Making Soft Pastels by Hand (3/10)
Author: Phyllis Franklin, Contributing Editor
Because this binder is susceptible to mildew,you will need a preservative solution to put in your binder. For this workshop, we used gum tragacanth with preservative premixed by Terry Ludwig which was a great deal easier. All supplies can be ordered by contacting Terry Ludwig at http://www.makepastels.com or from most large art supply houses such as Dick Blick. Also try Robert Doak, Kremer and Studio Products for some or all of the materials needed. Because each pigment has unique properties that react differently, the first step is to make binding solutions in different strengths to accommodate these differences. If you don't use supplies from Terry, use the scratch formulas below. These scratch formulas were collected from other pastel artist friends as well as from noted reference material. As mentioned above, we did not use the scratch formulas in this workshop, but rather relied on materials supplied by Terry Ludwig which solved a lot of the problems for us.
To begin you will need supplies to make a binding solution. Gum tragacanth is the most acceptable and widely used binder. It is a dry powder that is derived from the astragalus gummifer shrub and other related family plants found throughout SE Europe and W Asia. It is obtained through incisions in the stem of the plant. The gum, which is chiefly produced in Iran, is almost insoluble in water, but swells in it to form a stiff gel. Among it's many uses are found emulsifying agents, components of pills, hand lotions, medicinal lubricating jellies, as a demulcent, and as a sizing material. Binders other than gum tragacanth have been tried. Others have used such materials as honey, starch, soapy water, brandy, and more recently methyl cellulose wallpaper paste. The biggest advantage of using tragacanth is the pastels don't stick to your hands as much.
Preservative Solution Lukewarm water: 5 quarts + 2 level teaspoons of *sodium orthophenyl phenate Or, small amounts of a weak solution of phenol [carbolic acid], about a half teaspoon of the 1 percent solution ot a pint of distilled water can be used as the mold preventive-perservative. Drugstores will generally sell it up to about a 5 percent solution, this low concentration being deemed harmless. *Sodium Orthophenyl phenate [trademark "Dowicide A"] is a powder obtainable in chemical supply stores. Small amounts [1/4 teaspoon to a quart of binding solution] will effectively perserve gums. This solution can also be used directly on your pastel support if you have a problem with mildew. Experiment with using this solutions on your papers. Remember to let the solution completely dry before you begin your painting. Solution A 48 Fluid Ounces of Preservative solution Note: Gum Tragacanth does not dissolve easily so to encourage the process warm the distilled water when you make your preservative solution then add a couple of drops of any clear dishwashing detergent. Make sure you do not boil your water because it may destroy the preservative. Solution B 8 Fluid Ounces of preservative solution Solution C 24 Fluid Ounces of Preservative solution Solution D 24 Fluid Ounces of Preservative solution Solution E 24 Fluid Ounces of Preservative solution Make up the solutions and store in bottles that you have labeled as Solution A-E and Preservative Solution. ( 6 bottles) When you make solution A, which is the mother for all the other solutions, let the mixture soak about twenty-four hours in a warm place while a gel forms on the top. Then whisk the solution until the gel and water become one. If you put this into an old soda bottle, you can gently mix by moving the bottle gently from side to side. Place a cap on the bottle for storage. There may still be some traces of gum or preservative that are not yet absorbed but this is nothing to worry about. The strength of the binding solution is what determines the softness of the pastel. Here are a few general guidelines for using the solutions. Solution A: Cadmium red, cadmium yellow, cadmium orange, alizarin crimson Solution B: Cerulean blue Solution C: Precipitated chalk, titanium white, zinc white, ivory black, viridian, phthalo blue, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, Mars violet, chromium green oxide Solution D: Raw sienna, yellow ochre, Indian red, Prussian blue Solution E: Burnt Umber, raw umber Preservation solution Alone: Burnt sienna, terre verte
Additonal information was collected from Ralph Mayer's book "The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques", Viking Press.
From Scratch Formulas:
2 level tablespoons gum tragacanth
8 Fluid Ounces of Solution A
8 Fluid Ounces of Solution A
4 Fluid Ounces of Solution A
2 Fluid Ounces of Solution A
These formulas have not been tested, but are found in an excellent book by Alan Flattman, "The Art of Pastel Painting", Watson Guptill. This book is out of print, but you might find one ocassionally on e-Bay.
Artist's Handbook of Materials & Techniques
Remember to label those bottles. Keep your trash can handy and try to work as clean and as organized as you can.
Good lighting helps.