pastel dec11 sample
TRANSCRIPT
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FnL1040120
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12
US $6.99
Display until January 9, 2012
DECEMBER 2011
Winter Along the Foothills(detail; 20x24) by Lorenzo Chavez www.pastel journal.com
the colors
of winterLorenzo Chavezdemonstrates how topaint snow in pastel
CREATIVE C L R:
5 ARTISTS OFFER TIPS
THE LINK ETWEEN
ALUE & COLOR
E T PA ST EL G
AHEAD, BRUSH IT ON
RITI UES BEY ND
THE CLASSROOM
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Manyplein airlandscape paint-ers find it hard to return to the
confines of a studio after an invigo-rating season of on-location painting.
The tactile relationship betweensubject matter and artist when paint-ing outdoors is so stimulating that
working back in the studio fromphoto reference can sometimes lead
to creative malaise and a diminisheddesire to paint. When I find myselfstarting to feel this way, I turn toinnovative pastel techniques asa way to get motivated, discover afresh perspective and rekindle myenthusiasm for studio painting.
Since mostplein airexperiencesare limited to no more than a fewhours, painters must become adeptat working quickly and concisely. Theunderlying challenge outdoors is the
fleeting light, not the methods of pas-tel application. This is why beginnerscan be especially frustrated whenpainting on location, as they tryto confront at once the fundamentalstructural components of painting thelandscape; the techniques of pastel;and the physical logistics of thepleinairsituation. Consequently, this isntthe time to throw in a new techniqueor unfamiliar product.
On the other hand, the use offamiliar, well-practiced techniqueswhich is so essential to a successfuloutcome outdoorscan becomepredictable over time and lead tostagnation. Thats what makesstudio painting so v ital even forthe most devoted outdoor painter.In the studio, when working fromphotographic reference or small fieldsketches, theres no urgency. Im incontrol of the lighting and climate,
and can theoretically take as long asI wish to complete a painting. Thereis, for this reason, more opportunity
Tis the Season to Mix It UpWinter is the perfect time of year to hunker down in the studio,
get experimental and make new discoveries.
Winters Marks(18x15)
Working on Wallis paper, I applied pastel
and then wet it with denatured alcohol. This
embedded the pigment into the surface, creat-
ing a permanent underpainting. Once it dried,
I continued with watercolor washes, and then
used pastel to bring the piece to completion.
Pastel PointersBy Richard McKinley
8 The Pastel Journal December 2011
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to experiment with products andprocedures that might have provedtoo time-consuming or clumsy toimplement on location.
No Boundaries
Since the days of Edgar Degas, themedium of pastel has been the per-fect companion for experimentalartists. It has been applied to varioussurfaces, spread with any number
of liquids, sprayed with fixative,pressed into surfaces, painted over orapplied on top of all kinds of media;and the list goes on.
The only consideration whenexperimenting with a mixture ofproducts and procedures is thearchival integrity of the final paint-ing. Some papers and surfaces thatare high in rag content, for example,are prone to wrinkling when water isapplied. Some gritty surfaces can be
compromised by the introduction ofany alcohol-based product. If a pas-tel surface has been glued to a rigidsubstrate, the addition of liquid maysoften the adhesive. The best bet isto test how the surface and liquid,or media, interact before committingto the process.
Ive done plenty of experimentingin my studio over the years, tryingout various pastel surface texturesand methods of dry and wet pastelapplication, as well as mixed-mediaunderpainting techniques. Lately, Ivebeen especially interested in threedifferent processes for wetting an ini-tial application of pastel, thus creatinga stable underpainting over whichto apply additional mixed-media andpastel applications.
Wetting Pastel With Alcohol
When wetting a layer of pastel with
alcohol to produce an underpainting,the alcohol (denatured or rubbingalcohol) evaporates quickly and,
therefore, doesnt tend to cause thepaper surface to wrinkle. The alcoholcan have the effect, however, of soft-ening some sanded surfaces, such as
Wallis pastel paper. But rather thanavoiding the paper for this technique,I decided to explore the possibilitiesin allowing the softening to occur. Ifound that the alcohol only softens thesurface slightly, creating just enoughtack for permanent adhesion of the
wet pastel. Once its dry, I can applypastel (or various wet media) over itwithout fear of it mingling with theunderlying layer. And, the rapidlydrying nature of the alcohol producesa more fragmented, loose brushstrokeappearance that Ive found interestingto work over. See my pastel, WintersMarks(opposite), for an example.
Wetting Pastel
With SpectraFix Fixative
The use of fixative to set a layerof pastel is a fairly common practice.This isolation of layers stops theblending of individual colors and val-ues, producing a more vibrant outerlayer. But most commercial fixativesare only available in an aerosol spraycan, which limits application possi-bilities. The casein-based SpectraFix,however, is a liquid fixative thatsavailable in a pump bottle or as a con-centrate, so a brush can be employed.Liquefying an initial layer of pastelwith this fixative on a brush producesa wet, loose underpainting filled withserendipitous drips and runs that onlyhappen when pigment is made wet. Itdries to a matte surface that doesntaffect the colors hue and has a mini-mal effect on value. Subsequent layersof pastel or even wet mixed media canbe placed over the top of this type ofunderpainting, allowing for unlimited
creative possibilities. See the under-painting stage and finished pastel,Along the Slough, on page 12.
December 2011 www.pasteljournal.com 9
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Wetting Pastel With Clear Gessoor Pastel Ground
Other surfaces that are fun toexplore include various grit-basedsurfaces. There are several ready-made grounds available, such as ArtSpectrum Colourfix Primer, LascauxPastelground, Golden Acrylic Groundfor Pastel and Liquitex Clear Gesso.Many of these come pre-colored tocreate a desired surface tone for the
artists needs. Others are clear orneutral, allowing the artist to controlthe tone. Homemade variations canbe produced by mixing an acrylicbinder with a gritty substance, likefine pumice power. Applying a pastelground allows artists to controltexture by the means of applicationto the substrate and to control toothby the volume of grit.
Recently, Ive used these clearpastel grounds as a means for wet-
ting and spreading the initial pastelapplication. I apply a light layer ofpastel to the substrate (etching paper,watercolor paper or a similar whiterag board), and then apply the clearpastel ground directly into the pastellayer with a brush. By thinning theground with water, various creativeeffects can be produced. Once dry,the surface is permanent, and addi-tional layers of pastel or wet mixedmedia can be applied. This methodof underpainting can produce con-siderable texture with which the finallayers of pastel interacts. For a step-by-step example of this technique,see Morning Tone: A Demo at left.
Creative Adventures
Since these methods produce anear permanent underpainting,Ive had the abil ity to work moremonochromatically in initial stages,
freely layering transparent washesof color over the top. Often, theseunderpaintings lead to further
Morning Tone:A DemoStage 1: I started this painting by
applying hard pastel (Paynes gray)
to a piece of Rives BFK etching
paper as a value drawing. I then
used Liquitex Clear Gesso to wet
it, producing a permanent value
underpainting.
Stage 2:I brushed over this value
underpainting with wet, colorful
washes of watercolor.
Stage 3: In the next stage, I used pastel over the watercolor
underpainting to complete the painting.
Morning Tone(16x18)
1
2 3
Pastel Pointers
10 The Pastel Journal December 2011
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mixed-media experimentationwith the introduction of charcoal,Cont crayon, pencil, India inkand white acrylic gesso. Anotherbenefit is that if a subsequentpastel layer isnt working, it canbe washed off with litt le effectto the underpainting.
The medium of Degas willalways inspire experimentation,and contemporary pastelists willcontinue to find new ways to mixit up. Exploration is an ongoing
journey and one that alwaysprovides new levels of possibilityand fun.
Richard McKinley(www.mckinleystudio.com)
is a columnist and blogger for The Pastel Journal,
and the author ofPastel Pointers
(North LightBooks, 2010). Check out the Richard McKinley
Value Pack at www.northlightshop.com.
Alon g the
Slough
(16x12) andunderpainting
(below)
For this piece, painted on UART 400-grit pastel
paper, I used SpectraFix to wet t he bright tones
of pastel, and then finished with additional
applications of pastel.
12 The Pastel Journal December 2011
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A crucial lesson in value helpedBarbara Courtney Jaenickemove
beyond theory to an interpretative,more expressive approach to color.
BY DEBORAH SECOR
awakening
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Early Morning Reections(20x30)
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UPON SEEING THE DELICATELY
crafted color in the rolling hills and softlyshadowed trees of a Barbara Courtney
Jaenicke landscape, you might identify theartist a natural talent, but the artist woulddisagree. Color wasnt always intuitive forme, she says. I had to really study howit worked, and then I had to move beyondapplying the principles of color theory only
to local color. Over the years, Jaenicke hasspent a lot of time examining the work ofother artists she admires, searching for their
secrets to a more interpretive approach. Notsurprisingly, then, she delights when othersdescribe her work as emotionally striking.
I dont think I have inborn artistic talent,Jaenicke says. Its a skill that Ive developedwith a nose-to-the-grindstone vengeance.
Necessary Obsession
Jaenicke describes her relationship with art
as an obsession. She always knew shed be anartist, although at first she headed into theworld of advertising as an art director. But in
Stretching ColorAfter having awakened to the possibilities
of interpretive color, Barbara Jaenicke no
longer seeks to copy local color. A com-
parison of the reference photo for Quiet
MorningBy the Riverand the nished piece,
which she painted on location, demon-
strates how the artist took liberties in her
color selections to create a meaningful
expression of the scene. Most of the year
here in Georgia, we have an enormous
amount of green to work with when painting the landscape,
Jaenicke says. This is something most people love about the
Southeast. I, however, dont like the color green enough to
feature thatmuch of it in my landscapes. It became motivation
for a more interpretive use of color.
Quiet Morning by the River(12x9)
Reference photo
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2002, when looking for part-time work pos-sibilities, she was able to refocus on a careeras a fine artist. Then she was asked to teachan art class for a church group. I realizedI knew more than I thought I did, so I startedteaching classes, she says. The balanceworked well for the artist, who also becamea new mother during this time.
Currently, the artist is so happy in her
present work, she says if she didnt paint, shewould shrivel up and die. And she realizesthe importance of bringing this degree of pas-sion to painting. Ive come to believe thatinorder to squeeze in the numerous hours ofpainting time required to reach certain goalsand to push through the many obstacles andcreative slumps that an artist goes throughpainting, in fact, needs to be an obsession.
Light BulbMoment
Due to her years of design experience asan art director, composition felt like a nativelanguage to Jaenicke. Learning to paintlocal color seemed the next logical progres-sion. Her studies in color theory were useful,resulting in credible paintings, but as sheimproved, she became increasingly eagerto do more than copy nature. I realized thatIm the artist and I can interpret my subjectmatter, she says. One of the key skills Ineeded in order to achieve this was a bettersense of how to use color interpretively.
Viewing a demonstration at a South-eastern Pastel Society meeting precipitatedchanges in Jaenickes work. Margaret Dyer
showed us how the right value allows youto use any color. A light bulb just wentoff, Jaenicke says. Once I understoodmore clearly how to prioritize values overparticular color choices, it was liberating.I organized my pastels by value, whichimmediately gave my use of color a big boost,too. I found that using color more interpre-tively in this way became not only easier,
but a whole lot more fun.Though her earliest explorations were so
bright she felt she needed sunglasses to look atthe paintings, in time, Jaenicke began to applyher new approach to muted neutral colorsevery bit as much as she did to the saturated,sun-drenched ones. And, beneath them all,value remains the workhorse. When thelight, medium and dark values are where theyneed to be, I find that color becomes my play-ground, Jaenicke explains. But if the valuesare off, even the most gorgeous colors wonthelp. In fact, theyll make mud.
Jaenicke calls color theory the never-ending lesson. Although she learned aboutthe color wheel and how to utilize colortemperature long ago, it has taken yearsto truly comprehend the complexity of thesubject and to grow. The better I understoodthe theory, she says, the easier it was toexperiment using non-local color, ultimatelyadvancing my skills. Although it has takenvery deliberate effort, the artist has been able
to stretch and expand the ways she bumpsvarious colors up against one another inorder to achieve a greater level of expression.
Warm Sunlight on
a Cold Winters Day
(far left; 14x18)
Almost to the Lake
(center; 11x14)
Road May Be Slippery
(above; 12x16)
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Daring Color
In recent years, Jaenicke has been workingsteadily toward ever bolder color choices. IfI want to be daring and really stray from thelocal color, she says, I experiment first withsmall studies, about 5x7 inches or so. I some-times do these in preparation for a painting;other times I simply scribble out swatcheson a scrap piece of pastel paper to see whatworks well together.
To make her color selections, Jaenickechooses colors and combinations she knowsshe loves. I often make note of combinations
that I like by observing the work of other art-ists, she says. Ill play with complementarycolors or expand on color combinations that
are personal favorites. I like to highlight aparticular combination in a painting, whichI usually locate at the focal point and oftenrepeat more subtly in other areas of thepainting. I have to be careful not to overuseit though, or it may lose its impact.
Jaenickes paintings illustrate her successusing newfound, exciting color. Pointing toRoad May be Slippery(on the previous page)she notes that she chose a definite color pat-tern, seeking color harmonies throughout thepiece. I was going after drama, she says. Toachieve it, I used bold contrasts in color andlight, as well as a high horizon with carefullyangled lines. In Early Morning Reflections(onpages 36 and 37), I repeated colors in sev-eral areas, working with color families. Forinstance, I snuck the orangish reds into thetrees and the grass, and used some purplishred in the greens at the bottom.
Sometimes Jaenicke has a general ideaof the palette she plans to use in a painting,but if shes in need of inspiration, she curls
Sunbathed Field(11x14)
When the light, medium and darkvalues are where they need to be, I find
that color becomes my playground.
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up with her art journals and books. Its likesitting down with friends to see how theyveapproached similar subject matter, she says.Shes learned that often the paintings thatvisually grab her are the ones that possessparticularly strong contrasting color com-binations, like striking shades of vibrantcolors contrasted against muted grays, shesays. My favorite paintings have nice har-
mony throughout, a balance of warms andcools, and often use good transitions, placinga particular color between two others, such asalong the edge of a shadowbetween it and ahighlighted area.
Jaenicke points to the color sense of artistSusan Ogilv ie (see pages 26-27) as havingbeen particularly instructive. At one time Iwent through a phase when I tried to increasethe color temperature I used in my paintings,
Jaenicke says, but after awhile I learned thatvibrant colors need to be balanced with more
subdued ones. That was the time when mypaintings seemed to require sunglasses, but anice set of Terry Ludwig grays helped me outwith that. When I learned to save the brightsand use muted colors first, I found the satu-rated colors had more impact. They direct theeye around the painting.
Puzzling It Out
As an art student, Jaenicke hated taking timefor thumbnails; now she finds it an essentialfirst step. I remember not really understand-ing the goal of thumbnails. Why draw itsmall and then just draw it all over again?she says. But as an art director, designingads back in the 1980s before computers, weused tracing paper to quickly design andmake adjustments, and Ive come to like thatapproach for my thumbnails.
Today she prints out her reference photo(at about 4x6 inches) on high-quality whiteprinter paper and then puts tracing paper ontop to redraw the elements. I can quickly
see the overall impact, she says, whetherit helps to make the horizon lower or higher,or helps to change a vertical to horizontal.
Quiet Stream at Sunrise(12x14)
Reference photo and thumbnail
Thumbnail SolutionsMaking a thumbnail, says Barbara Jaenicke, is a bit like solving
a puzzle. My goal is to map out the placement of each major shape
and decide where the focal point will be. She does this quickly
by laying tracing paper (with the outer frame already marked
in proportion to the size of the painting) over her reference
photo. I move the tracing paper over the photo so each element
is placed exactly where I want it, she says. She marks the center
point on each of the four sides of the sketch to avoid placing a
noticeable shape or line directly in the center. Then, using the rule
of thirds, she decides where her focal point will be.
Sometimes its simply a matter of shifting some of the shapes
here and there to place them nicely in the composition, Jaenicke
says. But if I m unsure about the composition, or just want
to explore ideassuch as a vertical versus horizontal format
this process allows me to quick ly and easily envision those
options. Marking where key lines intersect the outer frame
helps the artist quickly and accurately size up the thumbnailto her painting surface.
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8/12/2019 PAStel Dec11 Sample
12/1642 The Pastel Journal December 2011
Its a bit like working a Rubiks Cube; youshift parts over and over until all the piecesfit together nicely. I find its an easy way toquickly see all my options. (See ThumbnailSolutions on page 41.)
The thumbnail process also helps the art-
ist to interpret the photo, rather than copy it.Ive found that some of my more successfulpaintings were from photos that needed lotsof help during the thumbnail process, forc-ing me to use more of my own artistic visionto create a piece of artwork instead of a directcopy of the photograph, says Jaenicke. NowI actually enjoy making thumbnails.
This crucial first step launches virtuallyevery painting. Even when working en pleinair, I do a quick thumbnail in a tiny sketch-pad just to see where my main shapes will beplaced within the four borders of the paint-ing, she notes. On location there can be so
much pressure. I know things will go betterif I think ahead and plan. I draw out smallrectangular boxes in my littleplein air sketchpad ahead of time, using a proportionalwheel to make it easy and be sure theyre inproportion to the size of the board I intendto use. I then set my ViewCatcher so I knowthe proportions will match.
Preparation and Process
Jaenicke currently prefers to work on Gator-board that she prepares with Goldens FinePumice Gel. First she tones the board usingliquid acrylic paints, in order to allow a colorto pop through from beneath, most of thetime choosing a warm color, medium-darkin value. She brushes the pumice gel overthis tone, experimenting with various thick-nesses to allow more or less of the brushtexture to remain apparent. I can put the gelon really thickly or thinly, making it morewatery and smooth, she says. I apply itusing random strokes, brushing in different
directions to give it an oil painting texture.Occasionally she prefers to paint on a whitegessoed panel coated with the pumice gel.
Barbara Courtney Jaenicke(www.barbara
jaenicke.com) earned a B.A. in art and advertising
design at The College of New Jersey and worked
in advertising and marketing communications
before focusing on ne art. She has studied
with pastel artists Susan Ogilvie, Albert Handell
and Duane Wakeham, among others. Her work,
which has appeared in numerous exhibitions,
has received several awards including the
Connecticut Pastel Society Award in the Pastel
Society of Americas 38th Annual Pastels Only
exhibition and an honorable mention in the
12th Pastel 100 competition. She lives in Roswell,Ga., with her husband and son.
-
8/12/2019 PAStel Dec11 Sample
13/16December 2011 www.pasteljournal.com 43
Shell roughly lay in pastel colors, over whichshell brush Turpenoid or alcohol to makean underpainting.
With the ground prepared, Jaenickebegins lightly with Nupastels, followed pri-marily by softer pastels such as Unison, Terry
Ludwig or Schmincke. I avoid caking it on,she says. I put in very dark values becauseI can layer over them with strong dark colors,but I also add some of my light values. If Igo to the lightest lights too quickly the colorcan get chalky, but I want to view the wholevalue range right away. She avoids using thelightest of the light values, however, until thevery end, which gives her more informationwhen pushing the brightest highlight areas.
I also try to avoid using too many highlysaturated colors until later in the process,allowing them to pop out among the moremuted values, and to be sure I dont overusebright colors, she says.
Teaching and Persistence
At her home studio in Roswell, Ga., Jaenickehosts weekly classes for a few students, aswell as workshops and classes throughoutthe Atlanta area. I try to help my studentsunderstand what I see, she says. Sometimesshe uses magazines in the classroom to illus-
trate what other artists have done successfully.Now when I look in my copies of The PastelJournalfrom years ago, she says, I see things
I missed before. Teaching forces you to ana-lyze this way. I believe that artists who have toreally work at learning and struggle to figureout what makes a really good painting tendto be effective instructors. I very much enjoyteaching, and I fall into the category of artists
who learned the hard, painstaking way.Knowing this, Jaenicke is determined to
encourage others to persevere. Learning topaint is a process that takes years, one paint-ing at a time, not simply learning a particularmagical technique, she says. Once I figuredthat out, I relaxed and enjoyed the processmuch more. I no longer look at a failed paint-ing as a waste of time or materials, but asmuch needed practice time.
With an act ive 7-year-old boy at home,Jaenicke has to carefully arrange her paintingand teaching time, but her obsession withpainting remains. The gift I have is the pas-sion, she says. I cant imagine not giving itmy all and taking it as far as possible.
Pastel artist Deborah Secor(www.deborahsecor.com) is a longtime
contributing writer for The Pastel Journal. She is currently on the roster
of art professionals offering individual critiques for Artists Network
Critiques (www.artistsnetwork.com/artists-network-critiques).
Aspen Road at Sunset
(far left; 9x12)
To the Chattahoochee
(center; 12x16)
Across the Field(above; 16x12)
To see more paintings by the artist, visit www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/barbara-jaenicke-gallery .
http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/barbara-jaenicke-gallery/?lid=pasjcfr041612http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/barbara-jaenicke-gallery/?lid=pasjcfr041612http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/barbara-jaenicke-gallery/?lid=pasjcfr041612http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/barbara-jaenicke-gallery/?lid=pasjcfr041612http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/barbara-jaenicke-gallery/?lid=pasjcfr041612 -
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