Eurasian Eagle Owl demonstration with pastel & sealing soft pastel
I recently had the opportunity to have a Eurasian Eagle Owl land on my arm. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson offers many educational experiences like the Avian Adventures. I was inspired by the photographs that I took to create a pastel painting. I started this painting to demonstrate at the Phippen Museum in Prescott, AZ for the AZ Pastel Artists Association exhibit. Click on the video to see the technique I used for this painting. If you have question you can email me through the website or at: [email protected]
Thank you and enjoy, Linda HP
P.S.
I came upon the research I did for sealing pastels. This first part is the testing I did and at the bottom a summery of what I do now to seal my charcoal, pastel and mixed medium works.
Tests on sealing soft pastels 2012-2013
By Linda Harrison-Parsons
Pastels: pictured below
*Left to right picture
1 Sennelier (White) bottom
1A Unison (Yellow) top
2 Schmincke (Green)
3 Holbein (Sky Blue)
4 Nu pastel (Medium Blue)
5 Charcoal Pencil 2B (black line mid-way)
6 Rembrant (Burnt Sienna)
6A Caran d’Ache (cross-hatching)
7 Daler-Rowney (Brown)
8 Terry Ludwig (Dark Purple)
Papers
Canson Mi Tentes
Kitty Wallis
Bristol
Watercolor Paper cold-press
Handmade watercolor paper
Rives BFK
Protecting & Framing Without Glass
Sections on tests paper # along side
1st Top line of chart - Pastels with no spray
2nd Line on chart - Fixative 4 passes
3rd Line on chart - Fixative + UV 4 passes
4th Line on chart -Fixative + UV + Kamar Varnish
5th Line on chart -Fixative + UV + Matte Spray
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Sorry the picture is not better.
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1/1A 2 3 4 5 6/6A 7 8
Products used
Krylon Workable Fixative (spray)
Krylon UV Resistant Clear Acrylic (spray)
Krylon Kamar Varnish (spray)
Kryon Matte Finish (spray)
Grumbacher Matte Medium & Varnish Acrylic (brush on)
Test 1(4x4x4plus)
Workable Fixative – 4 sprays
Spray lightly one pass do not over spray
Dry between sprays at least 15 minutes
Rotate work with each pass for even coverage
UV Protective Spray – 4 times - done after spraying with Workable Fixative – repeat above process using UV spray
Kamar Varnish – 4 plus sprays
Repeat 4 spray process
Check after 4th spray dries in light & dark areas gently touch with clean, dry finger; if pastel comes off continue to spray.
More than 6 layers of Kamar Varnish will start to build up a texture.
This technique works best on lighter applications of pastels, many layers & darker colors are harder to seal. Works well on charcoal & graphite drawings.
Test 2
Additional sealing can be done after Test 1 by using a Matte Medium & Varnish.
Brush on the Matte Medium with a soft brush in long strokes. This will make the work slightly darker & a shiny surface can be seen at an angle. But, it does protect it & makes it more water resistant.
If the work is not seal by first process the matte medium will pick up the particles and can dull the surface. It can be wiped away with soft cloth while still wet but will alter the work, removing details.
(linda harrison-parsons, research & testing)
Test 3(4x4x4plus)
Workable Fixative – 4 sprays
Spray lightly one pass do not over spray
Dry between sprays at least 15 minutes
Rotate work with each pass for ever coverage
UV Protective Spray – 4 times - done after spraying with Workable Fixative – repeat above process using UV spray
Matte Spray – 4 plus sprays
Repeat 4 spray process
Check after 4th spray dries in light & dark areas gently touch with clean, dry finger; if pastel comes off continue to spray.
The Matte spray has less build up then the Kamar Varnish. The Matte spray has a bit of a shine with multiple sprays (more then 4-5). This spray works well on dark colors but there is some change in the work.
Always test these techniques before trying them on a finished piece of work. Use an old pastel or make a test piece with your own style & technique of working.
Note: Test 2 can also be applied to Test 3 – to make the work more water resistant. Again, make sure the piece is sealed before applying the liquid medium.
https://www.lindaharrisonparsons.com
e-mail [email protected]
FOLLOW UP NOTE: 2025 Final results of tests.
Do not spray on windy or rainy days.
1st Shake cans very well, check that the nozzle is clean and start spraying off, to the side of your artwork just in case droplets come out first. Begin with Workable Fixative, light spray about 12-15” away, like a breath, dry 15 mins. Check, adjust whites if needed, repeat.
2nd Spray with Kamar Varnish, lightly, check, adjust any white or light colors if needed. Repeat till all colors are sealed, same technique as above. Rotate artwork after each spray for complete coverage. Average spraying 4 times, once with each turn of the artwork. Softest and darkest colors may need more spray to seal.
3rd After sealed with varnish option to spray lightly twice with UV Protection. Spray one direction up & down, second spray side to side.
Side Note: Very soft pastels and deep rich colors can be harder to seal.
Charcoal seals very well.
Graphite, watercolors, and mixed media pieces can be sealed with this technique.
Too heavy, too many layers of spray varnish can create a texture on the surface of the painting.
When storing spray cans, turn upside down spray to empty nozzle. Store on side, seems to keep nozzles from clogging.
Any questions email me at [email protected]
