Wet vs. Dry mediums

[Lon Haverly]

I get covered head to toe when I am busy drawing portraits in pastel and charcoal. I do not even realize it until I go for a bathroom break and need to wash my face, hands and neck. I wear a vinyl apron made of the same glossy banner material that my display is made of which can be washed off easily every day, but that hardly does it.

There is a great deal of dust. I use a fan when I am that busy to blow the dust away from my face so I don't get congested. I keep "Wet Ones" close by to clean off my hands (and face) after each drawing. I have to mop my floor every night so as to keep up the clean appearance required by the mall. I use flexible fabric bandaids without the cotton wrapped over my fingers and thumb to prevent cracking from dryness of the charcoal and pastel sticks (which also has become a vital tool in smearing the pastel for a watery look). I have a side table which has swing out drawers - one whole drawer for charcoals and sandpaper, in which the entire bottom is covered with the powder of the charcoal, which I use for drawing effects. I have made a special box for my pastels which has three compartments, (one for warm colors, one for cool colors, and one for flesh tones) with two layers; the top layer is a net stretched over a little balsa frame which the pastel pieces lay upon so that they to not lay right in the gray dust below. The second is a false bottom, which can be removed and cleaned often to rid the box of the dust and bits that break off.

I have learned to deal with the dust - it is just part of the gig. Hope this helps you to understand the nature of the dry media!