This figure was done using pastel in three tones or values: light, medium, and dark, on white paper. The light was not white pastel, but a pale grey; the dark was an intense black pastel.
I often find myself seduced by color at the expense of tone, so I deliberately challenged myself to create a tonal piece in the last 20-minute pose of a life class. I had initially thought I'd leave some of the paper white, but in the event got so carried away blending the pastel I didn't.
The position of the figure gives strong negative spaces, which were blended to create smooth areas of tone. This provides a contrast to the strong lines done on top of the areas of tone forming the body.
I often find myself seduced by color at the expense of tone, so I deliberately challenged myself to create a tonal piece in the last 20-minute pose of a life class. I had initially thought I'd leave some of the paper white, but in the event got so carried away blending the pastel I didn't.
The position of the figure gives strong negative spaces, which were blended to create smooth areas of tone. This provides a contrast to the strong lines done on top of the areas of tone forming the body.