INTRODUCTORY VIDEO AND SUPPLY LIST

Be sure to watch this introductory video on materials and setup:

https://youtu.be/jfK8cpnjPJY

Suggested Materials for Working with Pastels

From around the house

·         Pencil

·         Scissors

·         Ruler

·         Masking tape

·         A few sheets of copy paper

Rubbing alcohol for underpainting

From the store:

·         White eraser (Magic Rub, Tritip or whatever you can find that’s WHITE)

·         Artist’s paint brush – cheap—thick or fan brush for multiple purposes, so you may want a few

·         Hand wipes (baby wipes)

·         Drawing board to support your work (I use masonite—they can cut it for you at Home Depot or the hardware store). If you don’t have one, I can bring one for you. Let me know.

Online:

·         Easel (this can be a table easel) Inexpensive floor easels ($37) can be found on Amazon. Let me know if you don’t have one. I can supplement this for you until you have your own. LET ME KNOW to bring one.

Small side table - If you buy a table easel, you will need a fold up table. Even with that, you will want a portable side table for your pastels. The number of side tables at Ginna’s is limited.

Stool - You will want someting to site on unless you like to stand and paint. The number of chairs at Ginna’s is limited.

·         Paper – Begin with a pad of Mi Teintes pastel paper, available at Michaels, but you’ll be lots happier if you just go ahead and get a tablet of artist’s sanded paper from one of the sources below, online. I recommend the 9 x 12 pad of UArt 400.

·         Pastels (NOT oil pastels. Oil pastels are crayon-like and don’t blend as well as the chalk-like dry pastels) Sources: Amazon, JerrysArtarama.com or blick.com . To start, you’ll want  one or both of the following sets:

Hard pastels—Nupastel by Prismacolor, set of 48 at least. Amazon often has them for $39.59. Do not get Prismacolor pencil sticks—they look like pastels but are really colored pencils and cannot blend. (Get these first)

Soft pastels—Rembrandt is good for beginners, set of 30 minimum, 45 is good, 60 is recommended, 90 is great. DickBlick.com has had a set of 60 for often for 25% off, so $60 or so. (Get these, too, if you can)

Later:

·         A small level can be helpful, available in art stores

Eventually -

·         Glassine  - wax-like paper to cover your work that doesn’t smear. (It does come inside the tablet of UArt paper, if you get a 9 x 12 tablet.)

·         Additional soft pastels in individual colors – we will discuss during class. Later on, softer pastel brands like Schminke, Senellier, Unison, Mount Vision are great

Do this TODAY:

        Join the Monet Café group on Facebook! Lots of inspiration and help there from pastel artists—professionals, novices and everyone in between

         Friend me on Facebook so I can add you to our FB student group where you can see what everybody’s doing and get help.