Process and materials
I’m all about making the creative process a fun experience for you! I use high-quality artist materials in my work, so you can count on your lasting a long time. Your satisfaction means everything to me, and I’m here to help bring your ideas to life!
How it works........
1/ When you are happy with the proposed portrait and the deposit has been received, I will book you into the calendar.
2/ I will inform you when I am about to start the commission.
3/ I will send you work-in-progress photos....sharing the process with you.
4/ On completion, I will send you a 'final' photo together with the final invoice.
5/ Once final payment is received, I will package the goods up and send them by carrier, keeping you informed of dispatch dates and carrier information, for more local deliveries, hand delivery may be possible.
Materials that I use.
Surfaces;
Clairefontaine Pastelmat; Pastelmat is a premium card surface (360gsm / 170lb) specially developed for pastelists. Its unique velvety surface, made from a fine coating of cellulose fibres, has the ability to grab and hold multiple layers of even the softest pastels.
It also comes in a more sturdy 1.8mm board option, which I may use with pastels to stop movement. Because the finish fixative is not usually required, which means that colours remain vibrant and fresh once applied. It is acid-free and lightfast.
Pastelmat is ideal for use with all dry media - pastel sticks, PanPastel, pencils, and charcoal. It is also water-resistant, which means that watercolour washes and mixed media techniques can be used.
Other sanded papers: Uart 400,500,600, and 800 grade. (All pH neutral/acid-free and archival quality)
Watercolour paper; top quality Hot Press finish, such as Arches ( French, traditional mould-made 100% cotton fibre, and is acid-free ). Saunders Waterford (British, mould-made 100% cotton, acid-free and archival). and Fabriano Artistico (Italian mould-made, 100% cotton, chlorine and acid-free. Contains no optical brighteners or chlorine, is acid-free and pH neutral).
Paper; Stonehange 250 gsm vellum ( 100% cotton, with a smooth, flawless, slightly mottled surface to resemble vellum. Acid-free).
Colour pencils ;
Faber Castel Polychromos ; the finest oil-based colour pencils on the market. Each pencil has a 3.8mm lead which is coloured with high-quality artists' pigments suspended in an oil-based binder. Encased in break resistant Californian cedar-wood, water-resistant, smudgeproof and has exceptional covering power. Good for detailed work. The 120 colours which are graded good, very good or maximum for light-fastness.
Caran D'Ache Luminance ; These are some of the most lightfast and permanent coloured pencils ever made. They have intense pigment concentration and a creamy texture, with 61 of the 76 colours in the Luminance range achieving the highest award (Lightfastness I) under the standard ASTM D-6901. Every shade has been formulated using finely-ground pigments chosen for their purity, intensity and resistance to UV light.
Caran D'ache Pablo ; oil based with a high degree of lightfastness
Derwent Lightfast ; These are oil based, smooth and creamy with a beautiful laydown of rich colour. They have been formulated as 100% lightfast, this unique coloured core combats the effects of UVA-radiation and maintains the longevity of colours on permanent display.
Derwent Drawing ; wax based and lightfast.
Pastels ;
Stabilo Carbothello pastel pencils ; high lightfastness.
Faber Castell Pitt pastel pencils ; excellent lightfastness.
Caran D Ach pastel pencils ; most with good or excellent lightfastness.
Derwent Pastel pencils ; High Excellent lightfastness
Rembrandt ; soft pastels made in the Nederlands by Royal Talens. Good to highest degree of lightfastness.
Panpastels ; these unique pastels come in pans for application by sponge. Excellent lightfastness.
Watercolour paint ;
The brands of watercolour that I use is mostly Daniel Smith but also some Schminke and Winsor Newton. The Gouache is mostly Schminke and Winsor Newton.