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Meredith Wagenknecht · 06-06-2002, 12:56 PM

Hi Winnie and Gwenneth!

I am also a fan of the smooth side of the paper...I don't like the "paper towel effect" of the waffle-like texture of the other side! I have posted a picture for critique only once (see Mary Lynn in Pastel under critiques). You can see there that I too am a pastelist who likes to blend. I don't find that the darker tones of paper affect much the skin tone of a very light person...just takes a little more effort to overcome the tone of the paper, I guess.

I'm hardly an expert, though (as you will see if you read on). Actually, I guess I could use some advice myself. A couple of times I've had problems with the pastel "disappearing" or "lifting off" the paper after completion and spraying with Grumbacher Myston workable in matte (I usually don't spray at different stages).

I would take the piece back (this happened twice, and one lady drove me NUTS with this!) and touch it up, then spray again. This one lady, though, kept insisting the piece was continuously losing pastel. Some of her perceptions I feel were imagined, but, in fact, I DID detect (in both cases) more paper tones appearing through (especially noticable in the lighter areas) upon closer inspection.

So, could my opening comment about darker toned paper be the cause of this? Or too much fixative? How about humidity levels?? These problems arose when I was living in south-central Kentucky. I'm back home in southern New Jersey, and the summertime humidity levels here are similar...somewhat soggy! I live near the shore, too. I don't recall, though, if these pieces were framed before "losing" the pastel. I think the one was, and the other lady who drove me nuts waited quite a while before having the piece framed, and then had it unframed to bring back.

Thanks for letting me voice my concerns on your thread Winnie. Sorry I couldn't be of much help! Also, I use Rembrandts, Van Goghs, Conte pastel pencils, thinner pastel pencils, a couple of Windsor Newtons, some Nu Pastels, Grumbachers (which I picked up on sale at Pearl and haven't used yet), and the fat, square, cheap ones whose name escapes me at the moment.

Did I mention?? Go to yard sales! I bought an unused set of 24 Grumbachers (an old set, too) for $1.00!! Last year, I picked up at another yard sale some vine charcoal, pens and nibs, paints for my husband, etc. Do, the moral is, you never know what you'll find!

Meredith

06-06-2002, 12:56 PM	#3
Meredith Wagenknecht Associate Member Joined: Feb 2002 Location: Forked River, NJ Posts: 21	Hi Winnie and Gwenneth! I am also a fan of the smooth side of the paper...I don't like the "paper towel effect" of the waffle-like texture of the other side! I have posted a picture for critique only once (see Mary Lynn in Pastel under critiques). You can see there that I too am a pastelist who likes to blend. I don't find that the darker tones of paper affect much the skin tone of a very light person...just takes a little more effort to overcome the tone of the paper, I guess. I'm hardly an expert, though (as you will see if you read on). Actually, I guess I could use some advice myself. A couple of times I've had problems with the pastel "disappearing" or "lifting off" the paper after completion and spraying with Grumbacher Myston workable in matte (I usually don't spray at different stages). I would take the piece back (this happened twice, and one lady drove me NUTS with this!) and touch it up, then spray again. This one lady, though, kept insisting the piece was continuously losing pastel. Some of her perceptions I feel were imagined, but, in fact, I DID detect (in both cases) more paper tones appearing through (especially noticable in the lighter areas) upon closer inspection. So, could my opening comment about darker toned paper be the cause of this? Or too much fixative? How about humidity levels?? These problems arose when I was living in south-central Kentucky. I'm back home in southern New Jersey, and the summertime humidity levels here are similar...somewhat soggy! I live near the shore, too. I don't recall, though, if these pieces were framed before "losing" the pastel. I think the one was, and the other lady who drove me nuts waited quite a while before having the piece framed, and then had it unframed to bring back. Thanks for letting me voice my concerns on your thread Winnie. Sorry I couldn't be of much help! Also, I use Rembrandts, Van Goghs, Conte pastel pencils, thinner pastel pencils, a couple of Windsor Newtons, some Nu Pastels, Grumbachers (which I picked up on sale at Pearl and haven't used yet), and the fat, square, cheap ones whose name escapes me at the moment. Did I mention?? Go to yard sales! I bought an unused set of 24 Grumbachers (an old set, too) for $1.00!! Last year, I picked up at another yard sale some vine charcoal, pens and nibs, paints for my husband, etc. Do, the moral is, you never know what you'll find! Meredith __________________ Meredith Wagenknecht Portrait and Fine Artist [email protected]