Goat Pastel Portrait

As we bid farewell to winter, March was a time of rejuvenation, where I brought 22 pet portraits to life, infusing the reading room of the newly renovated Musquodoboit Harbour Library with vibrant SMILES. On May 27th, in the community workroom, I shared the unique allure of pastels, with 'Flower Bud is my Name' taking center stage.

Pet Portraits by Minaz Jantz
Musquodoboit Harbour Library Reading Section March to May

I received a call from an artist friend at the end of February, and she asked if I would be interested in organizing an art show for three months at the newly renovated Musquodoboit Harbour Library. It was impromptu, but luckily, I had many display frames to pop in the artworks. I was told it was a success because the people who came into the library did have smiles and shared stories about their own pets with the librarians.

In conjunction with the pet portrait art show, on May 27th in the library workroom, I demonstrated the many attributes of using pastel as a medium. We got to play with pigments and had a wonderful afternoon with tea, coffee, and my homemade lemon bundt cake, which was popular! 

Ohh for BLEAT's sake 

Get on with the goat portrait!

A friend's farm visit sparked a delightful encounter with a goat, whose crooked smile exuded pure humor. Captivated by this moment, I sought and received permission to immortalize it in a portrait.

The first thing I do before painting the portrait is to study the photo and ask the spirit of the animal to come forth... then decide how to compose it on the paper. I draw it to the finished size and make a few color & value notes. 

The first step in the painting process is creating the underpainting. This involves using alcohol on UART paper, which sets the stage for building up layers of pastel to create textures. The underpainting is a crucial step as it provides a foundation for the subsequent layers of pastel, enhancing the overall texture and depth of the artwork. 

Getting the drawing right from the start allows for a more effortless flow of the pastel layers. The underpainting is often started using Pan Pastels, as the above photo indicates. Pan Pastel colors are stored in their value range for easier and quick blocking in the color shapes. I like to use the handy Sofft Tools, which look like mini spatulas with removable foam tips, as seen in the above photo. I will remove the foam tips after use and rinse them with dish soap, then let them dry for the next session. They do not last forever, mainly when used on pastel sandpaper, but they are not too expensive to replace the worn-out tips.

It is known that values do all the work while color gets all the credit! 

The above photo shows how the alcohol painting over the Pan Pastel stains & soaks the pigments into the UART 400 gm sandpaper. This stage is called BLOCKING in shapes. 

Pan Pastel with alcohol & brush to block in basic underpainting
That has stained the UART paper
 and can not be removed, so that it will not mix into subsequent layers of pastel.

The reason for wetting the Pan Pastel with alcohol is to seal the color, ensuring that none of it will lift into the subsequent pastel layers. This results in color speckling throughout the layers, creating atmosphere and vibrancy.

The underpainting dries quickly, and now it's time to use pastel sticks, making quick jotting lines with various colors to build up texture and form. 

Chunky soft pastels are marked over the underpainting, creating texture.

Some brands of pastels allow for a chunky build-up of layers. The best brands I have used to get the textures are Sennelier, Dianne Townsend, Terry Ludwig, Unison, Schmincke, and Mount Vision. Each brand has its own unique mark-making on the surface, so no two are alike; that's why pastelists usually never have enough pastels.

I like to take time to study how the hair moves along the body, indicating the form underneath. The mouth in this portrait is a strong focal feature and must be captured correctly.  I hope to capture the humor.

Starting out, I will work on one area, such as the face of the goat, and then move around the composition, building it up little by little. 

So far, I am pleased with Flower the goat and like how the colors are playing off each other.

The bright yellow-orange background really pops the blues and purples of the goat. Next, we aim to create a sense of place for our farm critters and an atmosphere that evokes shade, breezy leaves, and a sunny day!

Nearing the end of completion, the critters are standing on the earth.
Using various shades of red and blue purples over the orange-yellow creates a shaded ambiance.

Thinking of dirt as texture, I get an idea to literally crush soft pastel into the sandpaper. Various shades of purple colors over the yellow underpainting bring the earth under the feet of my farm critters.

I love how soft pastels allow me to approach art-making in a gradual way. I do not have to rush, as it never needs to dry. It is a forgiving medium with the right paper, such as the sandpaper brand like UART. I use an old, stiff brush to flick away any mistakes, just like an eraser, and can start over.

Some portrait artists prefer to work on the eyes first before moving on to the rest of the animal, but I like to hint at the eye with some shape and color at the beginning and leave the finishing of the eye for the very end. The significant WHITE DOT spot on the eyes brings a life force out of the portrait every time!

The chicken was fun and quick, with a few dashes of pastel colors to add those feathers. Since the goat is named Flower Bud, I want to add wild grasses and flowers to complete the happy farm scene.

Flower Bud the Goat & her Chicken Pal Chicketa (Pastel)

What a blast to do this portrait of Flower Bud the Goat and her Chicken Pal! 

TADA... here is the finished BLEATING portrait!

See you clucking and bleating at the farm! Minaz