Mark Braught Pastel Demo

Many thanks to illustrator and good friend Mark Braught, who came all the way from Commerce, Georgia to put some pastel goodness on us in the Pastel Techniques class a few weeks ago.

Mark uses Strathmore Illustration board for his pastel work, and begins with a charcoal drawing that he fixes before beginning the color phase.

The initial wash of color is very quick and loose, just to establish the undertones. Most of the initial charcoal drawing is demolished in the process.

See? It's a mess at this point. But it's a process of building up layers of color and value, and of searching all along the way for that perfect relationship of tone, color, mark-making, and everything that makes an image more than just a rendering. The thing to remember is that no stage is precious- everything is subject to change and probably will.

Now the likeness is beginning to emerge, and refinements of value and color take shape. The marks are finer and more deliberate at this stage; the pace of the piece slows down a bit, and more time is spent looking at the reference photo and the initial sketch.

This is where the demo ended, with a good likeness and a nearly finished piece. Mark took the work home and finished the demo in his studio...

Nice job, Mark ... thanks for sharing!