Art Journaling with Pan Pastels

Hello everyone!  Barbara here, and I am so excited to be working with PanPastels this month.  The generous folks over at Pan Pastels sent us a set of pastels, a tray, and the Softt tools to work with.  PanPastels are now available at AlteredPages.com!  Leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a set.  So, what are Pan Pastels, you might ask.   

They are "Ultra Soft Artists’ Painting Pastels for Painting, Drawing & Mixed Media! A revolutionary new way to use color! PanPastel Colors are professional artists’ quality soft pastel colors packed in a unique pan format (cake-like). The special qualities of PanPastel Colors mean that artists can blend and apply dry color like fluid paint for the first time."

I had this small Dylusions art journal that I wanted to get started working in.  So, I thought what better way to play with Pan Pastels than in an art journal. 

These are super nice journals because the paper inside takes so many different media.  For my background, I blended Turquoise, Bright Yellow Green, and Permanent Green.  

Run a strip of dotted adhesive along each edge.  Lightly blend Magenta Extra Dark over the adhesive, patting first, then blending towards the center.  I really loved this effect.  It gives it a bit of a shabby texture, which I like a lot.  Also, when using dark colors like this, you can dab some of the color off onto your paper towel first.  I am not worried about any stickiness that may be felt through the pastels because I am going to spray a fixative over the entire page when it is completed.  

Another thing I learned is that you can get very rich, deep colors by using pressure on the sponge applicator, while a light touch will give you a more subtle effect, even with darker colors.   

Tear strips from the Lullaby collage sheet and adhere to page with gel medium, covering the entire page to seal everything.  Much to my surprise, the pastels did not run or move around on the page, as I feared it might.  I was very happy about that.  What can I say, I am sold on them!!!!

I added a bit of Permanent Red around the edge of the Eau de Toilette beauty label, shading in towards the center to give it a bit of a pinkish background.

Cut out Postcard image and shade edges with Red Iron Oxide Extra Dark.  If you get it too dark, remember, you can easily erase it.  So easy!

Cut out stamps background image and adhere to the center of both pages, as shown.

Adhere Eau de Toilette beauty label to the top left page, and the Postcard image to the bottom right page, as shown.

Lay a strip of washi tape along center to protect the right page.  Spread a layer of gesso through leaf stencil, as shown.

Now move the washi tape along the center to protect the left page and do the same, but this with with light molding paste.

As you can see, the gesso bled through the stencil a bit, while the thicker molding paste did not.  Allow to dry.

Okay, now you are going to think I have completely lost my mind, at least, that is what I thought the first time I saw an artist do this.  But I believe there is a method to the madness.  I used a baby wipe and added a light coat of gesso over the whole page, wiping more off of the portions of the  images that I wanted to show through.

Blend Pan Pastel colors over entire page again, using colors in supply list.  You can see how differently the gesso vs. the molding paste took the colors.  The gesso sort of resisted the colors a bit ... good to know.  Even the collage images took the color differently, also good to know.

Stamp "Letters Mingle Souls" onto Postcard image with Versamark ink.  Gently pounce Magenta Ex. Dark over Versamark so as not to smear the stamped image.  As you can see, the ink "grabs" the pastels beautifully, and appears darker.

Fussy cut images from the following collages sheets:  pretty girl image, flying bird,  and rose.  Ink edges with brown distress ink.  I knew my beautiful red rose was not going to work on my page, so I added some light pink color to make it work.  Can you see the difference?  The one on the right is the one I colored.

Cut two doilies from scrap paper, ink lightly with brown distress ink.  Layer all images onto journal pages, as shown.

Products Used:
Dylusions Small Journal; Vintage Text Pages; Sheet Music Brahams Lullaby collage sheet; Think Pink collage sheet; Mailbox collage sheet; Victorian Beauty Labels collage sheet; Vintage Wings collage sheet; Red White and Blue collage image
Pan Pastels:  Permanent Green Ex. Dark, Magenta Ex. Dark, Yellow Ochre Ex. Dark, Turquoise, Phtalo Blue, Bright Yellow Green; 
Softt Tools
Gel Medium
Stencils
Light Molding paste
Dotto style tape runner

I hope you enjoyed my project today and that I have inspired you to give art journaling a try.  Please be sure to visit often to see what the design team creates this month with their Pan Pastels.   And be sure to comment on the blog each day for a chance to win a set of  Pan Pastels.  A random drawing will take place at the end of the month. So, for each comment you make, you get another chance to win.  The more comments, the more chances of winning. (One comment per day, please).  

Have a wonderful, creative week!  

Barbara