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Pastel Painting: The comprehensive guide to soft pastels

by Christopher Reid

A practical course in soft pastels

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A practical course in soft pastels

Christopher Reid’s guide ranges across the full pastel-painting process, from selecting supplies and arranging a workspace to planning, developing, protecting, storing, framing, and photographing finished work. Its instruction combines step-by-step demonstrations with explanations of techniques such as blending, layering, glazing, and handling edges, alongside attention to color theory and mixing. The book also addresses working from photographs, including their limitations, and offers ways to build depth and mix colors with a limited palette. This broad coverage makes the volume useful as both a technical reference and a structured introduction to making independent choices in pastel painting.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Beginners seeking instruction in soft-pastel materials and foundational techniques
  • Pastel artists looking to develop color mixing, composition, and painting processes
  • Artists interested in practical guidance on presenting and caring for finished pastel work

Themes

Soft-pastel techniquesColor theory and mixingPlanning and developing artworkArt materials and workspaceFinishing and preserving artwork

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Whether you are an absolute beginner or advanced pastelist, this is the book you have been waiting for. The most comprehensive book on soft pastels available, from a master artist with over 30 years of experience. Secrets of pastel painting are revealed with explanations of techniques, detailed demos, and easy to understand diagrams. Learn methods that produce better results, and also why they work, giving you a deeper understanding of pastel and art in general.

 

Creating art should be fun, not frustrating. Many how-to books teach how to follow along but not how to create your own artwork. This book covers every stage of the process, from choosing supplies to professional advice on what to do after a painting is finished. This book dives deep into understanding color, mixing, and more. Chris balances encouragement with skill-building to push your art forward. This is a complete art instruction course packed into a book.

 

Inside you'll find:

  • Lessons for all skill levels
  • Money saving tips for choosing supplies
  • Blending, mixing, layering, glazing, lines, edges
  • Adding depth to your paintings
  • Techniques, sequencing, color theory
  • How to mix any color accurately with few pastels
  • Working from photos and their limitations
  • Planning a painting & setting up your workspace for success
  • Protect your paintings without fixative
  • Storing, framing, & photographing artwork
  • Step by step demos of complex paintings
  • Painting process from start to finish
  • Packed with color illustrations and beautiful artwork
  • And much more!

 

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