Pastels

The Power of Pastels

For centuries, artists have used soft pastels for their color, speed, and ease of application as well as their velvety appearance. Not to be confused with oil pastels, soft pastels are very much like pressed powder sticks and contain very little or no oil. Better grades of pastels contain so little stretcher or filler that they are very much like painting with pure pigment. Although each formulation is different, their composition consists of very refined powdered pigments and tiny amounts of clay (kaolin) with natural binders.

Because there are many superior, archival quality brands of pastels made commercially, it is unlikely that you would "need" to explore the actual creation of pastels, but it is an interesting exercise for those who like immersing themselves in the finer details of a material. Pastels are relatively simple to create on your own, and this is not something you can say about very many artists' materials.

Just to experience the fun of making them, here is a simple recipe. Start by boiling 1/4 cup of oatmeal in a quart of water for about five minutes. Strain the oats well and use the oat water to make a "dough" from powdered tempera and talc-only baby powder. A good starting point is « cup of talc, 2 tablespoons of pigment and 1 teaspoon of oat water. Divide this color into 2 or 3 parts and add different amounts of white tempera to create pastels. Roll into coils about the thickness of pencils and allow to dry. NOTE: There is a somewhat fine line in the amount of oat "binder" needed to create a good pastel. Too little oat "glue" and the pastel will crumble; too much and the pastel is too rigid to create a soft, powdery line.

An improved formula uses pigment, kaolin or chalk and gum arabic crystals that have been dissolved in distilled water (1 ounce of crystals to 3 quarts of distilled water). Create a paste with equal parts of pigment and kaolin or chalk and just enough arabic fluid to hold it together. For lighter tones create a pure white pastel using chalk and the gum arabic fluid. Then blend 50/50 the white and pigmented dough. Vary the amount of white to alter the tone.

The surface upon which you create your pastel paintings can be any one of the growing variety now manufactured. Traditional papers in many colors and textures, velvets, sanded and sized papers and boards are widely available. Here again, you can experiment by using unusual materials or even make your own original, handmade surfaces. Special velvet papers rose in popularity in the early 1970's and have remained a favorite of many pastel artists. Their unusually soft surfaces grip the powder and give a lush surface appearance. They are available in an ever-increasing number of colors, although the soft, natural tones are the most popular.

Newer pastel grounds have begun to appear on the market as well. Rigid boards with a tough, fine-grain "toothy" surface allow for heavy layering and strong blending, things most papers cannot stand up to. Fine sandpaper is one surface that gives pastels something to really "grip." Now available commercially are sanded sheets or rolls created on a strong, non-buckling paper base. They can even stand up to mixed media works that use oil, acrylic and watercolor under-painting and pastel overlay. Easily reworked, strong and neutral pH, these are the choice of many professionals.

Special absorbent grounds are available that allow you to create a great mixed media surface. Brush these grounds onto a canvas, museum board, Claybord, or Masonite for a surface of exceptional strength that still offers a "softness" similar to paper. It is a very unusual work surface and one that has great potential and can be tinted before being applied.

Pastel paintings are very fragile. The artwork created with pastels is little more than dust sitting on a soft or rigid surface. Fixing this powder to the surface will hold the particles in place but, in the process, the wonderful feel and look of the powder is forever changed. Most pastel artists cringe at the thought of fixing their works, never spraying or otherwise altering them. There is great risk in this practice. Even with the most innocent or accidental touch to the work, a smear or smudge may occur. The surface is so fragile that strong winds, or studio fans, can dislodge much of the powder and alter the image.

One solution, only applicable for works done on paper, is to spray the fixative onto the back side of the sheet. Allow the fixative to saturate the paper to grip the powder from the back side. While this is a tricky procedure, if done correctly, it causes much less alteration in the surface look and "feel" but affords the pastel painting some degree of permanence.

Transporting pastels is tricky too. Laying the finished work in a portfolio with a non-absorbent covering over it is one of the safest shipping/storage solutions. Hold the pastel work in place with acid-free tape, archival corners, or a similar positioning device and cover it with the non-absorbent covering. The portfolio can be as simple as two pieces of acid-free mat board. The important thing to remember is that the pastel must not slip or slide inside the folder. Rolling is not a good way to transport the work because the powder affixes itself to the back side and spreads or smudges each time the piece is unrolled.

Color, pizzazz and texture! Pastels offer such variety and dimension to the artist that their popularity is at an all- time high. The color selection is phenomenal and includes literally hundreds of colors. Permanency and intensity are two more reasons to love pastels. And there is nothing like the buttery lushness of a pastel. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start enjoying the many attributes of this dynamic medium.

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Competitions

--Chesterwood, a National Trust Historic Site in Stockbridge, MA, and summer estate of sculptor Daniel Chester French, has issued a Call for Slides/Proposals for the twentieth outdoor exhibition: "Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood 1999." Janie Conner, of the Conner-Rosenkranz Gallery, New York City, is guest curator. There are no restrictions on sculpture style, and all media suitable for outdoor installation and viewer-safe are appropriate. The exhibition term is July 3 - October 12 and the deadline for submission is March 23. Call (413) 298-3579 for an application.

--To celebrate its twentieth anniversary, the Women's Studio Workshop is giving away 21 $1,000 grants to visual artists across New York State only. Artists working in hand papermaking, printmaking, book arts and photography are invited to apply. Send 10 slides with name, a slide script to include dimensions, media, and date to WSW, P.O. Box 489/722 Binnewater Lane, Rosendale, NY 12472. Jurors include Inverna Lockpez, artist and independent curator, and Roberta Waddell, Curator of Prints, NY Public Library. Deadline: April 15.

--The Artist's Magazine has issued a call for entries for its 1999 Art Competition. More than $16,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, recognizing 15 major award winners and more than 200 finalists. Open to both amateur and professional artists, the categories include Portraits, Landscapes, Still Life, and Experimental Art as well as a new category-- Animal Art. Also, a Student/Beginner division has been added for each category. Top award winners and honorable mentions will be featured in the December 1999 issue, twelve finalists will be spotlighted as "Artist of the Month" throughout 1999 issues, and 12 winners will be featured in the 2000 calendar. For rules/entry form, send a SASE to The Artist's Magazine 1999 Art Competition, Attn. Terry Boes, Dept. PR, 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207; fax (513) 531-1843, Dept. PR.

Art Online

Digital Graphics Trend of the New Millennium

Rapid technological advances are occurring in the art, photographic, and entertainment industries as the twentieth century comes to a close. Just as the twentieth century began as a period of explosive growth in science and technology, so will the twenty-first century witness the continuing influence of technology in life as we experience it.

Presently, advances in computer art and graphics have taken what used to be physical image representations and transposed them into the digital realm. Currently, the appeal of many blockbuster movies is their digital effects. Where once there was painted and stop-frame animation, there are now digital dinosaurs, digital scenery, and even digital toy story characters and virtual insects.

These advances provide opportunities for all artists to get images of their works into digital format so that copies can be stored, transferred, and displayed in mediums such as the Internet. The pages of the World Wide Web wouldn't have a fraction of their current appeal without all of the digital graphics that are used to enhance the look of cyberspace. As another indication of their increasing popularity, a recent Internet search of "digital art" through Yahoo produced three categories and 1,178 sites.

Among the millions of graphics displayed on the web, the most common format is the GIF file (for Graphic Interchange Format - file extension .gif). These files are especially suitable for images containing large areas of the same color and are popular for their relatively small size and good image representation.

For photographic-quality images, JPEG files (for Joint Photographic Experts Group - file extension .jpg) are preferred. JPEG image quality is superior to the GIF format for photographic images, but the trade-off is the increased file size of JPEG files. In a computerized environment, such as the Internet, the larger the file size, the longer it will take a computer to open and display the image.

Other computer graphic formats that are popular are bit-map files. This format stores information in an image pixel, bit by bit. A pixel is the smallest part of a digitized image or the smallest picture element on a television screen or computer monitor. A bit is the smallest unit of memory in a computer; a contraction from "binary" and "digit."

There are many bit-mapped file formats, such as .bmp, .pcx, .pict, .tiff, etc. These types of files are usually undesirable since they often have inferior graphic reproduction and also have file sizes that are prohibitively large.

EPS (for Encapsulated Postscript) graphics files are also popular. This type of file offers one of the most accurate methods of defining a font or image, but is often enormous in file size (usually in megabytes, or many millions of bits). EPS files can be used on all computers, but not all postscript files are the same, or readable among software programs.

Creating digital content for film takes the coordinated effort of scores of skilled computer graphic artists, lots of computing power (supercomputers and workstations), and millions of dollars to pay for it all. There is, however, computer equipment that is affordable and available to just about anyone. Also, the skills needed to use this equipment are fairly easy to pick up and the results are usually quite good.

There are a number of ways to get images transferred into a digitized format. One way is to take a photograph of an image and then use a scanner to transpose it into a digital file. Scanners are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at most electronic retail stores.

A scanner is much like a copier: You place an image (flat or slightly three-dimensional) on the scan surface, and the scanner will record the image and transfer it into a digital format. Once the image is captured, it can be sent to a personal computer where compatible software can be used to resize it, crop the image, alter the colors, etc.

Another way to directly capture a digital image is by using a digital camera. Most major camera manufacturers now offer a diverse line of these types of cameras - many at affordable prices.

Digital cameras employ the same principles as standard cameras except that instead of using film, they have a light-sensitive array of sensors that interpret light and then store the image on either internal memory or on a storage card or disk. At present, images from these cameras still lag behind the quality of a good film camera, but the gap is rapidly closing. Like a scanned image, digital images from these cameras can be sent to a personal computer where software can be used to alter the image.

A digital camera offers the fastest way to get real-world images into digitized format. For those who would like more information about them, check out www.camera.com on the Internet (or see your local camera supply store). Scanners are inexpensive and easy to use and, with a personal computer, you can scan photographs and make outstanding digital images.

If you prefer, you can take your images to a commercial printing service chain (such as Sir Speedy) and they will scan and digitize your images for a modest price. Once your images are in digital format, you can hand them out on diskette, e-mail them around the globe, or display them on the Internet.

So why not see what the buzz is all about. For a reasonable amount of time and resources, you can become proficient in the art of digital imagery by digitizing your art and possibly reaching a far larger audience than you ever could before.

  Art Marketplace

New Web Sites

--See Artograph's new Web Site at www.artograph.com. Visit and you'll find info on art projectors, spray systems, the Sidekick Easel, light boxes, a convenient list of suppliers/retailers by state, and a unique "Garage Sale."

--Gagne's new Web Site can be seen at www.gagneinc.com. Here you'll find information on opaque projectors by Porta-Trace, light tables, and image viewing systems and associated products.

In the Spotlight:
Safety and Non-Toxic Clean-Up for Printmakers from Graphic Chemical and Ink Co.

Printmakers have educated themselves in recent years regarding the relative safety of the materials which they use. Graphic Chemical & Ink has taken a leadership role in the effort to make labeling of artists' materials more meaningful and was one of the charter members of the Arts & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI), which is the organization charged with administering the voluntary labeling standard for art materials.

Every printmaking studio has the potential of being a safe and secure work space. All it takes is a little information and the selection of appropriate safety gear.

If you use acids in your studio, a must is the Acid Spill Kit which contains a product called Neutrasorb that neutralizes the spilled acid. The kit contains disposable gloves, an apron, and a scoop to pick up the mess. Another must is a Respirator with the appropriate set of filters. Dust Masks, although sold, are not recommended for protection from acids or solvents. Heavy Duty Rubber Gloves are another necessity in any studio. If you prefer a tighter fitting glove, the Nimble Fingers Gloves (similar to a surgical glove) are recommended. Two additional important additions to your safety supplies are the Soft Frame Goggles and Rubberized Cloth Aprons.

Once you have the necessities, there are a number of products which make nice additions to your safety and clean-up supplies. When it comes to hand cleaners, some great choices are available. Most popular is Perfection Hand Cleaner, which comes in 1 pt. containers. Another favorite, Master's Hand Soap, will clean inks, paints, and stains from your hands with little effort.

If you combine the hand soap with the use of a barrier cream before you start, you can print all day and party all night without worrying about how your hands look. Barrier creams are great additions to the studio, but almost all will wear off over time. The favorite cream has been Invisible Glove. After the cream is applied and allowed to dry, it helps tremendously in the clean-up process. If properly applied, the areas under the fingernails and the cuticles are easily cleaned with minimal effort. For the best results, Graphic recommends the use of Master's Hand Soap in addition to the barrier creams.

Aqua Brush is a great cleanup aid. It attaches easily to most standard faucets and works by concentrating the water flow into a small jet stream. This stream then "power cleans" under fingernails and cuticles.

See your retailer for the above products, all available from Graphic Chemical & Ink Co. (on the Web at www.arttalk.com/GraphicChemical&Ink/index.htm).

Exhibition Review

"Van Gogh's van Goghs"
Masterpieces from the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam

by Janean S. Thompson

Hop a plane! Grab a bus! Drive! Walk if you have to! But get to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art before April 4 and bask in the genius of Vincent van Gogh. If you need a way to justify the trip, look at it as a way to save the cost of a trip to Europe! (How's that for "instant" justification?)

This extraordinary exhibit consists of an interesting mix of works and styles. It is more a cross section of van Gogh's work, with examples of 70 seldom seen works, both expected and uncharacteristic works and subject matter seldom associated with this painter. Most of the paintings on display were collected and protected by van Gogh family members and are rarely, if ever, seen outside of the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. If you miss this opportunity, an opportunity not only to view the work of a great painter but also to peek into his world and hear recordings of his personal letters to associates and family, you will have missed a grand experience.

The exhibit itself is very well organized and, despite the fact that hundreds of people flow through the museum every day, one feels neither rushed nor crowded, and everyone has a window of time to spend at each work. And, oh, what work it is!

No poster, no print, no photographic representation can begin to convey the lush textures, colors and dynamics of each of the paintings. The energy and excitement of every brush stroke is visible. Every color, every layer leaps out at the viewer. With the assistance of an exceptionally well done audio cassette "tour," you are transported to the time and place that each work was created. With a little imagination, you can almost smell the sun-parched wheat fields, feel the winds in the orchards, and empathize with the peasants as they eat their evening potatoes.

As a chronicle of the creative years of van Gogh's life, this exhibition is set up with early works viewed in the forward salon. Though the images are somber and depict the everyday peasant life, the harsh reality of the common man of his time, van Gogh offers a feast in color and design. What appears at first glance to be a solid, almost placid background color, when viewed closely (remarkably, you are allowed to get very close to any image you wish to examine), those dark areas come to life with brush strokes and subtle, yet energized, color application. As one viewer remarked, he had thought some of van Gogh's early works to be dull and somewhat boring, but a close examination revealed a rich, elegant palette of color and far more detail than any reproduction had ever depicted.

There is a total of at least five salons with work displayed in segments or time frames that divide van Gogh's paintings into sections. Starting with early works from Holland and progressing through the Paris years, the exhibit ends with some of the recognized wheat field series pieces painted near Auvers. Works were influenced by not only his surroundings, but by his mental and physical health at any given time in his abbreviated career. Images frequently associated with van Gogh are prevalent and so are images that seem unusual for this painter. In one of the salons is a beautiful painting of a flowering almond branch that is done with a smooth and far less textural application. In another salon are several works with a soft and delicate appearance, painted as part of the work he did in Paris in 1887. These soft and almost sketchy works are a surprise and a delight because they give new dimension to this master talent. Another section contains an animal painting that would never have been thought of as a subject for this artist. A most varied and pleasing array of paintings!

Experimentation and development of style were constants for van Gogh. His association with other impressionistic painters of his time made an impact on him, but he chose to create a unique style rather than follow what was then the forward painterly style of the time. His personal perception of color and design set his work apart from his contemporaries.

Van Gogh was driven to paint, create, and design and was reluctant to display his work in public. In fact, other than a few close friends, few ever saw his paintings. Though an exhibit was planned, his high hopes for that grand exhibition were dispelled by the first outbreak of his illness. Such an exhibition was never realized. It is strange, in a way, that his work was not widely sold but that accounts for the fact that his family was able to maintain a huge collection containing widely diverse subject matter.

Many pieces in the collection presented at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are surprising for one who has not previously seen van Gogh's work "live," but several things will remain with this viewer for a very long time. First is a deep compassion for this very industrious painter, who in a very short period (barely 10 years) completed over 200 paintings and five hundred drawings; and second is a realization that some torment haunted this great painter. His agony, spilled over every canvas and in an unselfish, open way, is shared with all viewers. His sorrow and grief are part of the fascination and compelling nature of his work.

"Van Gogh's van Goghs" is a must-see show! Do buy your tickets prior to your trip. Evenings and weekends sell out quickly. Call (323)857-6000.

Airbrush

Gearing Up for Summer T-Shirt Painting

With spring and summer quickly approaching, it's time for airbrush artists who have considered using their talent to make money on the boardwalk, at fairs or festivals to start practicing and learning the techniques that are used in airbrushing T-shirts.

To begin, you'll need the following equipment and materials:

--Bottom feed, internal mix, dual action airbrush.
--Piston-operated compressor, at least 1/2 HP that provides a minimum of 1/2 cubic foot of air (cfm) at 50 lb. pressure (psi).
--Airbrush hose.
--Pre-reduced airbrush textile paints.
--Airbrush holder.
--T-shirt boards to stretch the shirts over.
--100% cotton T-shirts in various sizes.
--Assortment of airbrush paint jars.
--Easel.
--Stencils.
--Airbrush cleaner.

To begin, go to a local fabric store and purchase a few yards of white 100% cotton, similar to T-shirt fabric. (Ask!) Paint on the actual material, since it has a feel much different from that of paper or canvas.

Practice the dagger stroke on the fabric. This is a stroke that goes from a wide line to a fine line in a short space and is the stroke most often used by T-shirt artists. (It's demonstrated on virtually every T-shirt instructional video.)

It is essential to master the airbrushing of alphabets because all your customers will want a name or phrase airbrushed on their T-shirts (e.g., "Don Loves Pam," etc.) The most popular lettering styles are script (simply a controlled handwriting), block or bubble (solid letters with a bulbous appearance), and punk or graffiti (straight, stick-type lettering). Remember to keep your letters consistent.

As you will see after spraying the alphabet, freehand airbrushing results in a soft look. To achieve a hard edge, you must use a stencil. Cut your stencils from 5 mil acetate, airbrush through them, and see how the spray captures the edge. Most airbrush work is a combination of freehand airbrushing and stenciling.

Work with a limited palette of colors consisting of red, yellow, blue, purple, aqua, brown, green, medium gray, black, white and hot pink. Textile airbrush colors do not require thinning. Note that you cannot increase the intensity of a color through inter-mixing.

Work up several designs, paint samples, and assemble an attractive display from which customers may choose.

In conclusion, airbrushing T-shirts can be a lucrative, fun summer job for many aspiring artists. Price is determined by the quality of the T-shirt, the complexity of the design, and the competition around you. Don't limit yourself, however, to painting only T-shirts. Baseball caps, license plate tags and children's clothing are also popular airbrushed items.

Next month we will discuss how to do one of the hottest trends ever in airbrush application--temporary tattoos.

ArtPourri

Painting to Remain--"Numbers, 1964" by Jasper Johns was created specifically to adorn the lobby of State Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. After considering the sale of the artwork for $15 million to fund building improvements, the board abandoned the idea as a result of criticism from several museums and the artist himself.

Campaign Successful--Yaddo, the artists' community in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has received a gift of $1 million for its Centennial Gift Campaign. Yaddo provides artists with an environment where they can think, create and work, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2000.

Artifacts Go Home--The J. Paul Getty Museum has returned to Italy three important antiquities from its collection. The artifacts, determined to be previously stolen, were a 480 B.C. Greek terracotta drinking cup, a torso of the god Mithras from 2C., and a 2C. Roman copy of a sculpture by Polycleitus.

Role Model "Created"--The U.S. Postal Service has issued a new stamp celebrating Jackson Pollock's contribution to abstract expressionism, the second to commemorate an American artist. They have, however, altered the 1949 Life magazine photograph. The artist is now shown in his studio pouring paint onto canvas sans a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The stamp is part of the 1940's series of the Postal Service's "Celebrate the Century" campaign.

Milestone for Mural Painter--Spanish artist Jose Vela Zanetti has died in Spain at age 85. Vela Zanetti won an international competition in 1952 to create a mural on the theme of peace for the UN headquarters in NYC. "Mankind's Struggle for a Lasting Peace" is 64 feet long, was restored last year, and was recently rededicated.

Watercolors Sold--Thirty paintings by "Sybil," a renowned woman with possibly 16 personalities who was the subject of a book and television movie, have been sold for more than $30,000. Shirley Ardell Mason was a trained artist who died in 1998 at age 75. Makes you wonder--Did different personalities paint different works?

Top Draws Announced--The Art Newspaper has compiled a list of attendance for major shows in the U.S. during 1998. "Monet in the 20th Century," Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, was top draw at 565,992; second was "The Private Collection of Edgar Degas," Metropolitan Museum of Art, at 528,267; and third was "Van Gogh's van Goghs," National Gallery of Art, at 480,496.

Museums Merge--The Museum of Modern Art, NYC, has agreed to merge with the P.S. 1 Center for Contemporary Art in Long Island City, Queens. The Modern will now have greater involvement with contemporary art, reach a younger audience, and have access to additional exhibition space.

Exhibitions:

--"Daguerreotypes to Digital," Oregon History Center, Portland, through March 28, explores the medium from the earliest photographs (daguerreotypes) to today's digital imagery.

-- "Sinners and Saints, Darkness and Light: Caravaggio and His Dutch and Flemish Followers," Milwaukee Art Museum, through April 18.

-- "Gustave Moreau: Between Epic and Dream," Art Institute of Chicago, through April 25.

-- "The Invisible Made Visible: Angels from the Vatican," Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach, FL, through April 4.

-- "Pop Impressions Europe/USA: Prints and Multiples from The Museum of Modern Art," NY, through May 18.

-- "Fate, Fortune, Nemesis: Albrecht Durer at the Century's End," Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA, through April 11.

--"Picasso and the War Years 1937-1945," Guggenheim, through May 9.

March Birthdays

  7    Piet Mondrian

        Milton Avery

13    William Glackens

17    Kate Greenaway

23    Juan Gris

30    Vincent van Gogh

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 9 No. 5 -- March 1999