Really nice! Thanks so much for sharing this! I first tried pastel paintings/drawings on Strathmore and Canson MiTientes paper and managed to complete a few pretty decent pieces, using soft pastels and pastel pencils. Then I learned that many of the "best" pastel artists use sanded paper like UArt or special papers like Pastelmat. Well - those papers are good- but quite different. It's amusing to me that some pastel painters don't approve of using regular "paper" like the Strathmore you used, or the Canson paper. I especially appreciate you showing how you use the silicone blending tool. Excellent!
Good drawings can be done on the cheaper pastel papers and turn out great, I think they are great for learning and definitely are much less expensive than UArt or Pastelmat. When it comes to preserving/protecting your pastel artwork though, the cheaper papers don't hold up as well, they are thin and don't take to a fixative spray very well without warping the paper, and they don't hold onto the pastel as well either, making it really easy to rub off. So this means you have to be very careful in handling, storing, and framing any drawings done with those papers. UArt and Pastelmat have fine grooves in the paper for the pastel to sit, stay, and be protected from handling much better than any other paper. So I definitely recommend UArt or Pastelmat for professional use and wouldn't use the cheaper papers for commissions or original work to be sold as clients/customers could easily make a mistake and be very unhappy. As for the silicone tools, they are my absolute favorite for blending small areas of pastel, and are a must have. They behave a bit different with UArt and Pastelmat than they do with Strathmore's paper. For UArt and Pastelmat they work well for the first stage of blending freshly applied pastel into the paper, but definitely do not work well for soft blends like sponges do.
This is absolutely gorgeous Jessica! Beautiful work. I find it so interesting that you started with the background first, then the skin, and then worked on the face! To see the horse slowly emerging was so beautiful to watch 😊💕💜
You are draw so really really beautiful and realistic, draw realistic with soft pastel was to tough but you are draw so nice I am always try to draw this, love you my best art teacher😘😘, love from India😍😍😍😘😘😘😘😘😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
Wow I really love your art, do you teach? If so how can I register for a class, I’m a beginner open to learn from artists like you. Thanks for sharing your beautiful craft!
Thank you so very much! I offer 1-15+ hour tutorials on Patreon, you can find more information about them as well as sign up, from my website here: jessicamatheney.weebly.com/tutorials.html
