Pastels For All with Susan Nehring
4 week sessions
$60 members $80 nonmembers
Call 941-423-6460 to enroll
Last Class of the Season May 17- Back next Fall
Last Class of the Season May 17- Back next Fall
Pastels have been used by artists since the Renaissance, and gained considerable popularity in the 18th century, when a number of notable artists made pastel their primary medium. The soft texture of these pastels can create smooth, smudgy lines and intense color. Soft pastels cannot be mixed on a palette and for this reason many artists use an extensive range of colors. There's no better media than pastel for feeling at one with your ideas and relating your experience.
Pastels are among the most simple of mediums — pure pigment that can be
immediately applied to a surface — and can be among the most challenging.
The focus of this class is to help you better understand soft pastels and help
you nd, trust and enrich your own artistic voice through this wonderful medium.
You will get a class schedule during our rst session that will outline the topics
to be covered in the weeks ahead. Every fourth session will be devoted to studio
time so you can address speci c challenges or focus on your works-in-
progress.
All levels are welcome.
Pastels are among the most simple of mediums — pure pigment that can be
immediately applied to a surface — and can be among the most challenging.
The focus of this class is to help you better understand soft pastels and help
you nd, trust and enrich your own artistic voice through this wonderful medium.
You will get a class schedule during our rst session that will outline the topics
to be covered in the weeks ahead. Every fourth session will be devoted to studio
time so you can address speci c challenges or focus on your works-in-
progress.
All levels are welcome.
Supplies:
PASTELS: Bring 60-90 pastels of any good professional brand, covering as many colors,
shades and tints as possible in values from light to dark. Or...bring what you have!
- Pastel consistency ranges from hard (NuPastel) to very soft (Schmincke) with many
variations in between. My pastel box includes a mix of brands, including Terry Ludwig,
NuPastel, Girault, Sennelier, Rembrandt and Unison.
SURFACES: Pastel Premier sanded paper, UART sanded paper and Art Spectrum Colour x
are the favorites among many pastel artists. 400 or 500 grit. Consider getting some sheets of
industrial sandpaper (400 or 500 grit, charcoal grey) to use for exercises.
- 9”x12”, 8”x10”, 6”x9” (you may need to cut some of these papers in half for class work)
- Canson makes a pastel paper but I suggest you stay away from this product. The Canson
Mi-Teintes sheets have two distinct surfaces, one side smooth and another is grainy. I
believe you will have more success with a sanded surface.
DRAWING BOARD: Wood, Masonite, Gatorboard, foamcore. You can tape your paper to
your drawing board or adhere your painting surface to Gatorboard or foamcore with a
xative. Mounting your surface in advance is especially helpful if you think you’ll be creating
a masterpiece that you will want to frame.
GLASSINE or tracing paper to protect your paintings
OTHER EQUIPMENT:
- Small sketchbook
- Graphite pencils or charcoal for sketching
- Masking tape
- Markers in 3 values of grey - light, middle, dark (I like Tombow ABT markers - N15, N55 &
N75)
- Tabletop easel
- Old bath towel for your workspace and cleaning your pastels
- Apron or shirt to protect your clothing
- Paper towels
SOURCES FOR CLASS MATERIALS:
dakotapastels.com
dickblick.com
jerrysartarama.com
amazon.com
shades and tints as possible in values from light to dark. Or...bring what you have!
- Pastel consistency ranges from hard (NuPastel) to very soft (Schmincke) with many
variations in between. My pastel box includes a mix of brands, including Terry Ludwig,
NuPastel, Girault, Sennelier, Rembrandt and Unison.
SURFACES: Pastel Premier sanded paper, UART sanded paper and Art Spectrum Colour x
are the favorites among many pastel artists. 400 or 500 grit. Consider getting some sheets of
industrial sandpaper (400 or 500 grit, charcoal grey) to use for exercises.
- 9”x12”, 8”x10”, 6”x9” (you may need to cut some of these papers in half for class work)
- Canson makes a pastel paper but I suggest you stay away from this product. The Canson
Mi-Teintes sheets have two distinct surfaces, one side smooth and another is grainy. I
believe you will have more success with a sanded surface.
DRAWING BOARD: Wood, Masonite, Gatorboard, foamcore. You can tape your paper to
your drawing board or adhere your painting surface to Gatorboard or foamcore with a
xative. Mounting your surface in advance is especially helpful if you think you’ll be creating
a masterpiece that you will want to frame.
GLASSINE or tracing paper to protect your paintings
OTHER EQUIPMENT:
- Small sketchbook
- Graphite pencils or charcoal for sketching
- Masking tape
- Markers in 3 values of grey - light, middle, dark (I like Tombow ABT markers - N15, N55 &
N75)
- Tabletop easel
- Old bath towel for your workspace and cleaning your pastels
- Apron or shirt to protect your clothing
- Paper towels
SOURCES FOR CLASS MATERIALS:
dakotapastels.com
dickblick.com
jerrysartarama.com
amazon.com