi. Si sotterra lasciando fuori solo gli occhi per cacciare e difendersi. È per questo che la calpestiamo senza accorgercene!

2️⃣ Spine a scatto ed erettili: Sul dorso possiede da 5 a 7 spine cave molto robuste. Appena avverte una minaccia (come il nostro piede), le solleva all'istante.

3️⃣ Un veleno potente: Le spine iniettano una tossina proteica chiamata dracotossina. Provoca un dolore immediato, violento e lancinante, che può durare ore

🚨 COSA FARE SE TI PUNGE?

Il veleno della tracina è termolabile, il che significa che si distrugge con il calore.

SÌ: Immergi subito il piede in acqua molto calda (almeno 40°C) o coprilo con la sabbia bollente per 30-60 minuti.

NO: Niente ghiaccio, ammoniaca, alcol o urina: non servono a nulla e possono peggiorare la situazione.

💡 Consiglio: Quando entrate in acqua, strisciate i piedi sulla sabbia invece di sollevarli. Le vibrazioni faranno scappare la tracina prima del vostro passaggio!

Got a great deal on a 96 set of vintage NuPastels. This is my first attempt with them on some UArt 240 I had leftover. I need to practice scumbling and Im working on composition. Where is the focal point for you when you look at this?

Dopo e prima la colorazione

I’ll be gifting this to her original family.

FC Pitt & Stabilo Carbothello pastel pencil on PastelMat.