Artist Judith Woodbury will talk about the benefits and drawbacks of pastel painting.
Pastel sticks or crayons consist of powdered pigment combined with a binder.

We have borrowed heavily from the Wikipedia page on pastel.
The Cave of Altamira is a cave complex, located in Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human hands.

Why choose pastel?
Pastel supports and grounds
Pastel supports need to provide a “tooth” for the pastel to adhere and hold the pigment in place. Supports include:
- laid paper (e.g. Ingres, Canson Mi Teintes)
- abrasive supports (e.g. with a surface of finely ground pumice, marble dust, or rottenstone)
- velour paper (e.g. Hannemühle Pastellpapier Velour) suitable for use with soft pastels is a composite of synthetic fibers attached to acid-free backing [5][6]
- Make your own grounds!




















You can work from a photograph or set up a still life in your studio.



Links to online stores that sell art supplies. This listing does not imply endorsement.
https://artistcraftsman.com/ There is also a walk-in store in Portland Maine.
https://www.dickblick.com/ Online.
https://www.cheapjoes.com/ Online.
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/ Online.
https://www.michaels.com/ There is a Michaels Store in Newington, NH
Learning resources at Ogunquit Library:
“The artists handbook of materials and techniques” by Ralph Mayer.
“The Encyclopedia of Pastel Techniques” by Judy Martin.

Participants can learn about pastel technique, best supports, safe use of materials (don’t breathe in pastel dust!), the benefits of a slanted easel, the reshaping of pastel sticks, using fixative, proper framing, and more.