MATERIALS
• Koh-I-Noor Gioconda Pastel Pencils
Zinc White – Bone Black – Light Ochre – Gold Ochre – Indian Red – Sienna – English Red – Caput Mortuum Light – Van Dyke Brown – Pearl Grey – Mouse Grey – Light Orange – Dark Orange – Ice Blue – Dark Ultramarine -Ultramarine Medium
• Conte Pastel Pencil
Flesh
• Stabilo CarbOthello
-Ivory
-Lamp Black
• Rembrandt Pastel
-White
-Black
• Caran D’Ache
-Anthraquinoid – Azurite White – Black
• Fabre Castell soft pastels
• Velour paper
STEP ONE
I start by outlining the image I want to do. Velour isn’t very forgiving if you make a mistake, so you will need to be careful. Consider drawing your image first and then using something like carbon paper to transfer. Go over the image with a pastel pencil to make the outline clear, but don’t make it too dark or it will show through. Pressing too hard will also leave an imprint on the paper.
STEP TWO
Velour paper can fade slightly so it is best to use a base coat. I use blocks of various pastels like Fabre Castell soft pastels. Lightly colour each area. This is a good time to introduce colours like blue if you are aiming for a white with a blue sheen or a blue black.
STEP THREE
I like to start with the upper most point of the background for two reasons. The first is that you don’t want to smudge your work, so starting at the top and working down makes sense as well as going left to right if you are right handed. Secondly, the background is behind the subject and those tiny hairs will want to overlap it.
You can see here that I have also painted in the eye. The fur above and around the eyes will also overlap.
STEP FOUR
Now I can begin layering the fur. Be careful to follow the direction of the fur as seen in your reference image. The hair will change direction as it follows the contours of the face. I typically use the Gioconda Pastel Pencils here as they are hard enough to give a clear line.
STEP FIVE
I have added the nose, again be careful that the nose is done first so you can add the overlap of the fur directly around it. Try to think of the subject as a three-dimensional object. There are many layers; some things go over the top of others.
STEP SIX
Here you can see that I have added a little more blue to the white areas and some more background. I have started to use greys to give the impression of shadows. Typically I use a minimum of three colours for every section. If you look closely at the fur in your reference image, there isn’t just one solid colour, but several shades and colours.
FINAL STEP
Well, we are almost finished now, so the last touches like whiskers are added. Make sure your pencil or pastel is sharp for this part. All one stroke if you can. Whiskers are one smooth, delicate line. I also take this time to whiten or darken anything I feel is not right. Sometimes I use Caran D’Ache Pastels as they are smoother and softer than the Gioconda pencils, so the white will be more brilliant. Rembrandt pastels give a very solid black and white too; just keep the edge sharp. These are particularly useful for the highlight where the sun is hitting the fur or whisker. You might want to leave it now for a couple of days before deciding if it’s done.
ARTIST’S TIP
• One of the most important things when achieving realism is to stop letting your brain tell you what SHOULD be in the image, and instead trust what you see.
