Foinavon - can tell you now, from a distance, like , that it won't work the same at all...at all, at all, as you will never get that rough tooth from the slick stuff they pass off as "canvas".

BTW - consider the options here...if you make mistakes and don't like your picture, you can actually wash off the pastels and the canvas will just tighten up...and you can start again.

Me too - I had the lowest mark in the school for woodwork. You need decent tools, that's the thing.

it's not carpentry?
stretching canvas is easy. a small hammer for tacks.
or get a staple gun.

never tried pastels - sure i'd be rubbish.

to late to change mid stream.

You look well set there M-D, look forward to seeing some landscapes from you.
Choosing the right colour paper for your picture makes a big difference as it becomes part of your palette as you can let it show through in places. You can certainly see the dark blue paper in lots of places on my seascape posted earlier although it doesn't register as such in the over all effect.

Lovely couple Zorro, nice expressions.

Last week Velasquez said something about compressed charcoal
I used charcoal, compressed and natural, a lot when learning to draw but where did I put them . Well here's one I dug out, not brilliant but gives an idea. Almost certainly a tonal drawing of a Dutch master painting but by whom? Anyway this is good practice M-D for when you get your charcoal pencils. Trying to imitate different textures with light and dark helps develop your powers of observation. (The milk jug, which I posted near the beginning, was done with graphite and is similar).

I've ordered some more Conte Pastel Pencils this evening. I see they do 48. I only have 19, so I have bought 2 violets a yellow and a blue to add to my collection.

I will get them all. They don't do a cream or ivory so I will buy one from another maker.

I need something better than a normal pencil case to keep them in. I like the idea of a pencil wrap. Derwent do one but it only holds 30 pencils. There is a nice one that holds 48.... so many decisions to make.

I took a photo of the most amazing sky just now. I will paint it when I get my paper. Blues,pinks, yellow,...you don't realise how many colours are in they sky till you think about paining it.

Been watching Jenny Keal Youtube videos today. Colin Bradley too. All excellent. And a brilliant video of a girl painting the night sky. I'll try and find it and post it up...brb...

I keep my pastel pencils stuffed in an easy seal plastic bag. Just checked them and I have a pale yellow pencil number 47. If that is scumbled with white it will give an ivory colour.

Interesting little video, it probably took her about half an hour to do. Most of the "work" was done by the dark background paper, she just had to build in the light. Would be nice if she put in a silvery tree without leaves as in winter.It crossed my mind that I would scumble up to the sharp edges using a paper stump. These are useful and I buy cheap ones from "The Works". They come in a pack with different sizes for about a pound.Alternatively you can screw up a bit of paper as in making a joint

Never had a joint Blush

I tried one once but I didn't inhale

Good night M-D.

For Makybe Diva, here is a photo of the bulk of my pastel kit. This wasn't all bought at once but accumulated over years. The Conté pastels are the round ones and as they were used up some other types were added to the trays. As you can see, the small set of Unison pastels (top right) have some lovely subtle colours. This is the "portrait" set. The pencils are a mixed lot mostly Conté and some Derwent. I use a craft knife for sharpening.

The colour strip in pastel pencils is easy to break and a craft knife is better than a sharpener  if used gently. Don't try to carve a sharp point, more often than not a blunt one will do the job. If you really want a sharp point then rub it down on sandpaper. Breaking a stick of pastel will often produce a sharp edge or point for drawing fine edges. The paper stubs have a sharp point and can be used to pick up a bit of pastel dust and transfer it to a difficult spot too. My box of Inscribe has 64 half sticks as I wanted a wide range of colours, they last longer than you think.
Good luck with your painting and keep the excitement going. Let me know if you encounter any problems.

I like that a lot, Foinavon - I can see at least 4 figures in different perspectives...did you compose this image yourself? The composition is excellent.

Thanks Velasquez. It's based on a photo with a few tweaks. It has pride of place on the wall in my room. I think this and the Burghers of Calais painting are the best I've done.

I saw your painting earlier, Foinavon. Then when I read the comments from Velasquez I saw so much more!
I then scrolled back to have another look at the Burghers of Calais you posted up. I really love that. I did recognise it when you posted it but had no idea what it was called.

Anyway, thanks for the tips on sharpening

I have spent the evening watching Youtube videos. I have discovered Art Tutor. These will be really useful.

I will post them up for anyone who might be looking in and thinking they might like to have a go at pastel painting.

A Beginners Guide to Soft Pastels
.
http://youtu.be/ROPbUTN7miU

Hi Makybe Diva. Had to go out this evening just after my last post.
One thing you will find as you do more painting is that your powers of observation will improve and you will find yourself looking at things differently. You will notice the play of light and shade and see beauty in quite simple things that you never noticed before. Vel is an artist and noticed immediately the figures in the reflections and the different planes in which each of the four inhabit.
The grey scale is good as it helps you to see tonality. Another easy to make device is to cut a small hole perhaps half inch square, in the centre of a piece of card and use it to examine areas of a photo or picture. That way you can better assess and match the tone of that area by cutting out the surrounding shades.
Doing tonal drawings with charcoal like the ones I posted is good exercise too and if you can take black and white photos or make B/W photocopies of coloured images and copy these it will help you "see" tone better.
Whoops didn't realise it was so late...

Pleasing colour contrasts Zorro. Feels to me like a cross between and enchanted forest and a Jack the Dripper abstract.
Did you sell this one?

That's quite striking Zorro. I also love that Watercolour from Foinavan and echo Diva's post on Vel's comments.
Getting more jealous by the minute here.

that man in the right bottom corner... is he playing with something?
he has his back turned to us... what is that fellow doing.
that other man he's looking at his groin? I'm phoning the local
constabulary Doris.