How to Set Up a Still Life

A short video giving tips for how to set up a home made still life composition. For the high resolution images from this one, and lots more guidance in soft pastel visit me at / emmacolbertart .
OR...
If you simply want to make a one time donation to help me fund these videos you can Paypal me at www.paypal.me/emmacolbertart
Next part of this series coming soon showing how to sketch this from life. Followed by a full length tutorial on painting it in soft pastel.

[@michaelmcewan432]

Love still life can learn a lot from it

[@bigthewig9624]

Excellent tutorial you are a delight to watch and listen to 😊

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Thank you! That's very nice of you :-)

[@melanieopperman6688]

A very helpful tutorial for working in any medium

[@jerryleonard8561]

Thank you for this awesome video and lesson. I could listen to you talk all day! I love your accent!

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Haha thank you! I bet you'd change your mind if you had to listen to me talk all day!

[@BoysBarn]

Sweeet! Thanks for showing us this. 👍🏻

[@mjpete27]

I have to echo other people’s comments, you are truly inspirational and a wonderful instructor! Thank you for sharing your expertise once again you bring complex theories into easy to understand everyday language! I am also a person that enjoys painting fabrics! You are a true gem! Thanks Emma, please take care and have a lovely day!

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Thank you! Definitely going to have to paint more still life pastel...with lots of fabrics!

[@B3Kusa]

you're incredible . Your tutorials are so good. I love to listen and watch you thank you so much ❤

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Thank you!

[@nunuallen4327]

Interesting. Thank you.

[@carolhestand2561]

Thank you, been wanting to try a still life

[@rudylorenzo9722]

What a great lesson on setting up a still life, Emma! You are amazing, thanks for sharing all these great tips! Cheers from NYC

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed :-)

[@hissyfitz7890]

Delightful! ❤️ Emma - you are awesome; certainly covered all the particulars... cats, perishables, favorite (simple) geometric objects. Looking forward to part II. ❤️ Once again, curiosity is piqued.

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Haha, all bases covered! Keep cats out of the studio when doing still life. Especially clumsy three legged ones :-D

[@stephwhittaker4199]

Thank you for this wonderful tutorial. May your new year be filled with many more beautiful creations. ❤

[@benlin1526]

I love how you used a skirt for this project, though I must admit, at first I thought they were drapes, lol ;)

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Haha! It is a bit like curtains. You can literally use anything in a still life :-)

[@ladyinblack3398]

You are a much better art teacher than the one I had in high school. I remember when we were supposed to do a still life. : "Take some fruit, vases or a cup and draw it". No word about set up, lighting source etc. Now that I am an adult I feel so cheated out of proper education. Everything about Art I know now I aquired myself by doing, reading, creating and trying out the techniques I read about from art books and I really love reading and watching videos about art history.

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Thank you! That's been my experience with a lot of my art education barring a couple of great teachers. I started making videos to share all the knowledge I've had to pick up myself from other sources and try to explain in a way I wish I'd heard it in school!

[@brindasridhar9638]

I got a great teacher now 💃🏻💃🏻

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Saw your comment on the short video. Hoping you found the series now...this is part 1. The series takes you right through the whole process, 5 parts in total I think

[@brindasridhar9638]

Thanks a lot. I tried this art. Very happy doing it

[@shradhathorat]

Thanks for the tips! Can you please share what kind of bulb are you using for the side lighting? Is it warm light or cool light? Yellow light or white light?

[@EmmaColbertArt]

It's just a regular desk lamp with a warm coloured bulb. Cool light from above and warmth coming from the side in this one.

[@Irina-xn8ln]

Thank you for great videos! Could you advice please what sort of pencils will work best for Velour to draw a cat? Thank you!

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Thank you! What pencils work best for you really depends a bit on your own touch. I like the Faber Castell Pitts and Carbothellos best, but am often working on top of soft pastel. So I tend to put all the stronger marks down with the sticks and use the pencils to shift pigment into place. Dark colours in pencil go down well on velour, lighter colours are more difficult.

[@Irina-xn8ln]

@@EmmaColbertArt thank you ,Emma!

[@mjpete27]

I am also a “fan” of the CarbOthello pencils, I have to say it is in part because I was able to find the full set and it cost less than half of the price of a set of the Faber Castell pastel pencils! The other big consideration was that I was able to use them first hand and they just worked for me and so easy to sharpen too!

[@susanszathmary5541]

Is there a finished painting I could see?

[@EmmaColbertArt]

Yes the whole series is available from beginning to end. Here is the playlist. kzbin.info/aero/PLbkshqfGlew_S8nr1XO9JAvIvJhY9jF3M