Comments for Pastel on Paper

Comment on More Sagano by bmcgurgan

bmcgurgan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:30:29 +0000

Thanks, Loriann – I’m glad you like it. This was a fun one to work on and I’ll be striving for more with this kind of feeling.

Comment on More Sagano by Loriann Signori

Loriann Signori — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:03:41 +0000

Wow Brian, what a beautiful feel to this one! I love the contrast between the two areas-grass and trees. Warm/cool, textured/soft, beautiful!

Comment on Sagano Field Studies by bmcgurgan

bmcgurgan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:28:12 +0000

Thanks Jala and Loriann!

Comment on Sagano Field Studies by Loriann Signori

Loriann Signori — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:06:11 +0000

I love the quality of your stroke both in the value study and the color pastel.

Comment on Sagano Field Studies by Jala Pfaff

Jala Pfaff — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:04:13 +0000

How wonderful. I’m also a big fan of Basho.

Comment on Summer Meadow Studies by bmcgurgan

bmcgurgan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:04:16 +0000

Hi Jala. I like the PastelMat although I generally feel like I have more success on traditional paper surfaces than on abrasive ones – even where the grit is as fine as it is on the PastelMat surface. I’m going to continue to experiment with it, though, and your comments make me want to pull out some of my LaCarte as well.

Comment on Piano Recital Study by bmcgurgan

bmcgurgan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:00:32 +0000

Thanks Loriann and Jala. I’m still thinking about what to do with this – maybe a pastel that focuses on the performer’s back and shoulders like Degas with his dancers and bathers.

Comment on Plein Air Upgrade by bmcgurgan

bmcgurgan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:51:03 +0000

Hi Jala, and thanks for your comments. I’m really enjoying this Terry Ludwig plein air set of pastels. They are exceptionally soft – maybe more so than the Unison pastels – and are somewhat more messy as a result. It’s like working with a dense, rectangular-shaped chocolate truffle coated with fine cocoa powder. Ok, well maybe not exactly like that but you probably get the idea. They’re individually very beautiful and because of their shape feel very different to me in application than the Unison pastels. I’m still getting used to the tonalist palette of this particular set and sometimes feel the need for a stronger yellow or warm, light green than the set provides. I’m considering getting a handful of additional colors to supplement my plein air outfit but think I can also get brighter coloration where needed by using the Conté crayons I typically start drawings with. I’m sure that as I get more familiar with the colors I’ll also reach for them when working indoors to supplement my Unisons. The softness of these pastels means that they can go on a little more thickly than I would typically want and I’m working to develop a lighter touch. Their shape makes them best for blocking in color rather than for linear strokes (I often use parallel or cross-hatched strokes with my Unisons).

With the Townsend pastels, I recently got a small set of 8 earth-color terrages. I like being able to use them on edge to get wide strokes. They feel firm and gritty but leave a dense soft mark and, as with the Ludwigs, I’m using a pretty light touch with them. While they don’t feel overly fragile to me, one crumbled into a few pieces during regular use so I try to handle them with care. I may get some more of them but want to experiment further with how they work on the papers I use and in concert with the Unison pastels.

Hope these comments are useful. I just love my Unison pastels and think they are exceptional but am enjoying experimenting with some other really wonderful pastels, too.

Comment on More Lavender Field Studies by bmcgurgan

bmcgurgan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:19:32 +0000

Thanks, Steve and Jala!

Comment on Nocturne Study by bmcgurgan

bmcgurgan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:18:45 +0000

Thanks, Jala! It’s funny, I did this quickly in less than 30 minutes one evening just for fun and I think it’s better than many of the drawings I work at for hours.