Where are you working?

[JaneS]

Pastels posted at WC are pushing me over the edge. I have loved oils...watercolors..acrylics most recently.. but the pastels I see here.....SIGH....
Big Question: (This is a poll..) Where are you all doing your pastels? I don't have a studio. Is the kitchen REALLY out of the question? Has ALWAYS seemed so for me with pastels. ie. how are you handling the dust/toxicity issue. It has been my big stumbling block to getting into them... I live in humid SE Texas.. and have really just not wanted to fight the bugs and humidity..

[Roan]

Kitchen is great, Jane! That's where I started mine and I prefer it. It's open, usually, and the air circulates really well. Unfortunately, our new house isn't designed for me to paint there http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/frown.gif I have a spare bedroom for now and hubby is building me a studio in the basement.

As for dust, I have a filter system going all the time and I vacuum a lot. The amount of dust that circulates really isn't as bad as you'd think. Hubby takes my computer apart every couple of months and blows it out. He says there's not much more build up than before I started using pastels. My computer is barely 5 feet from my easel.

I'm not too worried about toxicity, I don't use Great American pastels and I'm pretty careful about blowing and using compressed air.

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<FONT face="Script MT Bold"><FONT COLOR="#AB4835"><FONT size="5">Roan</FONT s></FONT c></FONT f>
<FONT COLOR="#8A1010">Nollaig Shona Dhuibh! Merry Christmas!</FONT c>
RoanStudio.com (http://RoanStudio.com) &lt;-- pastel open stock vendor sources & reviews!

[bk7251]

I do almost all of my pastels outdoors. It's the perfect medium for plein air work - portable, quick, and easy to clean up. Probably the three most important things I carry in my pastel bag are:

1. A hat
2. Insect repellent
3. Sun screen lotion

In the winter, I mostly paint with oils, indoors. I've tried doing pastels wearing three layers of polar fleece and gloves with the fingers cut out, but there's a limit to how much I'm willing to suffer for art.

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Barry Katz

[idahogirl]

I work in a very small corner of the living room. My easel is wedged between the piano and a low bookcase. I use the top of the bookcase for my pastels (or oils, or acrylics). When working with pastel, I wear gloves and I work neat. I also put wet paper towels in the easel tray which catches any dust and holds it so it doesn't blow around. Works for me!

Happy painting

Dee

[LDianeJohnson]

Hi Jane,
I work in a studio with hardwood flooring for ease in cleaning. When first I started using pastel, I was on carpeting (even with protection, the carpet can become stained and dust-filled), have also worked in the basement, and a guest room.

I paint so that the pastel falls straight down, into a tin foil trough fashioned on my easel. After a couple of paintings, I carefully roll up and discard, replacing with new foil. In addition, I do not run fans or have air circulating on or around my work area. Any air is directed down and away from my work area/face. I also now have a central vac which is one a good to clean the floor. If on vinyl, I prefer damp mopping instead.

To minimize the risk of ingesting pastel dust, no food or drink comes into the studio while working (which is particularly hard when I want my morning coffee http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/wink.gif For plein air painting, I just try to position myself with the wind to my back. I now also use gloves when doing the bulk of my work.
Diane

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Paintings by L. Diane Johnson (http://www.LDianeJohnson.com)
Workshops for 2001 (http://www.LDianeJohnson.com/workshops)

[DFGray]

I work on location like this
<IMG SRC="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Critiques/User/4_10_WHISTLERPE.jpg" border=0>

Regards Dan



[This message has been edited by Roan (edited December 20, 2000).]

[Suz]

I work in a loft with carpeting. A trough beneath my easel catches the dust and I have a damp rag ready to catch any exess. I don't blow on the painting, so all exess should land in the trough.
I don't think the dust is that bad, not bad enough to avoid using pastel.

[jdk]

When I first started with pastel, I didn't know any better. I blew on the pastel dust because it seemed to me (stupid me) that it got rid of the excess pastel dust nicely. And I also used to blend with my fingers.

After hanging out in WetCanvas, I now use and practice precautionary measures. I use gloves. When it starts to get sweaty, I pour (in a prinkling manner) baby powder. I bought a wooden container that hangs on my easel which was supposed to hold your painting tools, but I use that to catch the pastel dust that I tap off the paper. I line the container with paper towels of course, for easy cleaning and disposal. The pastels that I use are also there, I sharpen the pastel pencils also there, so all my mess is confined there. The area under my easel is covered with vinyl because the room where I work in is carpeted. After each painting session, I just throw the paper towels with the dusts, vaccuum or clean up the working area with damp rag. And yes, there is no ventilation source to scatter the dust around.

Juvie

[JaneS]

Thank you EVERYone... ..this IS giving me a better idea about what I may or may not be able to attempt with good conscience.
Dan.... I'd work on location like that, too if I had a location like that...lol..

[blondheim12]

One hint that may have been talked about before. If you tap your board or paper firmly straight down, slightly angle forward at the top, the dust will go straight down instead of all over the place. I usually work on location though, so it's not a big problem for me. Also, I am not a blender by nature. I use many layers on top of one another so I don't blend. There is less dust when you don't blend.
Linda

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www.lindablondheim.com (http://www.lindablondheim.com)

[Roan]

Does anyone know whose pastel studio that is in the WC reference section? The one that is a separate building? It rules and I want one! :P

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<FONT face="Script MT Bold"><FONT COLOR="#AB4835"><FONT size="5">Roan</FONT s></FONT c></FONT f>
<FONT COLOR="#8A1010">Nollaig Shona Dhuibh! Merry Christmas!</FONT c>
RoanStudio.com (http://RoanStudio.com) &lt;-- pastel open stock vendor sources & reviews!

[Ohju]

Pastel is my #1 medium..the dust doesn't bother me at all. What is wrong with having it on your fingers? I must have missed that somewhere. Most of my pieces are blended, never done one totally un-blended. I do mine in my own spare room, with no air blowing. Don't own an easel, just my wooden art table. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

[sassybird]

Jane, I have mentioned this before, but I will once again. I work pastels wet by laying down color and then working it with a damp brush to blend. It cuts down on the dust considerably and really gives some nice effects. This allowed me to even work in my living room over carpet without too much worry.

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sass

[This message has been edited by sassybird (edited December 27, 2000).]

[bk7251]

Ohju - Haven't noticed you in this forum before. Can you post one of your pastels so we can see what you're doing in that room?

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Barry Katz

[Terry]

Jane I use a 2-3" wide masking tape at the bottom of my work, like the tray idea already talked about I like it because it attracts the dust and it sticks to it. after I'm finished I remove the tape over a waste basket. This helps keep the mess down to a medium.
Jane the pigments can be as small as 1 micron thin at that size it can penatrate your skin. So wear those gloves and wear a mask.
Terry Ludwig Oh it's in the mail

[Ohju]

Originally posted by bk7251:
Ohju - Haven't noticed you in this forum before. Can you post one of your pastels so we can see what you're doing in that room?

Nice to meet you Barry, I have been coming in here, just reading and getting to know everyone. I would like to post a piece, but don't know how? Is it easy to post in here? Like click, find and post?
I haven't been into my art in a while, just started back up full steam, this year. The last pastel I did was a few years ago for a friend. She likes celebrities. No originals done, then...but working on one now. Will have it done sometime in January.


Sandi...Thanks for the warning, will use what type of gloves? I do the same, blend the first coat then leave the top. Most subjects I like to do is portraits. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif Landscapes are another. The piece I'm doing now is my first in this subject...a cat. Never done an animal before, or even a flower. I think it looks fair, but taking on floral? Well, it will be a challenge, for sure.