Pastel Drawing

Brenda’s Sunset

| Patricia

A friend took a photo of a stunning sunset a few days ago inspiring one of my morning pastel sketching sessions (see photo reference displayed on my iPad Pro in pic 2 below). One of the sketches is on 5.5” x 8.5” Strathmore 400 series fine tooth 60 lb. dry media paper using Faber-Castell soft pastels and a set of 24 lusciously creamy Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils (really need to get a full set of these babies. They’re magnificent). Also working on a second ‘in process’ drawing on a more unforgiving black photo album stock using a tray of well-used vintage pastels (still need to add the tree line to the black-papered version after spraying with workable fixative to enable an additional layer of chalk).

Brenda’s Sunset – 5.5” x 8.5” Strathmore 400 series fine tooth 60 lb. paper using Faber-Castell soft pastels. Simplified subject, using a light touch and the reference photo for the basic composition and colours of the sky and clouds.
Getting ready to play! A friend took the photo, shown on my iPad Pro screen, of a stunning sunset a few days ago inspiring a morning pastel sketching session. Faber-Castell set of 72 half sticks and a set of 24 lusciously creamy Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils (bought last year to try out but must get the full set. They are amazing!).
An ‘in process’ pastel painting, on an unforgiving black photo album stock, using a tray of well-used vintage pastels. Still need to add the silhouetted tree line after spraying the piece with workable fixative to enable an additional over layer of chalk. Fingers crossed that it works. The tooth in this paper is shallow and fills up quickly. In fairness, it is a photo album, not meant for art so can’t complain. Just experimenting on what’s layin’ around.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.

Daily Sketchbook

| Patricia

This site is dedicated to maintaining a daily habit of making art. It may contain pages from my sketchbooks, examples from past work, conceptual ideas and inspirational influences, I have several small sketchbooks and journals in my ‘bedoffice’, with a variety of drawing and painting materials stacked alongside, so I can get an idea down quickly when it is fresh in my mind. One really CAN make art on just about anything. This quick ‘fantasy landscape’ sketch was drawn with a set of 72 half stick Faber Castell soft pastels and may serve to inspire a larger work down the line. Has a bit of a woodblock feel to it I think. This cool little 7” x 9” book was originally purchased as a small photo album. It has thick black paper separated by glassine-like cover sheets, perfect for protecting soft pastel sketches. The photo paper however is UNFORGIVING, having a shallow tooth that fills quickly with each stroke, disallowing more layered colour. Still, I will be sad when this little book, with it’s bright woven fabric cover, is full but want to get a HIGHER QUALITY BLACK PAPER to continue EXPERIMENTING with light on dark work.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.

Chalk Forest

| Patricia

When the cares of the world weigh heavy, I debrief my psyche by making art. This is a little 6” x 9” soft pastel sketch drawn in a small photo album on not-so-friendly shallow-toothed absorbent black paper that can only take two layers of pastel before its pores are full. This is CHALK FOREST a study for a series of larger abstract-expressionistic landscape pieces.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.