Mastering Light and Depth for Stunning Pastel Art
Introduction
Among the different painting techniques, there is pastel, a technique that allows you to create art in soft or vibrant colors and opens up the possibility of a whole tactile experience in the development of the painting.
In pastel painting, mastering light and shadow is key to bringing life and depth to your creations. Whether with soft pastels, hard pastels, or pastel pencils, the ability to manipulate light and shadows not only enhances your drawings and paintings but also elevates them to a new level of realism and expressiveness.
In this article, I will present the best shading and lighting techniques with pastels, sharing practical tips to improve your art.
Understanding Light and Shadow
The first step to understanding shadows and lights and how to apply them in your paintings is to understand how light behaves when interacting with objects. This knowledge is structural to painting, as it is the basis for any shading and lighting work. Some essential concepts:
Highlight: This is the brightest spot, where the light source hits the object most directly. Imagine the sharp reflection on a polished surface.
Midtone: Represents the 'true' color of the object, without the direct influence of intense light or deep shadow. It is the neutral tone that defines the local color.
Core Shadow: This is the darkest area of the shadow on the object itself, positioned farthest from the light source. It marks the point where the surface starts to turn away from the light.
Cast Shadow: The shadow that the object casts on the surface or other objects around it. It helps us anchor the object in space and give a sense of volume.
Observing everyday objects or using reference photos are excellent exercises to train your eye and identify these nuances of light and shadow.
You may also like this article: Pastels for Beginners: Unlocking the World of Pastels.
Shading Techniques with Pastels
Now that we understand the theory, let's move on to the techniques that will bring your shadows to life:
Color Layers: The beauty of pastels lies in their ability to build layers, creating incredibly smooth transitions.
Start with a light color base. And with each new layer, apply a darker tone, allowing you to create shadows and depth gradually.
Use light, soft strokes, blending each layer for a natural, seamless gradient.
Blending Methods: Blending is essential for smooth and realistic shading.
With Fingers: One of the most intuitive ways. Use your fingertips to spread and blend colors, creating fluid transitions.
Blending Tools: For greater control, use tortillons, chamois, or even cotton. They allow you to work details and smaller areas with precision.
Layered Blending: Apply several layers of color, blending lightly between each. This helps integrate the tones and avoid excessive paper saturation.
Complementary Colors for Vibrant Shadows: Forget pure black for your shadows! Using complementary colors can create much richer and more vibrant shadows.
If you are shading a blue object, try adding subtle touches of orange in the shadow areas.
Play with warm and cool tones to intensify contrast and depth.
Hatching and Pointillism for Texture: For shading with more texture or to build value expressively, try:
- Hatching: Parallel strokes that, when repeated and densified, build tonal value.
- Cross-Hatching: Strokes that overlap in different directions, creating darker and denser shadows.
- Scumbling: Small, soft circular movements that add subtle shading and interesting texture.
- Soft Edges vs. Hard Edges: The way you define the edges of your shadows makes all the difference.
Use soft blending for gradual transitions from light to shadow.
Keep edges sharp and defined for more distinct shadows, especially in high-contrast areas where light meets shadow abruptly.
Lighting Techniques with Pastels
Now, let's illuminate your works! Highlighting techniques are as important as shading ones:
Reserving the White of the Paper: Unlike other media, pastel does not use white paint to create the most intense highlights. The magic lies in:
- Planning ahead and leaving areas of the paper untouched. The white of the paper will be your purest and brightest highlight.
The Kneaded Eraser as an Ally: This tool is a secret for subtle highlights.
Gently press the kneaded eraser over the pastel layers to lift the pigment, creating soft and controlled light spots.
Shape the eraser to lift specific details, such as the sparkle in the eyes or the reflection of light on a surface.
Applying Layers of Light Pastel: For softer highlights or to add shine over already colored areas:
- Use white, cream, or very light-colored pastels to add luminosity over darker layers.
- Apply lightly, almost like a "glaze," to maintain transparency and not "dirty" the color underneath.
Scraping Technique: An interesting technique for sharp, controlled highlights.
With a spatula or a sharp edge, delicately scrape a thin layer of pastel, revealing the lighter layer underneath. This is great for creating textures or precise light spots.
Fixative for Highlight Layers: To build bright highlights over dark areas without mixing colors:
- A workable fixative can "seal" a layer of pastel, allowing you to add new layers of light colors on top without them mixing or "dirtying" with the colors underneath.
Practical Tips for Improving Shading and Lighting
In addition to the techniques, some practices can further elevate the level of your work:
Invest in Quality Paper: Good pastel paper, with adequate texture, is fundamental, as it allows for better pigment fixation, allowing more layers and more effective shading and lighting work.
Work from Dark to Light: Generally, it is easier to build lights over shadows than the other way around. Start with mid and dark tones, and add highlights last.
Avoid Excessive Blending: Although blending is important, over-blending can "flatten" your work, taking away its vibrancy. Leave some strokes and textures visible to maintain energy and visual interest.
Observe Light in Real Life: Train your eye! Pay attention to how light falls on objects around you, how shadows form, and how highlights appear. This observation is the best school.
Experiment with Different Light Sources: Practice with direct, diffuse, or backlighting. Each type of light creates unique shadow and highlight effects, expanding your repertoire and understanding.
Final Considerations
Mastering shading and lighting techniques with pastels requires patience and a lot of practice, but the reward is immense. It is a skill that completely transforms your works, giving them depth, realism, and unparalleled beauty.
By applying layers, blending, and intelligently reserving light, you will be well on your way to creating truly stunning and lively pastel drawings.
And you, what are your favorite techniques for shading and lighting with pastels? Share your experiences in the comments!
