DJ Geribo

To create one's world in any of the arts takes courage.

                                                                - Georgia O'Keeffe

I was given a great tip about pressing your pastels to hold the pastel dust on your painting, especially if you do not spray your painting with fixative. Put a clean sheet of paper, newsprint without ink is ideal, over your painting. Then cover with a piece of cardboard and press on the cardboard, lifting and pressing the cardboard as you go over your entire painting. When finished, carefully remove the newprint paper from your painting. (This tip courtesy of Robert Carston).

To protect your hands and skin from the toxins in pastel pigment, try to wear a glove on the hand you paint with and use a protective hand cream such as Invisible Care on your other hand. Limiting exposure to pastel dust is important when working with pastel. And you can use your gloved fingers to blend your pastels, which will be less abrasive then using your exposed fingers.

Water-soluble oils will remain moist longer if you use a wet palette to store your palette. Moisten the sponge that comes with the palette and keep the cover tight when not in use. Spritz with water before putting the cover on.

For years now I have been using a roll of toilet paper, with a paper towel wrapped around it that I change from time to time, as a blotter for my watercolor brushes. You are using just one or two pieces of paper towel that you wrap around the toilet paper and turn the toilet paper roll as you use it, instead of using paper towel after paper towel. This is a much more economical use of paper towel and a green solution for wiping your wet brushes.