Studio Essentials
All artist’s studios are not created equal. Although similar in nature, the necessities of the oil painter may be vastly different from those of the watercolorist or sculptor. This studio is mainly devoted to pastels, and I’m slowly learning what works best for me. The thumbnails are clickable if you want to see a larger image.
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1. Adequate lighting. I have a warm toned spotlight, a cool toned easel light, and a cheesy overhead light that came with the house. I also have a small lamp near the craft table, and a floor lamp I can move around the studio attached to a very long extension cord. Believe it or not, it’s still not enough lighting. I’m hoping to rig up something similar to this. I won’t push for the window… |
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2. Old towels. When I’m not using them as dust rags, I dampen one end for wiping messy fingers, and dry them using the other end. Typically, I wear it pulled through a front belt loop. Very handy, but I really should get an apron… |
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3. Paper towels. Two kinds! The cheap stuff for mundane tasks, and Viva to wipe off dirty pastels, or for blending pastels on paper. Viva paper towels work great on Canson papers, and when used gently, on Art Spectrum as well. Wallis paper shreds it all over the studio, and requires something more sturdy for covering large areas. |
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4. Foam Brushes. These can be used for covering large areas of Wallis paper. They save a lot of wear and tear on your fingers, especially when using those bigger sheets of paper. I’ve also used them for cutting in around windows before painting the rest of a room. |
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5. Pastel shapers. These rubber tipped gizmos move and blend pastel dust. Use them to create a nice sharp edge when you need finer detail. They’re a must have for the fumbly fingered. Cleaned easily with #2, they’re also available in a larger size. |
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6. Soft vine charcoal. Used for initial placement on paper, they can also be feathered over strong colors that need to be toned down. It wipes out easily, and does not interfere with pastel coverage. Graphite can shine through several layers of pastel (I learned that the hard way) and I don’t use it for layouts anymore. |
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7. Chamois. Wipes out wonky charcoal sketches in a jiffy, and works better than Viva for cleaning dirty pastels. I’ve given up trying to keep them clean with rice or cornmeal. Sometimes worn through the other belt loop, I have several pieces which get used all the time. When they get dirty, I throw them in the wash with #2. |
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8. Krylon Workable Fixative. Used to fix the pastel between layers, or to prevent my not-so-wonky charcoal layouts from disappearing. |
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9. Cheap paint brushes. Used for blocking-in a composition, or brushing-out mistakes. Heavily sanded paper eats paint brushes, so do not use your good brushes on this stuff. They’re great for painting rocks, too. |
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10. Packing peanuts. I like the smooth ones for blending pastel on paper. Skin oils and fingerprints don’t transfer to the paper, and sanded paper won’t be given an opportunity to shred your fingers. Lumpy ones are recycled for holiday shipping. |
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11. Alcohol. Not to be confused with the potable kind, it’s used for blocking-in, or underpainting with #9. A coffee maker down here would be nice, though. |
I also have several old braided rugs scattered under my work tables, because pastels (and venetian tile) break when dropped on a concrete floor. Other essentials include a sturdy chair or drafting stool, and a very good quality easel. Neither have found residence here yet, but there’s always tomorrow, right?
My little basement corner is okay for now, but my heart’s desire is to have something like this.
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Thanks for all that info! I don’t pastel too often, but I think some of these tools will come in handy. Especially the cheap ones, like styrofoam.
Ya just gotta love tools that are complementary from the vendor!