I have been struggling with what to call the pigment sticks I’ve been making from foraged soil, I alternate between just that (pigment sticks), and calling them pastels. The word “pastel” is a little confusing, as it is not only the word for a particular medium and the finished work, but also a descriptive term for a pale color. In reality, pastels come in a range of values for each hue - from pale to highly pigmented - and this allows you to place the value you need without having to mix them like you would with oil paints. Learning to recreate these materials from foraged pigments has made me think about the qualities I want from pigment in a drawing stick form, whether it be the soft round ones that leave fat lines and a lot of pigment, or the harder square pastel sticks, skinny pastel pencils and slightly oily Conté crayons that are all good for putting in fine-edged detail. The Conté Crayons (in earthy reds, black, grey and white) are made with kaolin clay and natural pigments, and they have a slightly more oily feel than the other pastels - they really stick where you put them. Especially useful in drawing the details, they make strong whites, rich warm tones, and the black Conté is the best for a dark matte black. The dry pigment in pastels and Conté crayons is held together in stick form with a binder, the binder ingredients (and amount of each used) determine the consistency of the stick and how much pigment is transferred onto the paper with each stroke. Generally, it’s the “tooth” of the paper/prepared surface that is responsible for how well the pigment adheres, as a rougher surface will grab the pigment and hold it in place. (Note that this different than a watercolor binder, which glues the pigment particles to the paper as it dries.) Here’s where the foraged soil pigments come in - the samples I gather contain varying amounts of clay, and because of that, the processed pigment can be shaped into a nice drawing stick without any additional binder. Depending on the amount of clay in each foraged pigment, some sticks end up softer than others (though so far they all hold together without crumbling). But I would like to be able to create different degrees of hardness for each of my pigments, and would also like to replicate the consistency of the Conté crayons I use in the pastel portraits, so I have begun to experiment with stick shapes and different pastel binders (gum tragacanth and methyl cellulose), as well as some extra additives like kaolin clay, beeswax and oil. That ongoing trial (and error ☺) will be the subject of a future post, so stay tuned! If you want an extra glimpse at these pigment experiments in the meantime, follow me on instagram @kjodigear, specifically #kjodigearpastels.
7 Comments
patti kirch
5/19/2020 11:09:29 am
Thank you for sharing your explorations. I love conte crayons, you used "drawing sticks" several times, how about that, your wonderful adventures with natural goodness. Now back to my gingko weave and side tracks every now and again! Love learning from wonderful people.
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Jodi
5/19/2020 01:25:43 pm
Thank you, patti!
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K. Jodi GearPlays with color, purchased, found and foraged. CategoriesArchives
July 2020
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