Two thumbs on the left side? Never taken up a pastel before? You could find yourself wondering which end even marks the paper while fixating on a rainbow of sticks. Last month was that for me. I’m hanging bits above my couch that friends think I purchased right now. Is it sorcery? No; simply an unexpectedly addictive The Tingology online pastel painting course.
The first lesson is that smudging is both natural and advised. Seeing brilliant dust on your fingertips makes one strangely happy. The teacher exhorts, “Make a mess—perfection’s enemy of creativity!” In a few minutes, the constriction disappeared. Turns out, a fingertip or spritz of fixative helps accidents mend themselves.
Blowing my mind was color mixing. Pastels always seemed to me to be flat, like little crayons. Blend two colors—burnt sienna and sky blue—with a tissue, and suddenly your living room is showing a sunset melting right in front of you. Exercises in the course are “try it now”. You create thousands of circles. Some taste sad, smashed grapefruits while others resemble oranges. Nobody shows any attention. Exploration is the objective. Neither rulers nor lessons on composition. Simply play.
I got lost drawing my dog one afternoon. Not a sober picture but rather a messy wild-haired disaster. “Capture energy, not perfection,” the instructor says, nudging. There is no pressure to replicate reality. You create your own mark-and streak language. Pastel seems to be quite forgiving. Made the ears far too large? Squeeze them smaller. Too dull? Right over the brown, layer a little turquoise.
One makes a difference in community. Beginners post “oops” and successes in a private community here. There is always a cat walking in the backdrop. A granny displays whirling scenery. Every comment serves as a suggestion or encouraging tool. You will get an earful about fixative brands, sure, but the atmosphere is all good. Like a small coffee shop with paint on the tables.
Some classes are just fun—using neon to make those colors stand out or splashing water for special effects To show that messy is amusing, the teacher cracks jokes, shows her flops, and occasionally sketches with her left hand. Learning starts to spread like wildfire.
A few days later you find your hands moving faster, your own creative voice audible, and you stop depending on the instructor’s compliments. That is the actual work of art. Not copying pictures, but letting go and allowing your ideas to fly. Anyone waiting for permission to create—this course turns that red light green—and provides all the colors for the journey.