Conan O Brien Pastel Portrait>>WIP

[duey]

Here's the new project I am working on. I started it last night. I've only done 2 pastel pieces so far but I'd like to keep going with it. I think it's a really fun medium and it's a very forgiving medium also. If you screw up, it's erasable or you can just cover up your mistake with a new color. I am a huge fan of Conan O Brien. I drew him once but that was back in 2004 and the attempt is almost laughable to me now. The hair was very fun to do and we will see how it goes from here. I am doing this on colored paper (Canson Mi Tientes).

Hey Brian, don't forget the tutorial!

As i can see from the picture...you're using pastels the same way you use pencils. I mean drawing a portion at a time. Hmmm...this is something new to me.

[duey]

Haha, I don't think I'm ready to be teaching about pastels quite yet. I'm not experienced with them enough yet. But I will do one eventually as I get better with them. We'll see how this one turns out. Plus I think that might be a wierd subject to put on a tutorial, conan o brien, haha.

Yep, I use the pastels the same way as I use pencils. Right to left, top to bottom. I like working this way because I can focus on a single area at a time rather than getting overwelmed by the whole drawing at once. I start with the hair, get that taken care of, then move onto the forehead, then the eye area and the nose, then the mouth/chin area.

[duey]

I am using pastel sticks also. I use both because my pastel pencils only came in a set of 60 so sometimes I need different colors than were included in the pencils. I have a set of 45 Rembrandt stick pastels that I use too.

Haha, I don't know. I can't imagine most people wanting to draw Conan as a tutorial. Once I get more familiar with pastels I will for sure make a tutorial, but someone more popular like maybe Elvis or Britney or someone like that.

that looks so good so far! definatey captured his hair x]

hii Duey

i think this one is ur 1st portrait in pastel (as far as i know lol) its lookin awsome so far man, but i would love it more if it was on white paper . Do u plan on doin background????
nice work again man......keep it up

Man - that forehead goes on forever .. looks great so far.

[duey]

Straycat, you should try them out. I think you would really like them.

Vermeer, thanks alot. Yeah, this is my first portrait with pastels. As of right now, yes I do plan on making a background. But I am going to wait on it until it's finished. I will photograph/scan it without the background and then with the background. Just in case I completely ruin it with a background

Here's another update.

I would love to try using pastel pencils myself. But my experience with pastels has not been good. I ended up with more of the pastels on myself than on the paper. LOL!

How easy are they to blend and smudge as opposed to regular pastel sticks? How do they compare to conte?

Might have to take a shot at the pastel pencils though. But my drafting desk is first on my agenda!!! I'm SICK of drawing on a flat desk!!

[duey]

Now that I know that pastels exist in pencil form, I think I might try it again. My grandfather gave me a set of pastels when I wasn't even a teenager. He found out I was interested in art (something I do believe he loved to do, too if I remember right). The set he gave me was the kind that comes in sticks. I'm not sure if they make it anymore, but you had to actually hold the pastel to draw with it and it would get your fingers and everything just really messy. I only did 1 thing with them. I guess I need to do a little updated research on drawing materials, lol.