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Introduction:
Drawing with pastels is drawing with pure color. "An artist working with pastels
is like a young child with a box of crayons." There are soft pastels, which are
like a soft chalk and were invented over 100 years ago, and there are oil pastels
which are like oil paint in a stick form. Oil pastels were invented much later
than soft pastels, around World War II. Most pastels are still made by hand by
mixing gum tragacanth and pure pigment and then rolling them into a stick. Today
we will make our own pastels by the same process. A few words about pigments:
Pigment powders are sometimes man made/ synthetic, sometimes from minerals, and
sometimes organic/ from plants and animals. Many pigments are dangerous to touch
or breathe and you should always take the proper precautions when handling any
pigment. Any artist looking for a more technical knowledge about pigments (or
any other medium) should consult Ralph Mayer's book: The Artist's Handbook of
Materials and Techniques.
Materials:
- Pure pigment colors (non
toxic pigments for use with children!)
- Gum Tragacanth suspension*
- Newsprint
- Palette knives, putty knives,
or a mortar and pestle
- Glass or Plexiglas palettes,
Latex gloves and breathing masks (optional)
Directions:
- * Gum Tragacanth is available in powdered form from fine art supply stores.
Unlike gum Arabic, it does not dissolve in water to form a suspension but instead
absorbs water to form a suspension. Massey's book, Formulas For Painters, recommends
a 30 parts gum trag. to 1 part distilled water. First wet the gum tragacanth with
alcohol (or white wine) just enough to moisten it and make a very soft paste.
Add the water last and shake all together. Let the solution sit at least 48 hours
until the gum tragacanth absorbs all the water and becomes a gelatinous suspension.
- To equal parts of colored pigments and zinc white pigment, add just enough
water to make a stiff paste. Then add enough gum tragacanth suspension to allow
grinding/mixing with a palette knife until the paste is completely smooth.
- Deposit the soft color onto newsprint and let most of the moisture be absorbed
into the paper. Then form the drying paste into sticks by rolling with your fingers.
Set the sticks aside on newsprint until they are dry.
References:
Creevy, Bill. The Pastel Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist. Watson-Guptill
Publications, New York. 1991.
Massey, Robert. Formulas for Painters. Watson-Guptill Publications, New York.
1967.
Mayer, Ralph. The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, Fifth Edition.
Viking Penguin Books, New York. 1991.
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