Different Papers, Different Strokes

Pastel companies have created many new papers in the last few years especially in the area of sanded papers and primers. It's fun to explore other papers. You may find that your old standby is not your favorite.

In this first example I created 2 pears using watercolor washes on printmaking paper which is very absorbing and then coated the images with Golden pastel primer to add an interesting texture. Two different examples of washes show how color choices can influence the outcome when you rub pastel over the watercolor. Generally speaking the darker washes produce more contrast and creates a more visible texture.

Watercolor underpainting on BFK printmaking paper

Adding Golden Clear pastel primer then pastel on top.

In this second example I used PastelMat by Clairfontaine. It's a soft textured paper - not gritty like sanded paper but it holds a surprising numbers of layers of color before filling up the tooth of the paper.

Softer PastelMat. The paper color can have a big influence on how the image appears if you don't cover the background.

This next paper is the older type pastel paper which is just paper with a texture imprinted into the weave. Canson Mi Tientes comes in a variety of colors but it will only hold a couple of layers of color before the texture fills. I don't like the pronounced texture which is woven into the paper so I use the back which is smoother. This blue paper makes a nice contrast to the oranges and yellows of the pear.

Canson Mi Tientes paper

In my next blog "43 Strokes" I'll show you how limiting the number of strokes adds interest to your drawings.