How to create a nude in pastel

I really enjoy using pastel as a medium. It  is particularly well suited to achieving soft tonal gradations and the delicacy of skin tones.

This drawing is one of Lyn, a lady who models for lots of art classes and groups around the Cambridge area.
It was done on tinted Murano mount board using a range of different pastels. I use both Winsor and Newton and Senellier soft pastels , as well as charcoal ( willow sticks and charcoal pencils) and conte.

My initial tentative steps at placing the figure on the board are shown above. As can be seen, I didn't get it right first time, and changed the format to landscape. Frustrating, but there is no point in struggling on if the initial planning is wrong. This is done in charcoal. Here I am looking at rhythms through the figure, at basic proportions and angles. It is a very linear method and is only one way of approaching it. I will be considering alternative methods in future blogs.

As I am fairly happy with the basics, I now start blocking in the main masses paying a little attention to tone and colour. I say "little" because these are only the first tentative steps and I know that these will eventually be overlaid and modified. The darker areas are burnt sienna, the lighter tones naples yellow and yellow ochre. 

I now have to consider the background and begin blocking it in. I also make a start on the head. I am able to use soft pastels because very little fine detail is required on these larger areas. Sections like the head, hands and feet, I am careful not to overload and will dust them down before continuing on them. I use a combination of fingers, torchons and clothes to blend. How much blending one does is obviously a matter of personal preference or can be dictated by the subject matter. A wizened old man would suggest a bolder approach as opposed to the soft flesh of a baby.

The process continues. I pay more attention to light , shadows and reflected lights. I try to suggest the roundness of the forms and am also looking more closely at subtle colour variations within the flesh. I find myself adding cool blues and greens , overlaying them with softer pinks , sometimes blending them together , at other times leaving the colour underneath breaking through. This is a little like scumbling technique as used in oils. I am frequently asked what should my palette be? Everyone likes a formula it would seem. With pastels, I am a little at a loss for an answer. I have hundreds of pastels. The actual process is for me, to a large extent,  almost intuitive. I look closely and what I observe suggests a colour. Sometimes it seems a bizarre choice , but when blended works. Often, when I am doing a pastel demo to an art group, I start off using somewhat weird colours. It has a wonderful shock effect on the audience and certainly captures their attention. They clearly think I am mad! But the trick is to be able to pull the rabbit out of the hat and show
that by adding and overlaying, even this initial "disaster" can be turned into something pleasing.

When it comes to the head, I use a combination of conte crayons and pastel pencils then overlay in places with softer pastel.

The same approach is used when it comes to hands and feet.

Other areas are left softer and more diffused.

The finished drawing.


It was an attempt at a classical pose, both gentle and graceful. There was no desire to shock and reveal all. In many respects it is harder to capture the subtlety than present the viewer with a work where absolutely nothing is left to the imagination.

Perhaps that will be the subject of a future blog.

A child's portrait in pastel

Pastel is a lovely medium in which to depict children. It has a delicacy and softness unrivalled by other mediums.
In this example I worked on a tinted Murano mount board using a combination of pastel pencils, hard and soft pastels. My initial drawing is done in a sanguine conte chalk.




Using Stabilo pastel pencils I begin putting in the details of the eyes.




And the mouth.




Fairly happy that these are in the right place, I can now turn my attention to larger areas of the face. I begin with pastel pencils and conte crayons but quckly turn to soft pastels to get the delicate blending I require. I use fingers, torchons or even cotton buds to do this.




The finished portrait of Annabel

Success at the Cambridge Drawing Society Exhibition

Last week, the Cambridge Drawing Society held its Autumn exhibition at St. Faith's School in Cambridge. It was a large display, with over 200 paintings on show. There was a huge diversity of techniques and subject matter. They ranged from watercolours to pastels , oils, acrylics, etchings and sculpture. There was something for all tastes whether it be landscape, portrait, life, or abstract.

The public were asked to vote for their favourite work and I am delighted to say that two of my paintings were in the top three.

" Paul" came first.






"Michael" was second equal.

One man show in Bury St.Edmunds

As stated in my previous blog, my one man show is up and running. It is at the Edmund Gallery in Bury St. Edmunds and runs till Thursday.

I have a variety of work on display, both portraits and landscapes in all mediums from oils to acrylics , gouache to charcoal, pencil , watercolour and pastel.

Another successful portrait workshop

Last Sunday, I held another portrait day workshop. I am pleased to say it was a great success with students coming from all around Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
After an initial warm up session, people set to work in the medium of their own choice, from charcoal or pencil to watercolour, pastel and oils.




Our model, Flo, the daughter of a friend, was superb. For the whole day, she sat like a rock, barely batting an eyelid. What a relief from those models who constantly twitch, let their eyes or their head wander. Or even fall asleep!





On the day, my function was merely to advise and offer comment, as well as do the odd practical demonstration.

Prior to this, however, I had the pleasure of doing a pastel portrait of Flo.


This portait was done with a combination of hard and soft pastels as well as conte chalk, particularly useful in capturing the delicacy of her hair.

Mixed Media 2

This time I thought I would create a painting using a combination of gouache and pastels. The reasoning behind this is that both mediums give very distinctive effects which are immensely suitable for the subject matter. The gouache I use when I need some precision or when I wish to take advantage of its painterly qualities, the pastel when I wish a softer , more blurred effect.



The support I have chosen is a fairly textured pastel paper in bright orange. It is a very deliberate choice as the subject matter is bold, colourful and full of movement. I block in the main composition in gouache, sometimes in a free, loose , almost watercolour technique. At other times I use a thicker impasto dragging it over the texture of the paper which can give beautiful broken, dappled effects.




I now apply pastel in broad strokes, and dabs and at other times blending and smoothing. The aim is to create the bright, almost garish light of a fairground and a huge sense of movement and energy as the merry go round spins by.



The finished painting.

Another successful portrait workshop.

Last Saturday I ran another portrait workshop in Barrow. Ten students attended and we had Lynn as our model. After an an initial talk and demonstration which I gave on the basics, we had a series of relatively quick poses. This was just to loosen people up, to get them to observe more carefully, and for me to assess where their skills lay. Thereafter, Lynn remained in the one pose for the rest of the day, allowing students to either focus on one painting or move around and do a series of them. Lynn was dressed in a lovely Edwardian costume complete with delicate lace top, pale lilac skirt and straw boater. Set against a white background there were echoes of John Singer Sargent and Whistler. I would have loved to have painted her myself!
Some drew, some did watercolours, pastel, or oils. I even had one psychic artist within the group! Lots of interesting and exciting work was produced.

I shall shortly be setting up another series of workshops both in Barrow and Grantchester. Keep watching my website for details or contact me via john@gloverart.co.uk or on 01284 810 460

A child's portrait in pastel

Pastel is a particularly lovely medium for creating children's portraits. It has a delicacy and softness missing in many others.
For this particular portrait I worked on Murano paper with a combination of pastel pencils and soft pastels. My initial drawing was done with willow charcoal and then dusted down.


I work on top of this with pastel pencils, which allows a certain precision. I blend with a combination of cotton buds and torchons.


More detail is added in the hair and mouth , still using the pencils. I begin to work soft pastels into the face and use them for blocking in the dress.



I now consider the background. The aim is to keep it soft and somewhat vague, simply in order not to detract from child.



Portrait and background are worked up in more detail and tied together. Below is the finished drawing.

Cambridge Drawing Society Exhibition

This last week, I have been wearing one of my other hats, namely that of Treasurer of the Cambridge Drawing Society.
Throughout the country, the Exhibition season is underway with artists rushing to finish and deliver paintings, and organizers trying to cope with all that involves.
Tuesday was the handing in day for the Cambridge Drawing Society. Wearing my “official” badge, and sitting behind the desk, I was able to observe the scene from a very different perspective. Amidst the sea of wrapping paper and bubble wrap, there were those who nervously handed over their works and fled as quickly as possible. There were those who saw it as a social occasion and wanted to chat with friends and officials, blissfully unawares of the queues building up behind. There were those who had followed all the instructions, filled in correctly the forms and labels, and there were those who had done none of it. There was the sound of snipping scissors and shouts for string and pens all adding to the general atmosphere and tension of “Sending in Day.”
Wednesday was the Selection Day, crunch time for all. It is the second year I have in my official capacity been witness to the procedure where all the paintings are brought before the Selection Committee for their decision. It is wholly democratic, with one man one vote, and everyone, whether they be President, Treasurer or Candidate must abide by the judgement, no matter how wrong or unjust we think it might be . Not for the faint hearted the inevitable rejection artists have to endure!

The Selection Committee at work.
Following over 3 hours of judging , the selected works are laid out ready for hanging. It is a time to see everything that has been accepted and to begin to get the feel of how the exhibition will look.

Time also for a brief lunch break!

In the afternoon, screens are erected and the process of hanging begins. This is an art in itself, balancing subject matter , colours and trying to ensure that every painting is seen to its best advantage, an almost impossible task with over 300 works on display. And there are , of course, good spots and bad spots within any exhibition area, so somebody is bound to be upset by where their work is hung!
The Private View looms. Activity becomes even more frantic as labels and catalogues are organized and food and wine “magically” appear.
The Private View took place yesterday evening and was very well attended.

Tania Verdejo, Andy Mc Kenzie and Karen Stamper.

Gavin Clark

Rachel Haynes and her pastel paintings.

Lynne Woodhams, a newly elected member.

Mrs. Gavin Clark.
Founded in 1882, the Cambridge Drawing Society is one of the oldest art societies in the country. Former members have included Cecil Beaton, Ronald Searle and Gwen Raverat. Despite its name, the Society encompasses all forms of artwork, from oils to acrylics, watercolour,gouache, pastel, linocut, etching , wood engraving and sculpture.
In this exhibition, I am showing two works.
The first is an oil portrait of Tony Langford, Managing Director of John Smedley Ltd. ( 2003-2009.)

The second, is a charcoal sketch of “Granny Mc Leod” a 94 year old Scottish lady of great character.

The Cambridge Drawing Society Annual Exhibition at the Guildhall runs from 25th April -2nd May and is open daily 10- 5.30