Got Questions?

Who are your artistic influences?

I have a very long list, but I will try to list several artists: Andrew Wyeth, Burne Hogarth, Carl Larsson, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, Edgar Degas, Johannes Itten, Johannes Vermeer, José Clemente Orozco Michelangelo Buonarroti, Norman Rockwell, Rapheal Sanzio, Sir George Clausen.

What mediums do you work in?

Graphite:
Sanford Turquoise Drawing
Prismacolor Turquoise
Derwent Graphic
Koh-I-Noor Progresso Woodless Graphite

Pastels:
Prismacolor NuPastel,
Schmincke Finest Extra Soft Artists’ Pastel
Sennelier Extra Soft Pastel
Rembrandt Soft Pastel

Colored Pencils:
Prismacolor Colored Pencil
Prismacolor Verithin Pencil

Oil:
Rembrandt
Winsor & Newtons

Watercolour:
Winsor & Newtons

Computer Graphics:
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator CS2
Adobe InDesign CS2

What pastel paper do you order?

I usually order Art Spectrum sandpaper, Sennelier sandpaper, Canson Mi-Tientes paper, and Strathmore paper.

Is Pastel chalk?

There is a difference between Chalk Pastel and Colored Chalk. Methyicellulose was introduced in 20th century. Pastel is pure powdered pigment composed of methyicellulose, and a non-greasy binder. Colored Chalk is a limestone substance impregnated with dyes. Dyed Chalk is extremely affordable due to very low pigment. Modern Pastel is the most permanent of all media. I don’t call pastel “chalk”. Some Pastelists are notorious for not calling Pastel “chalk.”

Have you tried fixatives?

Yes, I have. Whether to use a fixative or not remains debatable. Some Pastelists use a fixative to protect their paintings. However, it does alter the appearance of the painting after fixative use. I stopped using it a long while ago. The best protection is to place them behind the glass or plexiglass with double mats. Instead of placing them behind frame, glass, and double mats, I place my painting in foam boards with glassine, so they would not be damaged. I personally think fixative use is nonessential.

You seem to use dry pastel all the time. Have you tried to paint with oil pastels?

Yes, I rarely use oil pastel. Oil pastel is a cousin of dry pastel. There are a few advantages of oil pastel to use is they never dry completely, so they’re easy to work with, and they are safer than soft pastel due to there is no risk of breathing in dust. I have done very few painting with oil pastel and colored pencil together. Combining oil pastel with oil may change over time. They should be painted for the top layer only. Remember, oil pastels never dry completely. Oil pastels can be painted over acrylic or watercolor. Like dry pastel, Oil pastel is pure powdered pigments except gum binder. The pigments in oil pastels are composed of a non-drying oil, and wax binder. I have never used a fixative on oil pastel before. I am told it is more difficult to protect with fixative. Dry pastel do bring out rich colors is a must for me. That’s why I use dry pastel all the time.

Do you like to use graphite pencils?

I like to draw my preliminary sketches with graphite pencils. I usually start with a graphite pencil/mechanical pencil, B3. Most professional and amateur artists are familiar with the chart of the hardness scale (updated 2009). The scale is a continuum from 9h (H is for hardness) to 9B (B is for blackness). HB is the standard writing pencil- No.2 pencil. The good news is graphite is non-toxic mineral, not real lead!

How long will it take your commissioned project to be completed?

Depends on the nature of the project, it can take three days or one month. Because so much more is involved than just painting. It is possible to measure how much time I spend on any project. I spend more time doing research, making preliminary sketches, color studies, and photograph references.