The Expressive Language of Pastel

Class Description

Soft pastel offers a rich expressive language of color, texture, and gesture. In this class, we’ll explore how these qualities can bring life and character to landscapes, birds, animals, figures, or still life. Students may work from simple still-life setups or choose from a variety of photo references. We’ll begin with an alcohol-wash underpainting on special sanded pastel paper, then build the painting in layers while exploring design concepts and a range of mark-making techniques. Emphasis will be placed on seeing shapes, values, edges, and color relationships rather than simply copying a subject. We’ll consider how bold strokes, delicate marks, and selective blending can convey mood and strengthen a painting. Whether your subject is a bluebird, a fox, a distant landscape, or an arrangement of natural objects, the goal is to discover what gives it life and character—and find your own way of expressing it. The class will conclude with an introduction to mounting and framing pastel artwork. During this six-hour workshop, students will have the opportunity to complete more than one project. All materials included. All skill levels welcome. Please bring a bag lunch so we can all stay focused and get the most out of our time together.