MOST IMPORTANT tips, techniques and hacks YOU should know about for PASTEL drawings!

[@kickbillcom]

Great tips!. (+1) for small details use pastel dust mixed with alcohol and apply with a little brush.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I must try that one day 😊

[@acerobst1147]

I just want to thank you for sharing your tracing pad storage suggestion. I have painted in pastels since 1969, and I always had a problem storing my pastel paintings, until now. Thank you so very, very, much! By the way, this video is fantastic, and I really look forward to seeing more of your videos. Thanks again❗ 🎨 👍😀

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are so welcome!

[@no.1.2.u]

Wow. lol. You are the Queen of Pastels. I moved out of my comfort area and am now learning to use pastels and after searching here to learn about it, I keep ending up on your channel. lol. So, I just came down here to say Thank You. You've helped me and countless other artists with your videos, and I very much appreciate it!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are so welcome! I hope you enjoy creating artwork with pastels - it's definitely my favourite medium! 😊

[@no.1.2.u]

Heeeey 2 months late I Am Sorry! Lol. Sooo about Pastels, wow. Pastel art is a whole separate world that needs full determination in what you want to create and respect your hard work so much here online and what you share aside from that because you really help to keep other artists motivated, sticking through the whole creation with all of your tips and walk throughs because it is REALLY easy to kinda give up half way through like so many other projects that absolutely do need that extra push of determination and 3rd sorta to help see the final results and bigger picture. So looking back no too long ago but still.. Thank You means a whole lot more if you know what I mean.

[@attheranch4876]

Using a tracing paper pad to put the artwork in is an excellent idea, I never thought of that. Thanks for the tip!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mellahv7197]

As someone who wants to start drawing with pastels, this was super useful and informative. I appreciate this video a lot, thank you!!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're very welcome! 😊

[@aurorerich]

I use all your tips for years now and I am getting good at pastel. You made me love it!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I'm so glad!

[@johnackerman438]

Thanks, Kirsty. I feel like I know everything, but it is important to remain open to new techniques.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I am always learning and trying new things! 😊

[@ml09baker8]

I loved working with pastels, but gave up due to all the breakage trying to sharpen the pencils. I love the panpastels too. Thank you so much for the tip - blade sharpener. Maybe I'll drag all of them out again. Thank you Kirsty !!!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I love pastels too, and I hated sharpening pencils to start with - but once I accepted the fact that pastel pencils won't be as sharp as coloured pencils, and I worked out how to use a more "blunt" pastel pencil to create the detail I needed... I started to enjoy the process a lot more 😊

[@belbolser9671]

Thanks for the tips! Especially using the pans to transfer your art, that solves so many issues!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome, glad it was helpful 😊

[@MariaWalker-qo3vi]

What an incredible talent you have. In awe over here.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much 😊

[@losmoney82]

Just got back into drawing with pastels. I've missed it for sure. The sharpening tips were great. Those sword fish sharpeners are great but they eat up so much of the pencils when you use them. Using a blade instead is definitely the way to go... Great vid!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊 Yes, learning how to use a blade/knife will save you so much time/money in the future 😊

[@taniakeizer1282]

Based on your advice, I bought your set of pan pastels, then both sets of pastel pencils. I'm enjoying learning from your tutorials. Thank you.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I'm glad you like them! Have fun with your new supplies 😊

[@MT-bc6xf]

Very helpful. Your work is beautiful. Thank you

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You’re welcome 😊

[@barbaraalsko1429]

Love all the specific info you provide in your videos. Thanks so much!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are so welcome!

[@angelamaxwell59]

I'm just getting started on this medium, this is so so helpful, thank you❤

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joythornton8797]

Really great tips. Especially liked the one for storing finished artwork. I really like your video style too, concise and to the point. Thank You!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@joyellis3354]

Thankyou Kirsty you are so generous with your art 🖼 tips I really enjoy all of your videos you are a ⭐️ thankyou

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thankyou so much 😊

[@marionwigzell7334]

Thanks Kirsty. I love the idea of storing finished pastel drawings in a tracing paper pad. Very clever (-: Marion

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome, ad it was helpful 😊

[@rudylorenzo9722]

Hi Kirsty, I bought some pastels supplies before finding this video about tips. Oh well, I’ll use them wisely while I can save some more to buy the right stuff such pastelmat and pan pastels which I heard of them before but didn’t pay much attention until I saw this video. One thing I found out to be true is that using a knife to sharpen your pastel pencils is better than other method. Thanks so much for sharing your great tips and expertise.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome, I'm glad the tips were helpful 😊

[@bobmcdonald2960]

After using a craft knife to remove the wood to sharpen my pastel pencils, if I want a sharper point, I no longer use sandpaper. Sandpaper works just fine but can be messy and you lose the pastel that is removed from the pencil. Here is what I do. I get jam/jelly canning jar and I put a circular piece of screen over the opening and use a canning jar lid ring to hold it in place. The screen I use is from a box store that sells home improvement supplies. The screen is used for sanding drywall mud. It comes in different grit so I get the finer grit. When I use this method to sharpen the pastel lead to a sharper point, the pastel dust falls into the jelly jar. I have several jars for different colors. I use the reclaimed pastel dust much like you use pan pastel.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Interesting idea! 😊

[@bobmcdonald2960]

I forgot to mention that a canning lid that can be placed between the screen and the ring to seal the jar so that the pastel dust will not fall out when the jar is stored in a drawer.

[@shirleymalar304]

This was a WONDERFUL video! So many great suggestions that I have never seen or heard before. Subscribed and looking forward to learning much more! Thank you.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful! 😊

[@theoriginaldudette5535]

Thanks!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@denisesarjant1912]

Wow pan pastels...i need to know more ...exciting !

[@dianaholvik2554]

Thank you. This was very helpful. Your paintings are beautiful.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are so welcome! Thank you 😊

[@mariafitzgerald2895]

Really impressed with your tutorials, I follow one other special teacher on you tube on a different medium , For pastels you really do teach from scratch and cover everything for a beginner, and you keep the reader engrossed so don't stop teaching ! You do it really well !

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you, I'm glad the tutorials are helpful 😊

[@ranjanachand9306]

Amazing paintings

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much 😀

[@ninaantchoutine7871]

Best tips I’ve ever found in pastels! Thank you!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome 😊

[@yumihimeart]

Love this video! so helpful! Thank you! 😊

[@angieconley6501]

I am somewhat seasoned when it comes to pastels and I have to say that I learned a lot from this. Very informative. Thank you. 😊

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sunshinejenny777]

BEAUTIFUL WORK!! ALL SUPER GOOD TIPS!! THANK YOU!!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@anniedarkhorse6791]

Very useful. I'm learning a bunch of different mediums, at the same time. It can get quite confusing, knowing what approach to use with each. Thanks. All of your work is stunning.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful! 😊

[@lindalangeheine5787]

Wow! Great idea for the transfer! And now I know what to do with all my tracing paper pads. Thank you.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pattuck3145]

Great info! Im just getting into pastels from basic graphite drawing!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Wonderful!

[@paulagrootelaar9005]

Very very helpful! Thank you. Stunning art work you've created.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@reginamalm6263]

Thank you so much for the great advice. I just bought a bunch of pan pastel as part of 12 day art class and have no idea what to do I was going to tray to incorporate them into my mix media. Your work is gorgeous!! I would have never guess it was pastel. Thank you again for great infor !!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy your pastels! I have a lot of free videos here on KZbin to help you with your Pan Pastels 😊

[@anniemac7545]

Thanks for all your tips Kirsty, great video. It's lovely to hear an Aussie voice btw.. love your work...from .Lake Macquarie

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the video 😊

[@lisafr856]

Really great information!! Beautiful artwork Rebecca

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much!

[@angietiu6184]

Wow can’t imagine can paint that detailed art with pastel. Thank you for sharing your talent & hacks even how to store finished art. How to preserve protect it? I love you videos.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊

[@noticiascelestialesinforma3480]

Woo excellent work

[@canadaverydry]

your wildlife paintings are amazing!!!!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much 😀

[@beece2413]

I just got your kit of pan pastels ( I ordered it off Amazon). I am a watercolorist, which I love!! But decided to try pastels; mostly for the drawing. I feel I need to improve on my drawing. I feel pastel for some reason, helps with that. I guess watercolor can be so suggestive yet I’ve done detail realistic watercolor paintings. Anyway, it is a fun new challenge that I look forward to! Thank u for sharing your talent. U do a beautiful job! Thanks.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

How exciting! I hope you enjoy your new pastels! 😊

[@lynnosepchuk1475]

Thank you so much for the wonderful tips and pastel materials!😊

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Most welcome 😊

[@Raminakai]

You are such an incredible artist 💖 Thabks for sharing!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much 😀

[@marjo-riittareinikainen9740]

It’s very interesting that many pastel artists like Susan Jenkins and Karen Margulis cover their painting surfaces borders to borders. I would prefer leaving those clean borders to make it easier to handle the painting. Your animal paintings are amazing!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊 Yes, I think it's common for people to cover it completely (a lot of them claim it's because of sizing/framing reasons) but I purposely add extra measurements to my paper so that I can have that extra clean border around the outside but it still keeps the actual image to the correct size (11"x14" or 8"x10" etc plus the border on top). I think it makes it easier/better for so many reasons, and it's a normal process when it comes to creating prints of your artwork - they usually include the extra white border around the outside, so it's a normal concept 😊

[@rachelm7525]

Great tutorial. I haven't had my pastels out for a while, but when I do I will definitely use that transfer tip. Thanks! 🙂

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊 It's a very useful tip!

[@saravillicana4143]

Excelent tutorial. Every piece of advice is useful. Thank you from Guadalajara, Mexico.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@vivenna]

Incredible collection of tips, thank you so much!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sarasmsdraw8575]

Great video! Really helpful tips🥰

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thankyou, glad you found it useful 😊

[@DaisyDiaz-my8lr]

Wow I learned so much from this tutorial. Thank you so much. ❤

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are so welcome!

[@GemmaVaughan-kz3db]

This was insanely helpful. It’s good to know that you have the same issues as me. Thank you for that great video

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ioanandreibusu3772]

Your videos are the best on the internet

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊

[@teresawright5654]

These were Great Ideas!!! Thank you for sharing with us ❤️🩷💜

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are so welcome!

[@annettefournier9655]

Thank you Kirsty.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are so welcome!

[@sandfly60]

Once again, a useful video. Thankyou. And I adore that cockatoo.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊

[@claudiavelez2738]

Thank you!! Do you have a suggestion as to how to post a pastel painting , I suppose is not possible to fix it but how can I protect the painting?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I wrap my pastel pieces in glassine, then sandwich between 2 pieces of foam board. I also wrap that in a few layers of bubble wrap, and sandwich that between 2 pieces of thick cardboard I haven't had a piece get damaged in the mail yet, but there's always a risk, unfortunately!

[@michellehall8734]

I love my Pan Pastels! !! Love your videos.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad you like them!

[@valeriebarnett7956]

Whoa! Fab work so much ueful information too thank you

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@andrewmassanet8289]

For me, using pastels is a bit like playing golf. One day I'm on the fairway, nailing the green and putting up a decent score. The next day, I'm in the bunker or snorkeling for my shot. But it's all good. I like oils as opposed to the hard chalk pastels, by the way. The dust! ugh!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Yep! It can be difficult sometimes! The dust is not so bad when using Pan Pastels in combination with Pastel Pencils on Pastelmat (there really is minimal dust 😊)

[@ruthburley7386]

Your tutorials are so easy to watch. I pick up some really great tips from them. Do you paint sitting down to a horizontal surface or do you stand up to a vertical easel type surface? And why... Thanks a bunch!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊 I work sitting at a flat surface, mainly because it's easier to get decent camera angles, but also because I have problems with my back if I have to lift my hand up for a long period of time without being able to rest my elbows on something But then again, I get back problems if I hunch over too much on a flat surface haha.... it's just the lesser of two evils! In general, people suggest that working upright is better for your posture, but it depends what you prefer and if you have other underlying issues I make sure I get up and stretch/walk around etc often to avoid issues 😊

[@moonmagnolia7]

I paint sitting down too since I’ve had back issues too. One thing that has helped me to not hunch over my work is to use a table easel that I made by bending a large piece of cardboard in two places, sort of like this image of it from a side view: _/\ It also ensures I don’t press too hard because it’ll fall over if I do, haha. I tape the painting to a foam board and place that on the front of the easel. The smaller flat flap in the front catches any dust that might fall off. I save those particles since I’ve heard they can be mixed with water, alcohol, or mineral spirits and used as a grayish paint in future paintings. I hope this helps.

[@2joanna1]

Thank you! Especially for the storage

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@reneekroyer5104]

Hi Kirsty. I have found that my sponge applicators for the pan pastels dry up very easily and quickly. Not the large sponges, but the smaller sponges that you place on the tool. I wonder if you've had this problem too? I wonder if I should keep them inside a plastic baggy or something like that? We live in a decent climate, not real dry nor humid, here in San Diego. My studio is in the garage and it can get hot there in the afternoon, probably not the best place for my pastels but that is where I paint.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

That'a very strange! I have never had my applicators dry up before! I keep mine in a sealed container, so that could be why.. but again, I've never heard that happening! Maybe contact Pan Pastel/Sofft Tools directly to see if they have an answer of if it's some kind of defect 😊

[@reneekroyer5104]

@@KirstyRebeccaFineArt I keep my un-used ones in the plastic it comes in but once I put them on the applicator, I keep it on my art desk in a holder, exposed to the air. Like I said, all summer long, it is HOT in the garage (I can only paint in the morning) but I think that even in the winter time, I had the same problem. I'll contact the Sofft Tool folks. I can't remember if I purchased it from them or from Amazon. lol

[@TheGalactica2001]

I had no idea that tracing paper existed, great tip!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome 😊

[@patriciaharris8213]

Excellent tips, thank you very much!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sheilasinghal2922]

Super helpful and inspiring. Thanks! 😊

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rl1947]

Your paintings are beautiful😍thanks for share🙏🌹

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much 😀

[@SparkyR121]

Finally , pastel tips for successful artwork!!! In subscribed!! ❤p.s I love your voice.

[@jilld8787]

Many thanks for all the tips! 😎🎉☺️

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

My pleasure!

[@Eaglerain15]

I am just starting trying to get into pastels, and am wondering what is the best way to store panpastels? And the sponge brushes you use to apply the panpastels, can you wash those after to reuse them later for different colors? Would appreciate any advice. Your videos are great thanks so much 😊

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I use the trays that Pan Pastel sell to store mine, but you can buy individual lids for them or just twist them together to save space You can wipe of the excess pastel on paper towel until no more pastel comes off (I usually just do this to "clean" them and they are fine to be used for different colours after that) You could also wash them with soap and water but it's a lot of effort and it doesn't really do any better than just wiping off the excess on paper towel Thank you and you're welcome 😊

[@cornedavis4157]

Kirsty, I tried A number of things on your tutorials so far and I love it. I am not getting anything right yet but I’ll keep at it until I do. You are so amazingly talented and skilled!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I'm glad the tutorials are helpful 😊

[@kerryhelelr8037]

Brilliant hacks. Thank You So much

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome 😊

[@Julie-vy3oz]

Wow-this was great. Thank you!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome 😊

[@Linda-qq5mg]

Thanks for a very interesting and informative video. There is so much information in this! I have subscribed!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you 😊

[@moonmagnolia7]

I LOVE Panpastel! I couldn’t decide which sets to buy so I just bought the full 80 color set, hahaha. I know it isn’t necessary, that you can mix all the colors you need with the 5 piece pure color set, but I’m lazy and wanted to ensure I’d get the same color each time instead of mixing the wrong color when I don’t mix up enough.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Haha I have the full set of 80 (plus all the pearl/metallic colours as well) and I also have about 3 or 4 sets of my own "General Realism with Kirsty Rebecca" as well.... so i completely understand! They are definitely worth it and will last you such a long time! The more colours you have, the easier it is for you because you don't need to spend as much time mixing colours! However, I usually recommend the smaller sets (5 or 10 pure colours or my set of 20, specifically) because most people either can't afford the whole set or don't want to spend that much to start a medium that they aren't sure they will enjoy 😊

[@amyruby4425]

Very useful tips!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bethkemp7515]

❤️ Very informative. Thank you 🙌

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Alicenoone-u6q]

A sharpener for eyeliners works pretty well. It's cheap an create a shorter tip than regular sharpener create. I usually use a knife, but some people struggle on that.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

That's a good idea, I'll try one of those soon 😊

[@soamir22]

Excellent. Thanks

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You are welcome!

[@Scottsfolk]

Amazing video, thank you!!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome 😊

[@katterina7361]

Very helpful tips! Thank you for sharing❤ Are there any other brands of paper you would recommend to beginners to try on?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome! I only recommend Clairefontaine Pastelmat because there are no other papers that will achieve the same results, unfortunately! If people are on a bit of a budget, I would suggest purchasing a smaller set of pastels to save money rather than trying to find a cheaper paper 😊

[@ashishchatterjee78]

I'm Ashok one of your subscriber, from Calcutta India 🇮🇳. Your work is excellent. Being having love in painting 🎨 and enjoy painting 🎨 in holidays, I love❤❤❤ your work.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thank you so much 😀

[@jenniefrench1338]

Excellent tips!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@aladinsane6471]

I've been using acrylic paints, but now I want to move on to pastels as a beginner so your tutorial is excellent....on one of your videos you said hos the pastel sits onto the paper....tooth I think was mentioned....and as I'm typing this you just mentioned it again😊great tips tho...your artwork is just beautiful...thanQ........💜

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@claudiacouch2125]

Thank you for your incredible tutorials! I'm new to pastels, and I have a dumb question: I am frequently having to blow the excess dust away, yet I never see any professional artists doing that. What am I doing wrong?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You're welcome 😊 Not a dumb question! I used to do that a lot (and still do out of habit) I think some professional artists still blow dust away as a habit, but one of the reasons you won't see that in videos is because the blowing noise is loud on the microphone/camera so they will cut it out of the video! Blowing the dust around is bad for you because you're more likely to inhale that dust, and you can also accidentally spit on your artwork while doing it which isn't archival, obviously Some people use a mini vacuum or dust extractor, which can get expensive and tedious... but I just tell my students to tape their work to an art board or something they can move around so that they can just take their board to a bin, turn it upside down, then tap off the excess dust instead of blowing it A lot of pastel artists will work on an upright easel that is tilted slightly more than 90 degrees towards you - that way, the dust will fall directly down to the bottom of the easel (without getting dust stuck on the artwork on the way down) where they will have a lip or foil/paper folded under their work to catch the excess falling dust I work flat on my desk and tape my work to my desk so it doesn't move around while filming which makes it more difficult so I end up blowing the dust away a lot (which I should really stop doing) but I will un-tape the artwork after each layer and take it to a bin to tap off the excess dust, then re-tape it back down... it's a pain in the butt which is why I recommend taping it to a movable board instead Also, if you use Clairefontaine Pastelmat with Pan Pastels and pastel pencils, there will be a lot less dust than if you're using traditional pastel sticks on any other surface - so the supplies make a huge difference too! I hope that helps 😊

[@TimChuma]

I keep going through white and black so quickly for oil pastels. The art supply store said to get a couple of Pan Pastels to try them out first. Knife sharpening only.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Pan Pastels are a type of soft pastel so you won't be able to use them with oil pastels But I do recommend them anyway (to use separately!) - They are a lot of fun 😊

[@gregorysarmas3619]

Great tips Thanks

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@linz.aesthetics]

great video! how do you turn the reference photos into those black and white outlines to trace on like in 2:50?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You can use free online editors like www.ipiccy.com to do this (or Photoshop if you have it) If you are e member of the KR Fine Art Academy, I have a step by step tutorial showing you how you can do this as well 😊

[@linz.aesthetics]

@@KirstyRebeccaFineArt thank you!

[@reneekroyer5104]

Do you use sanded paper for your art work? It seems to me that sanded paper would start to shred the sponge applicators and also wear down the pastel pencils really fast too.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I use Clairefontaine Pastelmat which is not technically a sanded paper It's a bit of a misconception that sanded papers wear down pencils quickly, but in reality, the pigment is applied much quicker to sanded papers (so instead of spending hours creating multiple light layers, you get the coverage much quicker) which seems as though you're wearing away your pencil faster - but you're actually using the same amount of pencil, just finishing your piece sooner As for the sponge applicators, the trick is to keep going back to your Pan to get more pastel on your tool as soon as the pigment stops coming off of your tool A lot of people tend to try and push harder to get more pastel to come off, which damages the tool really quickly, but you really only need to press very lightly with your sponges and pick up more pastel when it's not coming off of your tool as much Also, using the larger sponges when you can will help save your tools (they don't wear away as quickly as the small covers for the blue knife tools) I hope that makes sense!

[@reneekroyer5104]

@@KirstyRebeccaFineArt Thank you, Kirsty, that makes perfect sense. I have received samples of Pastelmat when ordering other art supplies and to me, it felt similar to Uart sanded paper, but it was just a small piece, like 3x3 inches, so hard to get the full effect with that small of a sample. As I am new and do not make any $$ by selling my work, I just can't afford Pastelmat at $5.00 for a 9x12 piece of paper. Yikes. I wish I could afford it because I know that is the favorite among almost all artists, but until I get good enough to make money to pay for the paper, I'll be sticking with Uart or Mi-Teintes Touch.

[@Blubes23]

This was helpfull and inspiring 💕

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@helenalramos]

Hi, do the patreon tutorials have closed captions? I am interested in becoming a member! Congratulations on the videos!

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Some of them do, but unfortunately on some of the longer tutorials, it won't allow me to add closed captions! If you join Patreon and find that you can't follow enough of the tutorials, I'm happy to give you a refund 😊

[@tinalawler4973]

What would be the best pastel pencils for polymer clay please, im using panpastels atm but need something for finer details. Thank you

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I honestly have no idea (I have never worked with polymer clay) but if Pan Pastel is working for you, then I assume Faber Castell Pitt Pastel pencils or Stabilo Carbothello pastel pencil would also work because they are soft (chalk) pastels like Pan Pastels are - I'm not sure if that helps, but maybe it's best to ask someone who works with polymer clay 😊

[@pecanpies8345]

Hi, I’m very new to pencil pastel. I would like to know do you varnish your artwork? If do, what kind of varnishes would you recommend? Thank you

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Did you mean fixatives? We don't varnish pastel work because it will dissolve the pastel! Unfortunately, most fixatives cause more problems than they solve! Your artwork can end up being darkened/discoloured or the fixative doesn't actually "fix" anything Most pastel artists don't use fixatives for that reason If you use the techniques and supplies that I use, there's no reason you need to fix your pastel paintings because there's very little dust fall off, it's archival/lightfast without it, and if you store it correctly and/or frame it properly then you won't have any issues 😊 If you still think you would like to use a fixative, Spectrafix is one of the main brands that don't cause much colour change (however, it still doesn't completely "fix" the artwork and can cause "spots/droplets" from the spray that you will probably need to cover up with more pastel) and like I mentioned earlier, it's not necessary to use a fixative 😊

[@pecanpies8345]

thank you so much 🥰@@KirstyRebeccaFineArt

[@Kate37889]

Fantastic ❤

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Thanks 🤗

[@forestdweller2661]

Very helpful thanks

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Glad it helped 😊

[@cynthiamarston2208]

Would a sable brush work as well as a cotton tip to blend layer?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I don't think any brush would work as well as a cotton tip (they're generally much softer) but you're welcome to try it and see if you like the results 😊

[@JosueMartinez-ww1vj]

Can you achieve the same quality of pan pastels with soft pastels sticks?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

You can use soft pastel sticks, but it is a lot harder and much more unpredictable You have to apply the sticks very lightly and make sure you really blend the pastel well (so it pushes the pigment into the paper) The problem with sticks is that you can't really control how much pastel you're laying down so it can fill up the tooth of the paper too quickly if you're not careful I know I sound like a walking advertisement for Pan Pastel but they're actually not that expensive when you compare how much pastel is in each pan Pan Pastels contain 40% more pastel than an average stick and have 4-5 times more coverage. They last a very long time in comparison to sticks You can actually just buy the basic set of 5 colours (red, yellow, blue, black and white) and mix any colour you need, just like paint! That is something you can't do easily with soft pastel sticks (this is why people usually have hundreds of pastel sticks - which is way more expensive than buying 5 Pan Pastels) I've had my set of pan pastels for about 5 years and haven't run out of any colour yet, and I do a lot of artwork , and if you take care of the Sofft tools, they last a long time as well 😊 There are also many other benefits such as not having to touch the pastel (so it's less mess on your hands/artwork/desk etc), less excess dust in the air, as well as being able to control how much pastel you are applying to your surface which means you don't fill up the tooth of the paper too quickly - allowing for the addition of a few layers of pastel pencils/coloured pencils etc if you wish! You can also use the smaller Sofft tools or brushes to apply into smaller areas, which can be hard to to with a soft pastel stick I honestly recommend Pan Pastels over any other type of pastel because they are actually more cost effective (along with all the other benefits mentioned above) 😊

[@JosueMartinez-ww1vj]

@@KirstyRebeccaFineArt Wow thanks soo much for such Amazing quality response, you are definitely a well-rounded artist!

[@oliviabeeken220]

What kind of colored pencils do you recommend to use with oil pastels?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

I've never used oil pastels, but I don't think coloured pencil would work very well with them! I only use soft (chalk) pastels 😊

[@EktaShah82]

Have you ever tried changing country on Amazon while keeping your Australian address as the delivery address? I’ve done that to get things from Uk or France Amazon that aren’t on American Amazon. Might try that to get your replacement blades. The mobius plus Rupert replacement blades work on standard pencil sharpeners

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Yeah, I have done that in the past but I still find that most places don't ship to Australia anyway - it's easier to leave it on the Australian Amazon because it shows international sellers who ship to Australia (which is barely any, unfortunately!)

[@EktaShah82]

@@KirstyRebeccaFineArt what a bummer!! If you are in Sydney or Brisbane and need anything from USA and reimburse me I can bring it in October when I come

[@edwinstone3708]

Hi, Kristy. I love soft pastels. Just out of curiosity, between colored pencils and pastels which one is faster?

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Definitely pastels 😊

[@godiejosef3788]

Wow ang galing thanks !

[@sonderstudios6675]

If you're having trouble adding light final layers, just use the putty to lift a bit off. To sharpen, just use a knife and sharpen with sandpaper.

[@KirstyRebeccaFineArt]

Yes, I mention both of these things in a lot of my videos as well 😊