A recent pastel

[Mischa Milosevic]

Steve, this is awesome! Excellent choice in values and hue. I have visited your page many times and like the way you work. I also appreciate the choices that you make when determining a pose.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Steve,

After potential clients see this, I have a feeling the percentage of oils to pastels might change just a wee bit! Not that your oils aren't great, too, but when people think of commissioning a pastel of their children, a certain kind of portrait probably comes to mind. This example will blow the roof right off their preconceived box.

I agree with everything that has been said, but I want to add that I'm really impressed with the delicacy and thoughtfulness of the color and textural relationships. This is especially evident in the dress, the background, the area around the eyes. There's a shimmery feeling to the light and a richness in the shadows though they are not dark.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Just beautiful, Steve!

[Steve Craighead]

Thanks everyone for your nice comments. I didn't realize how naked I'd feel posting in front of a group of perceptive artists. I'm glad you can see I spent a lot of time trying to get the forms while keeping the color alive and being aware of the edges. Its great to have a beautiful little model and a little luck too.

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Steve, this pastel could have been made by De Laszlo.
I think you completely suceeded in what you were trying to achieve. A truely charming portrait and a painting in its own right, I think it would be nice to have it on the wall even if one was not the client
Ilaria

[Tom Edgerton]

Steve, this is wonderful.

I've noticed that when the best artists swing between pastels and oils, there isn't a significant difference in understanding or handling between the two media. This work is no exception; your sensitivity and control always shows whatever the materials.

Great work!-TE

[Allan Rahbek]

Steve,
thank you for showing this beautiful pastel.
You paint with the greatest ease and I too would love to see some really close up's to try to understand what you actually do to make this rich expression.

[Steve Craighead]

Allan and David, Here's a closeup. I don't know if you do pastel, but you might be interested in knowing that I use a combination of Nupastels, Rembrandt, Schmincke, and Unison. Really anything that works. I love the give of linen and therefore do pastels on a finely woven polyester fabric coated with acrylic gesso, pumice, toned with raw umber, and stapled over stretcher bars.

[Steve Craighead]

Claudmir, Linda, Mischa, and Cynthia, thanks so much for your nice compliments.
Karine, I'm honored to be on your list.
Chris, sorry I missed you at the last seminar. I'll get Susan to post her
winning portrait soon.
Alex, you have a good eye. I enjoy reading your comments.

Steve

[Karine Monaco]

Steve,

Thank you so much for the close-up and for the explanation concerning the materials you are using.

I have a question to ask you... You must have been asked this a thousand times, but here it is : how do you protect this kind of pastel artwork?

I also paint with pastel on canvas, and people usually do not want them to be framed under glass.

Each artist has its own opinion on this matter and I would appreciate it greatly if you could share with us your point of view.

Have you, by any chance, found a way to avoid using glass framing for your pastels?

Who knows, you could have rediscovered De La Tour fixative recipe!

Sincerely,
Karine