When one picks up a pastel, one holds in his hand a little stick of pure color. No merging or fancy arrangement – just bright colors that you can immediately press onto the paper. It’s immediate. It’s fun. The charm of pastel painting is that it encourages anybody, whether skilled or not, to plunge in the painting and begin creating instantly. A pastel course will render the process even more open, and you will learn how to take the opportunity to use this medium to be really yourself, without being entangled in rules and details. It literally leaps off the page and all you have to do is direct it. Want exact class times, check details on the schedule page.
Pastels are very forgiving. When you commit a mistake, it is not the end of the world. You may mix it up, wipe off it, or just over paint. No drying time to fret about as is the case in oils or watercolors. You will be able to correct and edit your work along the way, and it is ideal when you are a beginner and may be afraid of more traditional ways of painting. A pastel course will offer you to enjoy this fluidity, demonstrating how to combine, layer, and experiment without needing to get it right the first time. It is to immerse and experiment and learn by making mistakes, the most effective way to develop as an artist.
The most exciting thing about pastels is that they are very flexible. Need some smooth colour transitions? Combine them using fingers or blending stump. Want sharp, defined lines? Press harder. Pastels allow you to play with the texture of the paper, as well. The different surfaces will each react differently and through trial and error you will discover that the surface of the paper is a massive factor in the way the pastels settle and mix. You will be taught with the help of a pastel painting course how to manipulate your medium through the use of different types of paper and the amount of pressure to create various effects and what you can do is practically limitless.
When using pastels, you are not simply making a picture, you are making a texture, a light, and an atmosphere. The manner in which the colours layer onto the paper makes them seem to almost jump off the paper in a way that brings your art to life. Completely off the record or slightly loud abstract, pastels offer you an opportunity to experiment with light in a way that other media do not give you. A great pastel course will help you to understand how to use light and shadow and layering to help create depth and mood in your work, the something extra that makes your work appealing to people.
The course in pastel painting is as less about learning technique as it is about finding your own style. It is the discovery of rhythm and the discovery of how you prefer to work with color and learning how to be okay with the mistakes. Pastels allow you to be adventurous–you do not have to wait until the paint is dry and are not concerned about ruining the appearance of a brushstroke. You will also learn that the medium is your close companion who shows you the way to your own creative process. Time to get your pastels, put on an apron, and get to work. You can do it in any way you wish, but have fun!