Pastels 101 -The Ultimate Soft Pastel Online Course

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.

Gail Sibley, “Table Cape, Tasmania,” Unison Colour pastels on UART 600, 6 x 9 in - feature image

From Snapshot to Painting

Friday, 4 October 2024

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, Battery Eggs, 2020, Soft pastels & pastel pencils on Pastelmat, 21 x 41 cm. SOLD.

Julie Freeman – Infusing Life into Every Detail

Friday, 27 September 2024

Julie Freeman, hyperrealist in soft pastels, shares her work and process as well as the evolution of her artist identity and creative expression.

Gail Sibley, Macquarie Reflections, Unison Colour on UART 500 paper, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. - feature image

Painting Reflections on Water

Friday, 20 September 2024

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, "Winter on 21st Street, New York," 1899, pastel on grey paper mounted overall to pulpboard, 20 3/8 x 24 3/8 in (51.8 x 36.8 cm), Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA

Everett Shinn – The Art of Simplifying Urban Chaos

Friday, 13 September 2024

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

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

Sometimes, it’s the unplanned encounters that make painting on location truly special.

Mark Ivan Cole, Inner Light, 2023, Various soft pastels on HahnemŸhle Collection Sketch paper, 8 x 10 in.

Mark Ivan Cole – Deep Observation and Emotional Realism

Friday, 23 August 2024

Join guest Mark Ivan Cole as he shares his wisdom and his works of forest, mountains, rocks, and water.

Featured Artists

David Shkolny, Ascent, 2018, Unison Colour and Terry Ludwig on Wallis Belgian Mist paper, 9 x 12. Sold. - feature image

David Shkolny – Laser Focused In The Landscape

Friday, 17 November 2023

Andrew McDermott, "Warm Lights on a Cool Evening," 2023, pastel on UART Dark, 10 1/2 x 11 inches

Andrew McDermott – How To Loosen Up

Friday, 13 October 2023

Judith Leeds, "Dreams of Youth," pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes, 18 x 24 in. I was walking through the lobby of an assisted living facility and saw this woman sleeping in a chair. The light on her grabbed me but it was also my feeling of her being in another world. I sat quietly and did a number of value sketches and colour notations. I worked over this composition many times in my studio and decided to subdue the background to have the focus just on the woman.

Judith Leeds – Capturing The Person Behind The Pose

Friday, 11 August 2023

Christine Debrosky, "Sedona Lace," 2016, Terry Ludwig, Great American, Schmincke and various other pastels on burgundy Pastelmat, 18x24 in. Sold. I am always taken with shadowed tree branches up against an illuminated backdrop. In this case, a twisted juniper and a rosy Sedona cliff face. It becomes like stained glass with the etched twigs like leading holding the glowing colours.

Christine Debrosky-Working Hand In Hand

Friday, 26 May 2023

Tim Reilly, "Remember #9," 2012, pastel on Crescent Illustration Board, 12 x 12 in. Sold.

Tim Reilly – Creating Realistic Stone Textures

Friday, 28 April 2023

Carol Strock Wasson, Winter Haze, 2023, Pan Pastel and Blue Earth pastels over a monotype print. Working over monotypes is new and exciting. I struggle to know when to stop, allowing just enough of the print to show through the pastel

Carol Strock Wasson – Mastering The Greyscale

Friday, 17 March 2023

Everett Shinn – The Art of Simplifying Urban Chaos

Friday, 13 September 2024

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

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

Sometimes, it’s the unplanned encounters that make painting on location truly special.

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.

Latest Post 👆

From Snapshot to Painting

Friday, 4 October 2024

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

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

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.

Featured Artists

Damilola Opendun, "Red Building," 2014, pastel on paper, 9 x 12 cm (3 1/2 x 4 3/4 in). Available. I took the liberty to really express my first impression about this place. This is a typical house in the Makoko community but the painting is not about the building but about the beautiful evening light."

Damilola Opedun – Up and Coming Nigerian Pastellist

Sunday, 25 October 2015

Laura Pollak, "Embedded," 2019, soft pastel on UART, 20 x 16 in. Sold

Laura Pollak On Planting Lightbulbs!

Friday, 25 March 2022

Emily Christoff Flowers – Find Your Path By Painting What You Love

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Maria Marino – Responding Emotionally To The Landscape

Tuesday, 23 January 2018

Carol Peebles, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! –Emma Lazarus, Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty," 2016, mixed hard and soft pastels on Colourfix paper, 14 x 19 in. I drew this while trying to recover from the Presidential election results, contemplating what was inscribed on the greatest symbol of America: the Statue of Liberty. This piece is meant as a symbol of hope and strength to work in solidarity for our values.

Carol Peebles – Awakening The Spirit With Pastel Portraits From Life

Tuesday, 16 May 2017

Philippine Pastel Artists – Recipient Of An IAPS 2023 Global Society Grant

Friday, 5 January 2024

Barbara Jaenicke, September Aspens, 2019, UART Premium Board 320, 16 x 20 in.

Barbara Jaenicke – The Abstract Underpainting

Friday, 24 January 2020

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More recent editions

Mark Ivan Cole – Deep Observation and Emotional Realism

Friday, 23 August 2024

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

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 - image of people talking about art in a gallery

Being Authentic: When Being Real Can Hurt Your Art

Friday, 9 August 2024

What you say about your art could be the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. Let’s dig into that!

How I Decide What To Paint

Friday, 26 July 2024

“How do I decide what to paint?” Gail addresses this common question by taking you through her starting process. You’ll hear her thoughts in a short video.

Jane McGraw-Teubner, Drift Inn Beach, 2016, Plein Air, Ampersand Pastelbord, 9x12 in.

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.

IAPS 2024: Eight Exclusive Artist Interviews!

Friday, 12 July 2024

Join me as I chat with eight incredible pastel artists at the IAPS 2024 Convention.

Gail Sibley, "Hatchet," Unison Colour pastels on UART 500, 18 x 9 3/4 in - detail of feet

How To Make Changes in Pastel – My Approach

Friday, 5 July 2024

You may think you need to erase to make changes in pastel but that’s not necessarily so. Gail takes you step-by-step through this painting’s evolution, making two changes along the way.

Henry Tonks – Pastel Portrait Of Auguste Rodin

Friday, 28 June 2024

Henry Tonks painted a pastel portrait of the sculptor Auguste Rodin in 1914. Here Gail looks closely at various parts of the piece.

Your Painting Has A Life Of Its Own (Outside Your Studio)

Friday, 21 June 2024

When it’s out in the world, your painting has a life of its own. Gail illustrates this idea using Michele Ashby’s painting, Tied, as an example.

Laura Mocnik, Hand of an Artist, pastels on Sennelier La Carte paper, 11 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. Sold.

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

How To Organize Your Photos On Your IPhone - feature image

Tips To Organize Your Photos On Your Phone!

Friday, 7 June 2024

Streamline your creative process with these photo organisation tips. Say goodbye to endless scrolling on your phone, trying to find that reference photo.

Feature image and image in blog. Gail Sibley, The Pink Bench, Unison Colour on Pastel Premier Italian Clay, 6 1/2 x 5 3/4 in - different value options

How To Choose Different Value Options For Thumbnails

Friday, 31 May 2024

We’re often told to try different value options when creating thumbnails of a subject. But how do we do that? Gail spills the beans!

Michele Noiset, Iron Maiden, 2022, Nupastel, Rembrandt, Sennelier, Terry Ludwig, Derwent pencils, Faber Castell pencils on Black UART paper, 16x17 in.

Michele Noiset – Exploring Visual Metaphors In Pastel

Friday, 24 May 2024

Guest artist Michele Noiset works in the medium of pastel to create extraordinary images inspired by events and current issues

Call yourself an artist - Gail at the easel with "Be Who You Are" on wall behind her

Do You Call Yourself An Artist?

Friday, 17 May 2024

Do you call yourself an artist? Or do you have trouble identifying yourself this way? Here are some ideas about why that may be.

Mary Cassatt – After The Bath

Friday, 10 May 2024

In honour of Mother’s day, a close look at “After the Bath,” a painting of a mother and her children by Mary Cassatt. We take a close look at this glorious painting!

Gail Sibley, One Pump, Unison Colour pastels on UART paper, 9 x 12 in

That Nostalgic Feeling – The One Pump In Winnaleah, Tasmania

Friday, 3 May 2024

In Tasmania to teach a 10-day Art Retreat, I had a couple of days on my own. The view across the road had such a nostalgic feeling that I had to paint it. Here’s the progression of the pastel painting.

Gail Sibley, "Abandoned for Lunch," Unison Colour pastels on UART 400 paper, approx 5 x 7 in.

Inspired By My Students At Tasmania Art Retreat

Friday, 26 April 2024

Being inspired by my students and their art-making is one of the reasons I love to teach. Seeing their breakthroughs is such a reward! Here, I showcase some of their work.

A Portrait by Laura Anning Bell in Tate Britain

Friday, 29 March 2024

We dive deep into the details of this portrait by artist Laura Anning Bell. Located in Tate Britain, it’s believed to be a depiction of Annie Horniman, a pioneer of the repertory theatre.

Julie Grieg - The Feeling Of Being There - feature image

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.

Warm Up With A Blind Contour Drawing

Friday, 15 March 2024

A blind contour drawing can help get you into the art-making zone. Take time to slow down, look, then really see!

New Zealand pastel workshop - feature image

My New Zealand Art Workshop Teaching Experience!

Saturday, 2 March 2024

A recap of my New Zealand pastel workshop Feb 2024

Hi!

I'm Gail!

Artist. Blogger. Teacher.

There are so many ways to be artistic, and no one way is better. I believe, that art is a journey that we can all take, and that being creative is something that is healthy and possible for anyone.

In the How to Pastel Blog I let my love and the enjoyment I receive from teaching about pastels inspire and encourage others to explore the art form. The blog has tips, reviews, guests, and all manner of information about pastel use through the years – old and new.

So, please enjoy my posts and subscribe to receive the latest issues.