Gratitude and the Search for a New Virtual Assistant
Friday, 11 October 2024
Finding a new Virtual Assistant didn’t go as planned… but here’s why I’m still grateful.
How to Pastel
the blog for soft pastel art lovers
Latest Edition
Recent Guest Artists
Julie Greig – The Feeling Of Being There
Friday, 22 March 2024
New Zealand artist Julie Greig shares her pastel landscapes along with her process. She also takes us through her journey to becoming the artist she is today.
Jane McGraw-Teubner – Plein Air Versus Studio Painting
Friday, 19 July 2024
Jane McGraw-Teubner is a master plein air artist. Here, she shares her process and tips for painting from life versus painting from a photo.
Laura Mocnik – Intuitive Colour, Precise Draughtsmanship
Friday, 14 June 2024
Guest Laura Mocnik shares her process in creating her stunning figurative works. Although drawing is foundational, you’ll see that she uses a limited palette of colour intuitively
Favourite Tutorials
Painting A White Object With Colour
Thursday, 14 December 2017
Working in a Series – Unlocking Creative Potential for Artistic Growth
Friday, 1 September 2023
Variations On A Theme: One Subject, Six Looks
Friday, 1 November 2019
Creating Thumbnails En Plein Air (My Mexico Paintings)
Friday, 19 January 2024
Notes from readers:
"...I am truly grateful for the work put into this newsletter. The content is always inspiring and helpful in my own journey with pastels...Thanks Gail for all your work!"
Lynda
" ...always inspiring and helpful in my own journey with pastels..."
"I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts, from sharing your own work & process to the wonderful artists you feature! I always come away inspired!"
Beth K
"...Your spirit comes through your own love of the artists you highlight. Love this site so much."
"... when I see your email in my in-box, I feel excitement and joy that I can see and read about my own love of pastel painting through yours and your wonderfully-presented artists and work.
Your spirit comes through your own love of the artists you highlight. Love this site so much.
Anita L. B.
Sign up to receive expert insights, inspiration and an experienced take on art!
Recent Editions
From Snapshot to Painting
Friday, 4 October 2024
4 Comments
Discover how a simple snapshot, even from a moving vehicle, can spark an inspiring painting, as I show you how to ‘see’ the potential hidden in those quick photos!
Julie Freeman – Infusing Life into Every Detail
Friday, 27 September 2024
12 Comments
Julie Freeman, hyperrealist in soft pastels, shares her work and process as well as the evolution of her artist identity and creative expression.
Painting Reflections on Water
Friday, 20 September 2024
4 Comments
Gail shares guidelines on how to paint reflections on water. She takes you through a demo to illustrate them. It’s from the IGNITE! Membership.
Everett Shinn – The Art of Simplifying Urban Chaos
Friday, 13 September 2024
10 Comments
A detailed examination into a pastel painting of New York by Everett Shinn. We’ll see how he gets to the essence of the scene.
Simplifying a Scene – How To Focus On What Matters Most
Friday, 6 September 2024
4 Comments
See how Gail simplifies a street view in Trequanda, Tuscany by focusing on what matters most…to her!
Get Out Painting – Here’s Why!
Friday, 30 August 2024
10 Comments
Sometimes, it’s the unplanned encounters that make painting on location truly special.
Mark Ivan Cole – Deep Observation and Emotional Realism
Friday, 23 August 2024
34 Comments
Join guest Mark Ivan Cole as he shares his wisdom and his works of forest, mountains, rocks, and water.
The Messy Middle – Don’t Quit!
Friday, 16 August 2024
18 Comments
I recently had the experience of watching one of my demo videos with a friend and I cringed when we watched the part where everything looks an absolute mess. That unpleasant feeling led me to writing this post.
Being Authentic: When Being Real Can Hurt Your Art
Friday, 9 August 2024
17 Comments
What you say about your art could be the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. Let’s dig into that!
Search
Gail Sibley
Artist. Blogger. Teacher.
My love of pastel and the enjoyment I receive from teaching about pastel inspired the creation of this blog. It has tips, reviews, some opinions:), and all manner of information regarding their use through the years – old and new. Please enjoy!
Get exclusive tips, reviews, and resources directly from Gail.
Featured Artists
Tutorials
Categories
Improve Your Pastel Paintings
Learn from a professional artist!
Sign up for an online course and start right away. Courses are simple to use and you’ll be following along in no time.
Ongoing learning?
Join IGNITE!
IGNITE! is a membership programme at the Gail Sibley Art School. There’s no timeline and no grades. Only super motivating, always engaging, deeper learning with exclusive access to Gail and the IGNITE! community.
How to Pastel Community.
We're on Facebook!
Here you’ll find encouragement, generous sharing, and inspiration from our members.
