some pastels

love

On that third one my eyes keep dropping to the cleavage....

seriousley, you should try adding different textures. maybe a damp sponge to dab at the hair or use a speedball pen to add scratches or even small areas of colored linework...

different textures is an excellent idea........

if so, what do you use that won't yellow over time?

I dig the girl in the middle!

an art teacher gave me a good tip.....hairspray....the cheaper the better, areasol.......I like Rave, personally......I haven't had any problems with yellowing.....

between layers of dry pastel. If you work horizontally (instead of flat on a flat surface), your paper has a good tooth, and you fix the work between layers, all you really need to do to have a relatively stable finished work is gently tap the back side of the paper to release any loose dust before double-matting and framing the piece.

I think when people talk about the possible yellowing of a pastel piece, they're referring to the long-term preservation of the work -- whether it yellows over 10, 20 or even 50 years. In my experience, fixative on top tends to "flatten" the brilliant tones of dry pastel. I sure wouldn't count on fixative to protect a pastel piece that's going to be stacked with other work or rolled up for storage. Fixative in relation to pastels doesn't promise archival protection.

Just a few thoughts. :hug: :hi:

As always, nice work. :)

:hi:

the second two are portraits of people who only exist in my mind.

the first however, is a very special person in my life.

That's cool. It definitely hit me more than the other two, though it's tough to say why. There's a different energy to that one, if that makes any sense. :)

I care for this person very much

Coming from my particular life experience, it's edgy, and it throws me out of my comfort zone. That is one of the more vital functions of art, IMO. Again, love it!

hopefully I'll have some new stuff to post soon! :hi: