Whether you are an absolute beginner or advanced pastelist, this is the book you have been waiting for. The most comprehensive book on soft pastels available, from a master artist with over 30 years of experience. Secrets of pastel painting are revealed with explanations of techniques, detailed demos, and easy to understand diagrams. Learn methods that produce better results, and also why they work, giving you a deeper understanding of pastel and art in general.

Creating art should be fun, not frustrating. Many how-to books teach how to follow along but not how to create your own artwork. This book covers every stage of the process, from choosing supplies to professional advice on what to do after a painting is finished. This book dives deep into understanding color, mixing, and more. Chris balances encouragement with skill-building to push your art forward. This is a complete art instruction course packed into a book.

Includes:

* Lessons for all skill levels
* Money saving tips for choosing supplies
* Blending, mixing, layering, glazing, lines, edges
* Adding depth to your paintings
* Techniques, sequencing, color theory
* How to mix any color accurately with few pastels
* Working from photos and their limitations
* Planning a painting & setting up your workspace for success
* Protect your paintings without fixative
* Storing, framing, & photographing artwork
* Step by step demos of complex paintings
* Painting process from start to finish
* Packed with color illustrations and beautiful artwork
And much more!

"You need but one pastel book and this is it. Christopher Reid presents a wealth of technical and artistic information in his engaging, comprehensive book. The crisp text and crystal-clear diagrams and demonstrations surpass any pastel book available before now. Simply indispensable for the pastel artist at any level from novice to professional."

Donald Furst, artist and professor of art

"Excellent, very well organized, and extremely informative. While it was written to teach the use of pastels, there is a wealth of information with details applicable to creating a painting in any medium."

Pat Murray, oil and acrylic painter