Leisure Painter — June 2017

it back in the same place if it moves

or you need to go over it again.

It is now time to commit to the

reference points of the face. A young

child does not have useful wrinkles

or lines of age and experience to

help us map the face so we must make

use of what is there. The irises of the

eyes can be established by lightly

applying their approximate overall

colour, while the pupils, eyelids, mouth

and nostrils can be defined with sepia

pastel pencil or bister (635), as it is

called in the Stabilo CarbOthello range.

That colour, along with ivory (105),

are the two I use most when producing

a pastel portrait and they seem to be

the colours in that range that are

most frequently stocked in art shops.

(I often advise students against buying

sets of colours, as there are always

some that constantly need replacing

while others may seldom or never

be used.)

It takes concentration and

determination to produce a painting

that’s worthwhile and to pull it through

when you feel it might be going wrong.

of the head, it is important to discover

where it actually is; it may be hidden

by a lot of hair, but if your subject has

less hair – no problem!

Transfer the image

When you are confident of the

accuracy of your working drawing it

can be transferred to the final support.

Lay the sketch face down on a light-

box or tape it to a window and go

boldly over the back of the chosen

guidelines with Stabilo CarbOthello

pastel pencils in ivory (105) or sepia

(635), depending on whether those

lines relate to light or dark areas of the

painting. Then place the drawing face

up over the painting surface and, using

as little pressure as possible, go over

those lines with an expired ballpoint

pen. This will transfer a faint image to

the surface beneath.

Use small pieces of low-tack masking

tape to keep the drawing in place and

occasionally lift a corner to check that

the image is actually transferring. Tick

register marks across several edges of

the sketch paper so that you can put

26 JUNE 2017 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

There’s often a stage when you doubt

yourself, however experienced you are.

I work frustratingly slowly and take 15

to 20 hours to produce a pastel portrait

or figure painting, even though I’ve

produced more than 200 during

recent past years. Constant practice,

experiments in mixing in all media

and the development of a keen sense

of observation are vital. But it’s

a fascinating business so enjoy it!

Next month, I will take you step by

step through the painting of my portrait

of Darcie (above). LP

MartinAsh

Martin offers tuition to individual

students and art groups, and for many

years has tutored adult education art

classes for East Sussex County Council

and Adult Colleges for Rural East

Sussex. For information, please

telephone 01892 853536, 01892

315780 or 07759 925087 and email

[email protected]

Thomas, pastel on mountboard primed with

Colourfix soft umber, 14x11in. (36x28cm). This is a

commissioned pastel portrait of the four-year-old

son of one of my students. It was carried out using

the same procedure as I painted Darcie (above).

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Pastel

The finished painting Darcie, pastel, 14x11in.

(36x28cm). Follow Martin step-by-step next month

to paint your own version of this image.

t

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