Mark Braught's Pastel Workshop

Earlier this week our newest Professor, Mark Braught gave a demo on working with pastels - his favorite medium. Mark decided to honor our most famous graduate and did a portrait of Margaret Wise Brown, author of GOODNIGHT MOON.
     He began with the underdrawing. It's charcoal with an acrylic wash over the top. He said he never likes to work on white. Here are his supplies. The class was glued to his process as he built up layer after layer of COLOR! It was so funny watching all the cameras - our students were fascinated. I was too! I had no idea you used so much pastel on one piece! Mark layered and scrubbed and mixed the colors right there on the paper. He used a bristol which can hold up to the abuse. The workshop lasted for just 1 1/2 hours, and yet, Mark was able to turn this beautiful portrait around! He did tweak it some more after the workshop ended, but it was an impressive accomplishment in that short window. And now the program has a treasure to keep in its permanent collection of Margaret Wise Brown memorabilia - fantastic!