Using soft pastel to make marks

I have began experimenting with using soft pastels as one of my compositions that I previously completed on board looked like I had used them. So, I have chosen to explore this medium in the style of Helen Frankenthaler. I have used the soft pastels on their side so that a thicker marks is made, it also adds a rougher texture than if I was to use it on its end. Using it on its side also allows me to cover a larger area quicker and still use big,fast movements that I had previously been doing with watered-down acrylic paint. The colours are more vivid in these studies than when I have used paint as I have not diluted the colours in any way, this means the composition is more striking. When layering the pastels, I found that if I put a lighter colour over the top of my composition, it made it look softer. In the picture below the colours look quite fragmented, and I think this portrays how an individual can have conflicting thoughts on an issue. I have made orange the centre colour, this provides a bright mood which is sandwiched between two cold colours. This represents how a depressed individual uses escapism to try and push away the cold, dark thoughts that they dwell on all day. I have used orange as the centre colour to emphasise that this vibrant place is the individual’s objective. Keeping the marks interlocked means that I have portrayed how an individual can sit inside their own bubble going through their thoughts and trying to figure out a way to overcome this. The orange mark slightly overlaps the purple one and so I am trying to show how using escapism to overcome depression can be an avenue that someone takes as it takes over the negative thoughts. I have therefore tried to provide a sense of hope with the orange focal point representing happiness prevailing in the centre. Also I have placed the cold colours mainly near the bottom so show a slow progression upwards from a depressed state to overcoming the mental illness through escapism. I have therefore added a lot of blue and purple at the bottom to portray the suppression of negative thoughts.

Next, I thought about adding colour in the background. I have put short marks of colour onto the background and rubbed them with a tissue so that the pastel spreads to create a more even wash of colour that provides a subtle, muted background. Doing this with the orange pastel, means that a softer orange is then shown which gives a warm feel, as it looks like burning sand. This vibe reminds me of being on holiday in the summer. In the foreground, I added orange, blue and purple marks which is the same colour palette that I had been using in my paint experiments. The one solid stroke of purple that goes vertically down the centre is a focal point that accentuates the other directions of the marks made. I haven’t added any colour in the centre of the blue marks to show how an individual can feel trappe amongst their depressive thoughts, even though they are surrounded by warmth and support. I have tried to highlight the importance of the individual realising they can overcome their illness by using what is around them to help them, for example family and friends.

Furthermore, I did experiments using my other colour palette, one that is colder than my other one as green replaces the orange, giving an instant isolated feel to the composition.  I started by laying down a light green background, onto which I layered curving marks, beginning with the blue. The blue mark is most striking on the page and draws the most attention and so I then emphasised this by adding a thick purple mark in the tightest bend near the bottom and defined the split between the purple and blue with a singular green line. Here, I haven't allowed the colours to blend together to demonstrate the sharp contrast between the cold emotions. If I had allowed the colours to blend then this would've given a turquoise colour which would've reminded me of my holiday in Barcelona. To prevent this composition from reminding me of my holiday, I have to separate the colour turquoise down into blue and green so that I could create a disjointed feel rather than a content one. I think that this technique has been effective as I have been able to take my own positive experience and reflect it in a way that is more negative so that it fits with my theme of depression. There is a sense of space in this composition due to the marks only filling part of the page, this then forms a void in which represents an empty space that an individual feels encompassed by. At the top of the blue mark I have also used a tissue to drag the pastel away from the main focus of the composition, this created several thinner and softer marks which give a delicate feel to the piece. Doing this has allowed me to show a contrast between a soft texture and the dense marks that are in the centre, I think this allows the viewer to see the confusion in the composition which reflects the confused state of a depressed individual.