Friday, July 25, 2008

Dandelion Series - Stage 2






Dandelion Series: Stage 2
colored pencil on Ampersand pastel board
6 x 6"

This is the second of four in my dandelion series. And, yes, when I took this photograph, there was actually an ant on the flower.

For those of you who work with colored pencils and have never used it before, I encourage you to try the pastel board as a support. Here's some of what it offers:
  1. Lots of layering.
  2. Solvent use.
  3. Dry brush burnishing.
  4. No worrys of bending or tearing.
  5. Acid-free and non-yellowing.
  6. Great for mixed media techniques.
  7. Framing without glass.

Here are some of my favorite artists who do wonderful work on pastel board:

Kathrine Tyrrell: http://makingamark.blogspot.com/2006/12/ampersand-pastelbord.html

Nicole Caulfield: http://www.nicolecaulfieldfineart.blogspot.com/

Ranjini: http://www.vividpencils.com/stilllife_page2.htm

Maggie Stiefvater: http://greywarenart.blogspot.com/search?q=pastel+board

"Where can I get these great Ampersand pastel boards?", you ask. Here's a link to the Ampersand web-site with the "where to buy" information: http://www.ampersandart.com/

If you do try it, I would love to hear your thoughts about it and see your work. Ooh, and if you find some new as-yet-untried technique, please share!

4 comments:

Maggie Stiefvater said...

Just had to say I <3 pastelbord so much! Thanks for the mention!

Oh and also I make my own toothy board with plain ol' masonite and colorfix primer -- if you don't mind the extra texture, it's a great way to cut costs.

Ann said...

I love your work and this dandelion series is no exception. I've been working on pastel board for some time now and really enjoy using it. My most recent is up on my blog now.

Paula Pertile said...

I'm loving the dandelions Rhonda. And the ant!

I just happened to buy some Ampersand boards at the art store yesterday, but haven't tried them yet. I'm sure I'll be in love when I do.

Rhonda Bartoe Tucker said...

Thanks,ladies and art divas, for the kind kudos and comments. Maggie, based on one of your most excellent instruction posts, bought some colorix recently and plan to try it out soon. Ann, took a peek at your fab blog and work. Love the WIP posts! Paula, can't wait to see what you do with a pastel board!