Ugh. I am so not ready for this. 30 degrees F and waking up to this:
A small pastel from the other night. This was on my usual, Sennelier, but I have a question for you pastelists out there: I got a couple of sheets of Wallis paper to try, and cut some squares out to try prepping them with different colors of gouache underpainting (so, that includes water). I left them overnight and they curled up very badly, such that they are un-pastelable. Is Wallis not supposed to be used with water?
Miss Lemon just loves squishing her new adoptees. They never seem to mind.
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7 comments:
Jala,
Wallis is great with water and paint mediums. Tape the corners from the reverse side (make a tape "cross") and when it begins to curl from water application, re-stretch the paper and re-adhere the tape. It will flatten out fine.
Another under toning method without the fuss is to use the side of a hard pastel, and wash that with turpenoid. Or, use a tissue or chamois to tone an area. The amount of grit lost, if any, is small.
You can definitely re-use the piece you have.
22 degrees here last night. Brrr.
Jala, I wish I had the answer to that. I use pastel without underpainting. On another note, ewwww I am not ready for snow either. I am a spring and summer gal, and I can tolerate a few weeks in fall. The rest of the year I complain about cold feet. My best to you as always!
Hi Jala,
Wallis is unpredictable and at this point I have given up on it. Yes, you can use water and yes you can re-flatten it. I used to pastel/watercolor underpainting with it for years. Now that they have changed the binder some it tends to orange peel. Very unappealing trait. As for the curls underpainting, take it off the board and put heavy books on top. It will be ready and flat in the morning. Try Uart paper. I love the 400, which is similar to Wallis texture. I use chinese white watercolor in the areas I need white. Good luck!
your recent abstracts have been fascinating: the colours, the tricks on the eyes, the questions in my head. and the snow... already? how wonderful!
Casey - Thank you for the advice. I will definitely try to avoid the whole water-based underpainting next time; it doesn't seem worth the trouble of undoing the curling. I'll try the turpenoid next.
Loriann - Thank you. I also got a sheet of 400 UArt to try. I experimented some with it last night. It's very interesting. So far I think I'm going to have a tendency to overwork on that surface. I did a little playing with it last night and I ended up filling up all the tooth and obliterating my nice underpainting. Sennelier seems more strict in that once you hit a point of overwork, it's suddenly very obvious you can't do any more. The UArt I just kept futzing with forever until it was too full and kind of muddy.
Hi Tina! I'm such a wuss about temperature and climate, it's ridiculous. I hate really hot and really cold and I hate humidity. Such a princess I am.
Rahina - Thank you, and what a cool comment, that they have been entertaining not only your eyes but your mind as well. P.S. Snow already is NOT wonderful!
Loriann, P.S.: I haven't liked the way pastel goes on Wallis at all yet! "Orange peel" is exactly the words I was looking for.
Jala, You might like the new paper called pastel mat. You can get it from Dakota. Richard Mckinley blogged about it. When I was at Dakota they gave me a few pieces to try. Boy does that paper hold pastel!!!! It also takes a lot of water without problem...I didn't have any buckling and I underpainted it repeatedly-in washes. Have fun!
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