If you're a beginner artist, or a just a bit more experienced, one of the things you have to learn, is WHEN to stop drawing or painting. You'll ruin some good pieces, just because you over did it, or just because you added something, that you thought it would make the piece better, but it produced the opposite effect, making the piece worse than it was before you put that stroke with the brush ,or that line with the pencil etc. You have to stop, go a step back, or tilt your head back to take a look from a bit further. If it looks great, stop there and call it finished. Add something, only if you're 100% if not 120% sure, that it will make your piece better. I' m glad this artist mentioned that!!!
Thank you so much for this fantastic tutorial, Karen! ❤ Its such a joy to watch you paint - its like a kind of magicI ❤ I love both of your paintings - but this one on Canson Mi Teintes, sings to me!!! ❤ I have a bunch of this paper in the size of 24×32 cm - in grey colour -- and one is now waiting on my easel! Fingers crossed 😊 Greetings from Sweden! 🇸🇪
This is literally the exact video with the exact message of encouragement and tips that I needed at the exact right time. This might be the best video on TH-cam I’ve ever watched. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude. Thank you.
If you want more detail or sharpness out of unsanded paper, I think going in for those details and sharp lines with a color pencil would work just fine. Color pencils seem to love the Canson Mi-Teintes paper
I have discovered clear gesso made by Liquitex. I roll it onto my unsanded paper with a small foam roller. This gives the paper a good level of grit or tooth or roughness. Since it is clear, the original color and value of the paper remain unchanged. If I work an area too much and find that I need to erase everything from the page to start over , I can re-apply the gesso in that area to give the paper a new gritty surface.
I love this one! The mood is so beautiful. Even though the sanded paper is rendered just as well, to my eye, the Canson piece is much more painterly and appealing. Guess what I’m going to play with next!
Karen, even though I have worked on Canson Mi-Teintes paper in the past, I have always hated it, for the exact reason that it wouldn’t allow me to work in many layers, as it is in my nature. At some point I gave up working on Canson. But your demo, and its beautiful resulting painting, convinced me to give it another chance (I still have a stash of this paper from way back). You are a wonderful inspiration and an awesome teacher. Thank you for sharing with us your art! Cheers from California 🤗
Thank you for showing me what is possible with Canson paper. I have used it a lot but just didn't know how to use it. I am attempting a new painting and my approach is very different. Thank you!
I didn’t need convincing after seeing the incredible works you have demonstrated on Canson. With some practice I have managed to improve on Canson. Since I was given a stash of it I have been delighted at the discovery. This one is particularly special though. I like it better than the sanded version. Bravo!
This is really reassuring for me as I've been using smoother papers to practice on and saving the pricey sanded paper for college work. I was worried about the difference a d how I would deal with it but this has been very helpful. I love these videos.❤
Thank you so much. I'm new to soft pastels. What I thought were pastel paintings, prior, were actually underpaintings & mid-layers. I really appreciate both the attention to the kind of pastel & kind of paper.
I'm so happy you did this video Karen, I'm still considered new to pastels and I wondered the difference between them. Cheers from Canada my friend and thank you
This qas a great demo! I loved your reference to start with and it was very fun to see how you worked with the canson Paper. I feel encouraged to give it a try! Thanks!
This is beautiful and now doable for me! Thank you! I am new here and loving your work and your teaching style (talking specifics not just blah blah blah😂).
Wonderful, and lots of fun!... will have to follow this painting along some of these days. I love the look and feel of the foreground on the unsanded version, it really looks like grass and shrubs and weeds in autumn.
Thank you, Karen! I am just getting started in pastels and trying to figure out what I need. Your tips on some of the properties of the different brands of pastels is very helpful. I ended up with a lot of Canson Mi Teintes paper. Glad to know I don’t need to take out a mortgage to have a huge stash of sanded paper, although I do have some and will be getting more. LOL. This painting is lovely!
I agree that your Patreon page is the best deal going for great instruction and content! I have learned so much from you and appreciate your generous sharing!
Thank you Karen, your teaching is so helpful. I see how the under painting process gives so much depth and realism to your finished work. Beautiful!!! Awesome to watch you work through it!!! Very much appreciate you for having this channel. God bless🙏
I LOVE this picture, you are my favorite pastel painter! I can not stop watching your videos. I use the Canson paper all the time. I want to use the sanded paper just waiting for the right picture.
Thanks for watching! I have been doing a lot of video content for my Patreon group so it has been keeping me very busy! I was not very organized with the pastels I used so I don't know exactly what I used :(
Karen, you are an absolute inspiration! I have admired your work for a while and I’m so delighted to discover your TH-cam demos; you are so generous with your knowledge and an excellent teacher. I have learnt so much already from you, thank you so much for sharing your remarkable talent.
Bardzo udana prezentacja . Poprzez subskrypcję twojego kanału na wiele rzeczy otworzyłaś mi oczy , cały czas nie wiem jakimi kolorami blokować ciemne obszary i jasne - to nic wiedza przyjdzie z czasem. Pozdrawiam.
Another fantastic video, thank you Karen! As a beginner I’m struggling to use Pastelmat so I’ve just bought a pad of this unsanded paper to have a play with. Thank you for sharing your tips and insights 😊
Thank you again Karen. I’ve been watching you for years and you just keep getting better and better. I am so grateful for your generosity and teaching skills. I love how this developed. Some parts stirred memories of my childhood playing in the bush after fires. We don’t see Autumn colours much in our climate in my part of Australia , but your work evoked long forgotten memories. Thank you .
It’s amazing how you use so many colors and get the results you want in the end. Every tutorial I watch from different artists, including yourself, I see under paintings. What would an end result look like if done on plain paper with no under painting?.
Thanks for watching!Underpaintings are a way to start a pastel painting easily but you would get a similar effect without an underpainting. I find they make it easier for me to simplify and add color.
I've always hated sanded paper and still prefer to use Velour and Pastelmat, which are my favorites. If I do use sanded, I go for the finest grit 600-800 Colorfix smooth is fine too. I have a light touch, so it works well for me. Thank you Karen for the video showing the difference. When I tried a UArt sanded paper for the first time I thought, what is the problem?? I can't even paint anymore?? It's all what we are comfortable with I suppose!
Thank you Karen, this is very helpful. I worked in pastels about 25 years ago, mostly doing dog portraits. It seemed then that about the only choice was Rembrandt pastels and unsanded paper. There might have been other pastel choices but I was always on a budget. I still have a box of my old Rembrandts. I have started again, ordered a big new set of Rembrandts and a few other kinds of softer brands and some semi-hard varieties. I tried the sanded paper which I like but due to the expense I decided to relearn with the Canson paper focusing on using deliberate marks and not correct too much. I think I'll have to get some of that workable fixative, though.
Welcome back to pastels! A lot has changed with so many new materials to try but a lot has stayed the same and the old favorites sometimes are the best! Have fun!
It’s hard to pick, but I think I might give a small edge to the unsanded….bc I like the trees better. But I love the blue sky on the sanded. Both are lovely. 😊
Thanks for these tips on using Canson Mi Tienes paper. It is my least favorite surface to work on but is ubiquitous and cheap. I too hate the “right side “ (bumpy side) of this paper; good to know I can use the wrong or smooth side and get a decent painting.
If you're a beginner artist, or a just a bit more experienced, one of the things you have to learn, is WHEN to stop drawing or painting. You'll ruin some good pieces, just because you over did it, or just because you added something, that you thought it would make the piece better, but it produced the opposite effect, making the piece worse than it was before you put that stroke with the brush ,or that line with the pencil etc.
You have to stop, go a step back, or tilt your head back to take a look from a bit further. If it looks great, stop there and call it finished. Add something, only if you're 100% if not 120% sure, that it will make your piece better. I' m glad this artist mentioned that!!!
Maybe I am strange but I did not see an ugly stage. I enjoyed each addition of line and colour. Bravo!
As a beginner on a budget, the Canson is my most practical option. I really appreciate your suggestions for using it.
Excellent artist. I’ve been watching lots of Pastelists. She’s great. I wanna paint like her.
Thank you so much for this fantastic tutorial, Karen! ❤ Its such a joy to watch you paint - its like a kind of magicI ❤ I love both of your paintings - but this one on Canson Mi Teintes, sings to me!!! ❤ I have a bunch of this paper in the size of 24×32 cm - in grey colour -- and one is now waiting on my easel! Fingers crossed 😊 Greetings from Sweden! 🇸🇪
This is literally the exact video with the exact message of encouragement and tips that I needed at the exact right time. This might be the best video on TH-cam I’ve ever watched. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude. Thank you.
I am so happy you fund it when you needed to see it! It is my pleasure to share with you!
I like the one on the unsanded paper. It has more atmosphere, and it looks softer.
Thanks Linda!
If you want more detail or sharpness out of unsanded paper, I think going in for those details and sharp lines with a color pencil would work just fine. Color pencils seem to love the Canson Mi-Teintes paper
I bought Mi-Teintes few days ago and got really worried, when I heard people hate it so much, your video gave me some hope
As a watercolorist I learn so much from your pastel lessons! It definitely will be next on my playtime agenda!
Makes me want to get some unsanded paper, i loooove the soft dreamy look it gives! But a good fixative would really help.
I have discovered clear gesso made by Liquitex.
I roll it onto my unsanded paper with a small foam roller.
This gives the paper a good level of grit or tooth or roughness.
Since it is clear, the original color and value of the paper remain unchanged.
If I work an area too much and find that I need to erase everything from the page to start over , I can re-apply the gesso in that area to give the paper a new gritty surface.
Yes! Clear gesso is my go to for texture and making my own sanded surfaces!
Hi @renzo can you send the link to the product? It saw too many liquitex gessos and i am not sure which one to purchase haha
I love this one! The mood is so beautiful. Even though the sanded paper is rendered just as well, to my eye, the Canson piece is much more painterly and appealing. Guess what I’m going to play with next!
Thanks for watching! Have fun!
Karen, even though I have worked on Canson Mi-Teintes paper in the past, I have always hated it, for the exact reason that it wouldn’t allow me to work in many layers, as it is in my nature. At some point I gave up working on Canson. But your demo, and its beautiful resulting painting, convinced me to give it another chance (I still have a stash of this paper from way back). You are a wonderful inspiration and an awesome teacher. Thank you for sharing with us your art!
Cheers from California 🤗
Thanks for watching! I felt the same as you and now I enjoy canson for a change of pace!
Your Patreon is the best deal on the Internet. So much content! Thanks for a great demo.
Wow, thanks! I appreciate your support!!
Karen, this is wonderful. Reminds me of old masters paintings.
Thank you for showing me what is possible with Canson paper. I have used it a lot but just didn't know how to use it. I am attempting a new painting and my approach is very different. Thank you!
Funny, I didn’t think it was ugly at anytime! It was just all beautiful.
Ha! Thank you! I appreciate you watching!
Thank you for providing much needed instruction regarding Canson paper!
You are so welcome!
I didn’t need convincing after seeing the incredible works you have demonstrated on Canson. With some practice I have managed to improve on Canson. Since I was given a stash of it I have been delighted at the discovery. This one is particularly special though. I like it better than the sanded version. Bravo!
Thank you Priscilla!
They are both beautiful.I love your demos! Now I know how to use my Canson paper...light touch....thank you!
Thanks for watching!
“The right touch is the light touch”❤
I love your tutorials, every minute! Your work is amazing and the way you teach is so helpful.
Thank you so much!
I actually am loving the “out of focus” ! 😁
I actually loved your painting at the messy stage!
Thanks! I do too sometimes!
Beautiful landscape. Evanescent. Very impressionistic!
Many thanks!
This is beautiful. How did I not think of the texture the fixative leaves! Now I can work pastels in a fair way with cheaper paper. Thank you!
Beautiful build up of color, even if this is an unsanded paper. Altogether, this is a successful painting with autumn mood. Thank you.
Thank you so much 😀
I am so inspired, I’m off to paint with my pastels. Wonderful!
Even at 12 minutes it looked like a nice impressionistic landscape after you've learned fixative.
Inspired and Inspirational. Fabulous. Thankyou.
Glad you enjoyed it!
You are a terrific teacher and painter as well! I feel like I can do this with you!
Love this!
all deine arbeit ist schön, applaus 👏
This is really reassuring for me as I've been using smoother papers to practice on and saving the pricey sanded paper for college work. I was worried about the difference a d how I would deal with it but this has been very helpful. I love these videos.❤
Thank you. This helps me understand a little more about the different papers for pastels.
Thank you so much. I'm new to soft pastels. What I thought were pastel paintings, prior, were actually underpaintings & mid-layers. I really appreciate both the attention to the kind of pastel & kind of paper.
You are so welcome!
I needed this video! Thank you so much.
You are so welcome!
I'm so happy you did this video Karen, I'm still considered new to pastels and I wondered the difference between them. Cheers from Canada my friend and thank you
Thank you for watching Angie!
Hi Karen! love your vids, love watching your paintings come to life, Juicy! Keep on keepin on
Excellent demo
You're a fantastic teacher!
Thank you! 😃
Thank you Karen. It’s a pleasure to listen to you and to see how you proceed. Very grateful.
Thank you so much!
Thank you Karen for all your help over all the years.
Thank you for watching!!
This qas a great demo! I loved your reference to start with and it was very fun to see how you worked with the canson Paper. I feel encouraged to give it a try! Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Great video and explanation! Thx!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
This is beautiful and now doable for me! Thank you! I am new here and loving your work and your teaching style (talking specifics not just blah blah blah😂).
Fascinating!
Lovely painting…thanks, Karen!
You make it look easy
Fantastic! Bravo! Merci! 🤩🤗🥳🌲🌟😊☀️
Excellent explanation excellent information ❤
Wonderful, and lots of fun!... will have to follow this painting along some of these days.
I love the look and feel of the foreground on the unsanded version, it really looks like grass and shrubs and weeds in autumn.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!
I really enjoyed watching this! Weekend painting project!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much. This was very helpful ❤
Thank you, Karen! I am just getting started in pastels and trying to figure out what I need. Your tips on some of the properties of the different brands of pastels is very helpful. I ended up with a lot of Canson Mi Teintes paper. Glad to know I don’t need to take out a mortgage to have a huge stash of sanded paper, although I do have some and will be getting more. LOL. This painting is lovely!
You are so welcome!
I agree that your Patreon page is the best deal going for great instruction and content! I have learned so much from you and appreciate your generous sharing!
Thank you very much! I appreciate your support!
Thank you Karen, your teaching is so helpful. I see how the under painting process gives so much depth and realism to your finished work. Beautiful!!! Awesome to watch you work through it!!! Very much appreciate you for having this channel. God bless🙏
You are so welcome!
I LOVE this picture, you are my favorite pastel painter! I can not stop watching your videos. I use the Canson paper all the time. I want to use the sanded paper just waiting for the right picture.
Thank you so much 😀
I’d like the list of colors you had used. So good to see you again, I missed you.🤗
Thanks for watching! I have been doing a lot of video content for my Patreon group so it has been keeping me very busy! I was not very organized with the pastels I used so I don't know exactly what I used :(
Wonderful 👍 thank you for your sharing 😊
Wow, Karen, that was marvelous! I always hated fixatif, but the effect you get really makes the painting! Thanks!
You are so welcome!
Beautiful!
Yes! I love the unsanded version too ! It is more intuitively interesting !!!
Thank you!! I appreciate you watching!
Karen, you are an absolute inspiration! I have admired your work for a while and I’m so delighted to discover your TH-cam demos; you are so generous with your knowledge and an excellent teacher. I have learnt so much already from you, thank you so much for sharing your remarkable talent.
You are so welcome!
Thanks a lit for video it is amazing and so helpful exactly what I needed xo😊
Thank you so much ,I love your demos !
You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!
I love your work even at the 10 minute time :)
Bardzo udana prezentacja . Poprzez subskrypcję twojego kanału na wiele rzeczy otworzyłaś mi oczy , cały czas nie wiem jakimi kolorami blokować ciemne obszary i jasne - to nic wiedza przyjdzie z czasem. Pozdrawiam.
Another fantastic video, thank you Karen! As a beginner I’m struggling to use Pastelmat so I’ve just bought a pad of this unsanded paper to have a play with. Thank you for sharing your tips and insights 😊
Gorgeous! Love that combination of colors! Thanks for the demo.
Thank you! 😊
Thank you again Karen. I’ve been watching you for years and you just keep getting better and better. I am so grateful for your generosity and teaching skills.
I love how this developed. Some parts stirred memories of my childhood playing in the bush after fires. We don’t see Autumn colours much in our climate in my part of Australia , but your work evoked long forgotten memories. Thank you .
Thank you ☺️ You made my day!!
Nice !
I love watching your videos, you are such a good teacher. I am new to pastel and am learning a lot watching your videos. Thanks so much!
You are so welcome! Welcome to the wonderful world of pastels!
Loved it. You make it look so easy
Thanks so much 😊
I didn’t notice any ugly parts of the process but I loved the results.
Thank you for watching!
Gorgeous! Thank you Karen for all the great tips.
You are so welcome!
It’s amazing how you use so many colors and get the results you want in the end. Every tutorial I watch from different artists, including yourself, I see under paintings. What would an end result look like if done on plain paper with no under painting?.
Thanks for watching!Underpaintings are a way to start a pastel painting easily but you would get a similar effect without an underpainting. I find they make it easier for me to simplify and add color.
Thanks for the great demo! I like the 8 minute mark image.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I've always hated sanded paper and still prefer to use Velour and Pastelmat, which are my favorites. If I do use sanded, I go for the finest grit 600-800 Colorfix smooth is fine too. I have a light touch, so it works well for me. Thank you Karen for the video showing the difference. When I tried a UArt sanded paper for the first time I thought, what is the problem?? I can't even paint anymore?? It's all what we are comfortable with I suppose!
That is so true!! Thanks for sharing!
I really like to watch you and your work one of the absolute best on TH-cam I think. Thank you Karen🙏🏼🤗
Thanks so much 😊
Thank you Karen, this is very helpful. I worked in pastels about 25 years ago, mostly doing dog portraits. It seemed then that about the only choice was Rembrandt pastels and unsanded paper. There might have been other pastel choices but I was always on a budget. I still have a box of my old Rembrandts. I have started again, ordered a big new set of Rembrandts and a few other kinds of softer brands and some semi-hard varieties. I tried the sanded paper which I like but due to the expense I decided to relearn with the Canson paper focusing on using deliberate marks and not correct too much. I think I'll have to get some of that workable fixative, though.
Welcome back to pastels! A lot has changed with so many new materials to try but a lot has stayed the same and the old favorites sometimes are the best! Have fun!
I would like to see you make your own surface sometime with your own gesso or a surface with clear gesso
Sure! I do that a lot. I will add it to my video request list.
Truly mesmerising watching your work Karen
It’s hard to pick, but I think I might give a small edge to the unsanded….bc I like the trees better. But I love the blue sky on the sanded. Both are lovely. 😊
I enjoyed looking at this video.It's always so interesting and beautiful.Thank you. Hélène,Québec.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks, Karen for all your hard work I really appreciate your videos
Thanks for watching!
Love the Road Map part
Love this! thanks
Love it ,like a view from my childhood. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
You have a great video here-great fall trees💖💖💖
Thanks for these tips on using Canson Mi Tienes paper. It is my least favorite surface to work on but is ubiquitous and cheap. I too hate the “right side “ (bumpy side) of this paper; good to know I can use the wrong or smooth side and get a decent painting.
Thanks for watching Laura!
Thank you so much! Can't join Patreon...don't always feel up to par...this has to do!
Oh so fabulous.
Beautiful!. So much information that is translatable to other mediums as well. Thankyou!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Excellent...thank you for sharing your work.
My pleasure!
So beautiful!♥️
You rock Karen! Sooo beautiful. . .just amazing. Thank you
You are so welcome!
I like practicing on the "wrong" side of Mi Teintes. The "right side" eats pastels!
Very interesting!!!! I'm new to pastels, ( I do watercolors) thankyou!!! Helpful, so pretty!!!!
You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!