How to Pastel https://www.howtopastel.com/ Info, opinion, and training on how to pastel with artist Gail Sibley BFA, MA Fri, 14 Mar 2025 20:35:02 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://www.howtopastel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cropped-cropped-HowToPastel-logo-1-32x32.jpg How to Pastel https://www.howtopastel.com/ 32 32 15 Minutes To Paint En Plein Air In Cayman https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/03/15-minutes-to-paint-en-plein-air-in-cayman/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/03/15-minutes-to-paint-en-plein-air-in-cayman/#comments Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:19:06 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=32407 15 minutes to paint? Yes, it’s possible! See how I skipped my usual thumbnail sketch (😱), grabbed my pastels, and made the most of a fleeting plein air moment.

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I Don’t Know What To Paint  (And Why That’s Not Really the Problem) https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/02/i-dont-know-what-to-paint/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/02/i-dont-know-what-to-paint/#comments Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:36:45 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=32337 "I don’t know what to paint"—sound familiar? The real issue might not be a lack of ideas but something deeper. Let’s explore six common obstacles and how to move past them!

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Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures…In Art https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/02/desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measuresin-art/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/02/desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measuresin-art/#comments Fri, 07 Feb 2025 19:09:15 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=32278 Stranded in a snowstorm without my usual art supplies, I had to get creative. A handful of pastels, a sketchbook, and some quick thinking led to an unexpected artistic experiment!

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100 Years and Still Curious – Lessons from My Friend Sandy https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/01/100-years-and-still-curious-lessons-from-my-friend-sandy/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/01/100-years-and-still-curious-lessons-from-my-friend-sandy/#comments Fri, 31 Jan 2025 20:31:32 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=32241 100 years of life, wisdom, and resilience—discover what my friend Sandy’s journey can teach us about making art for the long haul.

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Getting Back To The Easel…With Rufus https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/01/getting-back-to-the-easelwith-rufus/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2025/01/getting-back-to-the-easelwith-rufus/#comments Fri, 24 Jan 2025 21:34:31 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=32209 Getting back to the easel after a long break can feel daunting, but painting Rufus, a dog commission, was just the spark I needed to get me painting again.

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Your Word For The Year (Choose It And Put It Into Action) https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/12/choose-your-word-for-the-year/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/12/choose-your-word-for-the-year/#comments Fri, 20 Dec 2024 20:19:56 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=32104 Discover how choosing a word for the year can inspire your art-making, fuel your creativity, and guide your goals all year long.

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10 Must-Have Art Books from 2024 https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/12/10-must-have-art-books-from-2024/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/12/10-must-have-art-books-from-2024/#comments Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:28:32 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=32039 I'm often asked for book recommendations so here’s my list of 10 must-have art books I enjoyed in 2024.

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Taking Time in Tuscany – Sketch Your Way to Better Paintings https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/12/taking-time-in-tuscany-sketch-your-way-to-better-paintings/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/12/taking-time-in-tuscany-sketch-your-way-to-better-paintings/#comments Fri, 06 Dec 2024 19:29:01 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=31944 Discover how sketching in Tuscany, instead of relying on photos, helped my students create vibrant, emotive paintings that went far beyond what photos could capture.

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Marie Tippets – No Hidden Meanings, Just Magic https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/11/marie-tippets-no-hidden-meanings-just-magic/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/11/marie-tippets-no-hidden-meanings-just-magic/#comments Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:17:50 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=31910 Marie Tippets explores the beauty of still life art, revealing how simplicity and clear storytelling can transform ordinary subjects into captivating masterpieces.

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You Need Bad Paintings to Make Great Ones https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/11/you-need-bad-paintings-to-make-great-ones/ https://www.howtopastel.com/2024/11/you-need-bad-paintings-to-make-great-ones/#comments Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:51:49 +0000 https://www.howtopastel.com/?p=31803 Bad paintings. We always want to avoid doing them and yet, we need the bad ones to get to the good ones, the ones where we make a breakthrough!

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