How to Use Soft Pastels in Mixed Media Techniques: Textures, Stencils, & Stamps
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Soft pastels make a surprisingly versatile mixed-media art supply. They can be used as water solubles, paint, with stencils and stamps, with a variety of textures, and more for a variety of fun, pretty pages and layouts. Today I demonstrate ways to use your pastels in your journals and other mixed media projects.
Today I am using pastels from Paul Rubens. This 72-colour pack is 50% off with an additional $5 (£4) discount at this link:
shorturl.at/luIMP
And you can see their other art supplies at their website here:
shorturl.at/cjrw7
Please join me tomorrow for Part 2 of this video where I use these and other pastel techniques to create an art journal layout.
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Check out my online classes on Thinkific at this link:
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I sell vintage ephemera boxes. Find out more here:
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Today I am using pastels from Paul Rubens. This 72-colour pack is 50% off with an additional $5 (£4) discount at this link:
shorturl.at/luIMP
Check out my online classes on Thinkific at this link:
kelly-s-school-b1d1.thinkific.com/collections
I sell vintage ephemera boxes. Find out more here:
bookandpaperarts.com/french-ephemera-book-arts-boxes/
I've really gotten the creativity again to draw projects I'm happy with! A big part of it is going after mediums I used a lot like 12 years ago. Love soft pastels and can't wait to use them in interesting ways!
Hi Mia. Thanks for touching base and good on you for getting your creative mojo back. Soft pastels are so versatile and a great way to add pops of colour and texture to tons of projects. Happy making !
I have been playing with gesso “pulls” and soft pastels for 2 days now. I am not an artist, but this is crazy fun! Thank you so much! -Roberta, newly emerging creative. 😊
Why hello, Roberta. Thanks for touching base as this is one fun technique and deceptively easy. Done right, no on quite knows how you did it, and then you can add liquid colour or dry colour and it does all kinds of stuff. Hope you are having a creative week! Kelly
Brilliant, entertaining video as ever, and I'm not biased.
I'm so glad you think so. Even if you are very biased indeed. I like that in a man! 💕💕
It's Kelly McSmudge Boler. What a really informative video this one was. I loved it and learned some new techniques! Yes, I too have a lot of second hand pastels in my stash, and yet hardly ever use them. Now I need to definitely pull them back out. I loved it whenever you blended them and used them wet! The Paul Rubens pastels had so many vivid and amazing colors. I also enjoyed how you used them, as a little somewhat soft border around the ATC. That was so intriguing, Kelly. I'm excited to see what you come up with in Part 2 tomorrow! You always rock it gurlfriend. :)
Thanks bunches, Lynn. A message from you always makes my day. Re things smudged - I also have to remind myself on filming days - not to wear white (might get paint on it) or black (gesso makes a lot of itself on long sleeves). So, off to choose a shirt that doesn't hate me and get to making that layout!
Hi Kelly! Thank you for such an amazing tutorial on how to use soft pastels to get a range of results. I am planning to use soft pastels more than ever in my mixed media portraits and this video was super helpful in showing how to get unique results using various techniques, such as wet on dry and vice verse, stamping, and stenciling! Very cool. I will be sure to implement these tips and tricks and will also share your channel with my subscribers -- Ann :) xo.
Hi Ann, thanks bunches for this thoughtful feedback. I really do use pastels a lot and like to spread the word. These days I can afford a variety of art supplies but time was that was NOT the case and I loved finding resourceful ways to use what was in my budget and that was often soft pastels. Keep me posted on those portraits. I'd love to hear how they come along. Kelly
Hi Kelly! Your tips were really helpful. I am more optimistic now about how to use the soft pastels. Thank you so much!! When I do a piece with the soft pastels that I am super excited about, I will share it with you! Thanks again!! xo
If you don't spritz the water directly onto the stamp but into the air and then "swipe" the stamp through that mist the motif should be clearer. Thank you for showing some great ideas. 🥰
Hi Tina, thank you for touching base. I am definitely going to try that and add it to my repertoire. Using water and stamps is definitely messy but when it works it works well. Thanks, again for comparing notes! Kelly
Or maybe a couple dampened, but not soaking, paper towels on a plate to ‘wet’ the stamp pad.
This is the third video of you that I watch on soft pastels and I’m always sooooo happy when you do one! I love, love, love your suggestions and techniques, they’re amazing and easy and I’m definitely going to try them. I’m going to watch the next video now ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤💗
Thanks for touching base, Alexandra. I sometimes feel that I am talking too much about the same topic but 1. There is so so much to cover and learn about pastels and 2. Uhmmmmm - it is my channel and I can make lots of pastel videos if it makes me happy. 🦋🦋So thank you for letting me know that are on point with someone else besides me! Kelly
Love this! Great ideas using my poor forgotten pastels! Thanks for sharing!
That's what I want to hear. I actually feel a bit sorry for pastels in the mixed media world. They are wallflowers no one thinks to ask to dance. Hope you make some great pages!
Thank you so much for this video. I have some pastels and I have never use them now I’ll try them.
It is my very real pleasure, Juanette. I hope you make some gorgeous pages using those neglected pastels! Keep me posted.🌼🌻🌷Kelly
You are an excellent demonstrator and a natural instructor.
Why thank you! You have really made my day. Kelly
Kelly, thanks for all these interesting and very practical techniques. I also have soft pastels somewhere in my closet. I'm going to find them and start playing. Wonderful video.
Hi Helene. Most of us have a stash here and abouts. I hope you locate yours and make some fun pages. Keep me posted! Kelly
Loved these techniques! I have plenty of soft pastels I rarely use.
Thanks for touching base, Rene. A lot of us have that stash and I hope you haul yours out and make some fun pages! 🎨🦋Kelly
Fabulous! Thanks for sharing so many wonderful techniques to use this product! 💙💚💙
Thanks bunches, Barry!
Thanks for showing so many different techniques with the pastels. Well done!
It is my real pleasure, Marianne. Thank you for touching base and saying hello! Kelly
Hello. I’ve been binging on your videos the past few days. I have a lot of catch up as I’ve been so busy these past few months with other things. You are a favorite! With pastels, do you put a sealant over them - don’t they smudge onto the other page?
Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Crystal, it is my real pleasure. Thank you for saying hello! 🦋🦋🎨🎨
As always, loved this video so a big thank you! I've also got a stash of pastels but I've always been a bit afraid to use them because I'm not sure whether they're permanent when dry. I'm itching to try these techniques and would love to know whether I'm going to end up with something beautiful or a big brown mess 😂
Hi Sandra. Thanks for the ideas. I will talk about how permanent pastel is when dry or wet then dried. Stay tuned! Kelly
I loved learning this. Thank you 😊 Can you do this with oil pastels too?
Hi Virginia. You know, I rarely use oil pastels but the thing about a lot of these techniques is that they work because the pastels are watersoluble and this will NOT be the case with oil. But for rubbing and smudging, have a go and see what happens and keep me posted! Kelly
Thank you, Kelly! It's always exciting to see a new tutorial from you. I'm curious about the differences between the Rubens soft pastels and other products. I already have some oil pastels, "decorating chalks," and Derwent intense sticks. Can these all be used interchangeably? The "chalks" do seem exceptionally chalky/dusty. Looking forward to the next installment.
Hello Dee. Thanks for the ideas. I can talk about that a little in today's follow up video. The short answer is that these are more chalky. Oil pastels use oil as a binder and Inktense sticks are just that, ink in a binder. Pastels are chalky and "dusty" but you can actually use that to your advantage, it's just different. Stay tuned, more is on the way this evening! Kelly
I have never tried wetting my chalks. How wonderful. I wonder if chalk powders would work like Brusho powders?
Hi there. In my experience yes but - not as intense. It does depend on the pastel as a pastel is pretty much pigment held together by binder and the Brusho powders are just pigment. A higher quality pastel has more pigment to binder ratio so that makes a difference. Give it a try! Or - hmmm, maybe I should make a video and demonstrate giving it a try. Thanks for the idea! Kelly
It’s important to note that not all soft pastels will be water soluble. It depends on the binder used, but most cheaper pastels seem to use methyl cellulose or gum Arabic which are soluble. If the pastels you have don’t react with water, they will react with alcohol.
Thanks for comparing notes. Alcohol, eh? I'll have to try that.
I want to use some pastels on my art which is highly textured and on canvas. Which sort of pastel should I use please? It needs to be stable as it would not be under glass. I paint in acrylics and am confuse about which pastel I could use. X
Hi Kathy. I haven't used a lot of textured paper or canvas so I can't say for sure. By far the best thing to do is practice on a small piece of canvas and see how different pastels work. I can say you want one with high pigment to binder ratio. Sennelier makes a VERY high pigment density. If these are pricey, I really like Daler Rowney and they are pretty affordable and last a long time. Let me know how it works! Kelly
@@BookandPaperArts Thank you so much for you quick reply. I am mainly concerned about which type (not make) of pastel would be stable and not smudge etc as it would not be protected by glass. X
Do I need to seal this and with what?
I use cheap
Hairspray for
Sealing my art
And have done that with pastels as my art journaling is only for me and I’m not concerned with archival durability. If humidity is a problem a tiny pinch of cornstarch or baby powder will prevent the pages from sticking. This works for my budget journaling. Hope that helps!
That will work for me to! Thanks
Hi Mincka, I agree with the others. If I am making a piece to sell I seal it with an art quality spray sealant but if it is just for me and for fun I use a shot of hairspray. However, it is also true that if you are smudging or setting it with water or gesso, it is should be fixed and not need sealing. Loose or dry, however, could use the hairspray or sealant.
@@swl9270 Agreed. While I do use a store-bought sealant for pieces I mean to sell, if it is just for me I can't be bothered and just reach for the hairspray. As you say, it may not be archival quality but I reasonably sure it will outlive me.
@@BookandPaperArts my thoughts as well. I am not particularly interested in this junk I make lasting to the next millennia
What about needing fixatives?
Kristine, I rarely use them. If you smudge or use the pastels with water or gel medium, they will be fixed already. If it is a looser technique and it is just for me, I may fix it with a blast of hairspray. If it is a piece that I am selling I will use a proper art fixative, spray, from the art supply store.
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