Carmella Jarvi, Artist: Painting a Woman in Water - Part 1 by Carmella Jarvi : Pastel Painting

This is not a brand new video... but I am just learning to use more tools and wanted to post.  This clip is from a DVD that Cheap Joe's Art Stuff (through their Artist Palette Productions division) created.

It is for sale through Cheap Joe's as well as other vendors.  Check out the Title "link" to see purchasing details.  (It's not yet available for downloadable streaming, but they are currently working to bring this choice to the market!)

This is the final completed painting that you see me beginning here on the YouTube clip.  (Notice you hardly see the original reddish pastel surface.)

                                    (Patience too, pastel on board.  24x18".  Private collection.)

Why Unison Pastels?

This 8x10" pastel I just completed is called "Yin". IF you follow my work, you know I love to paint with soft pastels... but I am in LOVE with Unison Pastels, which are distributed in USA by Jack Richeson & Co. Here's a link to see more... www.richesonart.com. (IF you are in the Charlotte area, Cheap Joe's Art Stuff's Charlotte store has a great selection of Unison individual pastels!)

Here is why I love these pastels... they are wider in the middle than the ends and they do NOT crumble (and not even the beautiful Sennelier hand made pastels consistently pass these tests)... and most importantly, they are soft and creamy... unlike any other pastel I've ever tried.

This is how good Unison pastels are... below is "Yin" in a later stage... you're seeing lots of layers of pastel on Colourfix paper (which doesn't hold as much pastel on the surface as the Richeson Pastel Surfaces). There is NO paper visible anymore.

Now, look at the completed painting with the red... the red color was a Unison Pastel that easily glided over the thick pastel surface. ANY pastel, other than Unison, would not have left a mark like this without a LOT of pressure which would have changed the painting. If you are a pastelist, you know that once there is a lot of pastel on the surface, usually you have to press down hard in order to get a color or mark to show. But, NOT with Unison Pastels.

Even if you can't afford Unison, if you love pastels, I'd recommend buying a couple of dark and light colors to see for yourself. This way at the end of your painting when you're laying in the darkest darks and lightest lights, your soft pastel will easily glide across the surface and you will be pleased. (Any artist knows that the quality of supplies will improve your work. It is the same with pastels!)

NOTE: You must carefully remove the paper label to use your individual pastel stick on the side as well as end (this gives you a variety of marks you can make with one stick).

YouTube Introduction to Soft Pastels

Here's the YouTube link to my introduction to soft pastels... (It's from my Instructional DVD, "Painting Water with Pastels".)

www.youtube.com

IF you like what you see, my DVD is available through Cheap Joe's Art Stuff for $24.99. Here's the link for that as well...

www.cheapjoes.com

What pastel supplies do I use?

What supplies do I use? I have been pastel painting for over a decade and have tried many products. Like everything, quality does matter. As an artist, we should use the best quality products we can afford. You can see some of my own pastels to the left.

For me, the best out there is Unison Soft Pastels (www.unisoncolour.co.uk/). They are hand made in England, distributed in the US by Jack Richeson & Co (www.richesonart.com)... and can be purchased at various art supply companies. But I prefer to buy from my favorite local (North Carolina) business, Cheap Joe's Art Stuff (www.cheapjoes.com).

Because the pastels are hand rolled, they are wider in the middle and thinner at ends. Extruded pastels, like Rembrandt, are all the same width and also have a coating on surface that should be rubbed off before using. Even if you cannot afford to move to Unison Pastels, consider buying a couple of darks and lights in this brand to supplement your extruded pastels. Your paintings will be better.

As far as surfaces I work on, I use professional pastel products that have a toothy surface. They hold the pastel and I don't need fix in the end. My two favorite products are Jack Richeson & Co. Premium Pastel surfaces and Colourfix Pastel boards (www.artspectrum.com). The JR&C boards have a LOT of tooth and can take lots of pastels... and their gator foam boards can be washed off if you have a dud painting. The Colourfix boards are great for plein air and have more colors to choose from.

For more on all of this, use the links, or better yet... get my DVD, "Painting Water with Pastels" (www.cheapjoes.com).