Prismacolor NuPastels

I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own. Your mileage may vary.

I was introduced to Prismacolor Nupastels when I had to buy them for my Drawing II class last semester. I am never going back. On Prismacolor's website they describe these pastels as:

"They’re tougher than traditional soft pastels, but maintain the same rich, creamy pigments needed for superior blending and shading. Artists of all expertise levels can benefit from these pastels, especially those interested in illustration or tightly rendered drawings. Because they can be used wet or dry, it’s like a two-for-one deal-- mix them with water or odorless mineral spirits to create cool effects."

These pastels have a very smooth texture, quite like a conte stick. These pastels are classified a hard and live up to their claim of being sturdier. They lack the more crumbly feeling of softer pastels and are harder to snap in half (a big plus for those who tend to apply a lot of pressure on their pastels). The harder consistency allows these pastels to create very fine lines that hold very well. In my experience, softer pastels can create fine lines, but they smudge very easily.

pastel on blue washed paper

 The color is very rich when applied with a heavy hand. You can get a very good gradient with these pastels as well.

pastel on grey toned paper

They blend very well, both when smudged and when layered. I personally find that a mixture of smudging and layering produce the most interesting and complex shading. However, this a technique suits my style so you may find a completely different way of working with these pastels.

pastel on grey toned paper (layered blending)

pastel on white paper (smudged blending)

There is a large variety of colors available. You can purchase a set that ranges from 12 to 96 pastels. Prismacolor also sells single pastels sticks. This allows you to buy replacements for your set or multiples of your most used colors.

While these pastels are on the more expensive end of the spectrum, I believe they are well worth the price. If pastels are one of the main mediums you use, I highly recommend trying these out!

More info here.

Pony Penning 2016 - The Pony Post

During the week I was in Chincoteague, I visited the ponies on both the Virginia and Maryland side of Assateague, so I'll separate my photos into those two categories.

Virginia

Maryland 

Pony Penning 2016 - The Beach Post

Whew! I'm finally finished editing my photos from Pony Penning. I took so many pictures this year that I decided to split the posts up into two categories, the beach and ponies. Enjoy!

These photos are slowly being uploaded to Society6, so keep an eye out for that!

How to Survive a Long Studio Class

The majority of studio classes in art schools can range anywhere from three hours to six hours. To incoming freshman that length of time can seem intimidating. You do get used to it, but there are several things that you can do to make a class that length of time more comfortable.

1. Get Enough Sleep!

You never really realize how important sleep is until you get to college! When you are taking a long class you have to make sure you can handle it mentally. This includes getting more than a couple hours of sleep at night.

      2.  Eat Breakfast (or Lunch)

This is also part making sure you are mentally fueled up for the day. A good filling meal will keep you concentrated on your work and not daydreaming what you would order at your favorite restaurant. Also bring a snack and water. A snack will hold you over until your next meal and water will keep you hydrated (and your throat free of charcoal and pastel dust).

     3. Make Sure You Have What You Need

Make sure you have all the supplies you need. This means art supplies, homework, and any other things that will ensure that you will be successful. If your class is in the morning, I recommend packing everything the night before. There's nothing worse than oversleeping and then having to rush around to pack things and not be late.

    4. Schedule Your Classes Smartly

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Schedule your classes when you are most awake and productive. This piece of advice may be more helpful for your second semester, but when you do it is a big help. Another thing to consider is if your college gives breaks and for how long. Moore has and hour long lunch break and a half hour long dinner break. That did play into my decision to schedule most of my studio classes in the morning. Finally, try to get classes with your friends. Having someone you know in the class makes it seem to go a lot faster (also if you forget due dates you have someone to ask).

    5. Don't Go Into the Class Worrying About the Length

When you're occupied, six hours goes much faster than you might think!


I hope these tips help! Good luck in your college endeavors!

New on Society6!

I've been playing around with Illustrator and Photoshop for a little while and decided to try out a digital pointillism technique. The result is now up on Society6!

You can see this image in my store here.

I'm planning a tutorial on how I created this image, if you are interested in learning about it let me know!

Art Project Planning Printable

Planning and researching is a big part of creating an art piece! Finding references and inspiration is always key to successfully finishing a piece. I've created a printable that allows you to gather that information all in one place.

Inspiration can come from anywhere (I often find inspiration in mythology and fantasy worlds), so I've included several different categories from artists to history and literature. References can be found anywhere and this planner gives you a space to record where you've found them.

This printable also provides a space for the materials you plan to use, the size of the piece, and of course - the deadline!

I hope this helps you become more organized in your own art practice.