Your Paper Mounting Challenges Solved!

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Do you ever feel frustrated trying to mount your beautiful pastel papers to boards? You're not alone! As artists who love working on those wonderfully gritty, sanded surfaces that make our pastels sing, we've all faced the mounting challenge. Those sanded or coated papers that give us such gorgeous results can also give us challenges if left unmounted, leading to curling, buckling and warping in unsightly ways that make framing a challenge.

I’ve been there – literally spending decades perfecting my mounting process using gatorboard and various adhesives. When my go-to product, 3M 568 positionable mounting adhesive, was discontinued, I felt that familiar artist panic: "Now what do I do?"

Citrus & Silver, 9x20 pastel on UART Dark

Here's the good news: I've discovered not just one, but two fantastic solutions that will make your mounting process easier and more reliable than ever.


Solution #1 
Professional-Grade Adhesive Film After extensive testing, I've found an excellent replacement in the double-sided adhesive film rolls from Artgrafix.com. This high-tack, acid-free adhesive is specifically designed for archival mounting and comes in both sheets and rolls to fit your needs.

Why it works so well:

  • Acid-free for long-term preservation

  • Strong, permanent bond

  • Works beautifully with 4-ply or 8-ply museum board, 3/16" Gator board, and Sintra board

  • Available in various sizes to match your preferred working dimensions

Pro tip: Many boards are now available with self-adhesive backing – just peel and stick!

Solution #2
The Game-Changer – UART Peel-N-Stick Sheets This is where I get really excited! UART has just introduced their brand-new Peel-N-Stick sanded sheets – and they're a complete game-changer for pastel artists.

What makes these special:

  • Self-adhesive backing (no more fumbling with separate adhesives!)

  • Available in both sanded and dark papers

  • Professional-quality surface you already know and love

  • Simply peel, stick to your favorite board, and start painting

I'm particularly honored that UART featured my painting "Citrus & Silver" (9x20" on UART Dark) on the cover of their new dark paper packaging. I love working on their dark surface in both 400 and 500 grits – there's something magical about how pastels glow against that rich background. Explore the full range here. 

Join Me for a Special Landscape Adventure! 

Mark your calendar: September 8-12, 2025

Ready to break free from perfection and experience the joy of loose, expressive landscapes?

Over three live sessions, I'll guide you through breakthrough exercises that unlock painting freedom and help you make a bigger impact through your work. Come enjoy a fresh dose of confidence-building play!

SAVE YOUR SEAT for Landscape Week. I can't wait to share this experience with you!

Discover the Power of Simplicity

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What if I told you that the landscapes you admire most—the ones that make your heart skip—aren't painted with more detail, but with profound simplicity? 

There’s a secret that the masters knew: When you stop trying to paint everything, you start painting the true feeling of the moment. That's the power of simplicity.

I'm thrilled to share the newly remastered painting demonstration - "Blue Country View".

Blue Country View, 6x12” pastel on UART

This European farmhouse scene is a perfect context to explore how reducing complex landscapes to their fundamental light and shadow patterns can actually make them more compelling, not less.

You'll discover a painterly approach to landscape painting: starting with a bold blue underpainting to establish the cool shadow areas, then gradually introducing warm golden ochres and oranges to create that gorgeous complementary harmony. This video goes way beyond technique, it's about learning to see - how to squint past the details and capture the quality of light that makes late afternoon so magical.

Whether you're drawn to the methodical dark-to-light process, the atmospheric blending techniques, or simply want to experience the meditative joy of painting the European countryside alongside me, this remastered version offers enhanced audio alongside the same solid instruction. Perfect for both longtime subscribers revisiting a favorite lesson and newcomers discovering it fresh!

Here's the truth: The farmhouse will always be there, but that golden light raking across the field? That's fleeting.

Let's capture it together while your inspiration is burning bright.

If this peaceful countryside scene inspires you, save the date for Landscape Week on September 8, 2025! It's the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into painterly landscapes together.

3 Keys to Painting Aging Faces with Dignity

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There is a profound nobility in the weathered faces of our elders, each line and contour telling stories of decades fully lived. Their expressions carry the weight of experience, the quiet confidence of wisdom gained, and the subtle dignity that comes with advancing years. As artists we have a unique opportunity to capture these qualities through the sensitivity of our medium, creating portraits that honor both the strength and vulnerability present in our seasoned subjects.

I’d love to walk you through three essential keys to capturing their character with authenticity along the way.

Alain Picard, The Fisherman, 18x12” pastel 

1. Master Your Initial Observation

Begin your portrait journey through careful observation and sketching. Document the essential architecture of aging: how surface skin patterns relate to the bone structure beneath, where characteristic wrinkles appear, and how proportions shift with time. Pay particular attention to thinning lips, enlarged noses, and developed ear lobes. Study the depth of eye sockets and how hair patterns change, including areas of thinning and graying. With careful observation you become a student of aging faces.

 
 

2. Build Form Through Light and Shadow

A solid structure is more important than surface details. Start with charcoal or hard pastels, applying thin, controlled initial layers following the fat-over-lean principle. Rather than drawing individual wrinkles, concentrate on how light interacts with the form and surface of the head. Establish your major light and shadow areas first, considering positive and negative shapes. Use the technique of squinting to see broader value patterns clearly. Once confident in your foundational layers, transition to soft pastels, using light, side-stroke applications to build your forms progressively. Let the play of light tell the major story of your subject's features.

3. Suggest Rather Than State

Exercise restraint in depicting age lines – less really is more! Kindness matters at this stage. Use side strokes for broader areas and let your application method create natural texture with soft pastel. Build depth gradually through varying pressure, allowing underlying tones to show through. Pay special attention to areas where blood at the surface of the skin may influence color like around the eyes and use cooler tones in more recessed areas like the jaw or in the hair. If your character is rugged like the weathered fisherman, then hatching with choppy marks is a great way to suggest this quality. Every mark should serve to suggest rather than explicitly state the effects of time.


Remember: Your goal is capturing the essence of the individual, not cataloging their age. Each mark contributes to telling your subject's story with dignity and grace.

Enjoy this rewarding creative experience as you celebrate the aging faces in your life!

Alain

The Secret to Sparkling Pastel Ornaments Revealed

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I'm sharing my painterly technique for creating ethereal, shimmering Christmas ornaments in pastel! Join me for a special painting session where I'll reveal my secrets for capturing that ephemeral holiday sparkle.✨

You know those moments when light catches a delicate ornament just right? In this lesson, we'll learn how to capture that magic with pigment. I'll guide you through each step of creating luminous holiday ornaments in soft pastel that seem to glow from within.

What I'm revealing today:

  • The painterly technique behind that shimmering glow

  • My layering secrets for achieving dreamy, pastel effects

  • The surprisingly simple method for adding mesmerizing highlights

Whether you're a seasoned artist or just beginning your creative journey, these techniques will add a beautiful new dimension to your holiday paintings.


It's the season of wonder, and I want to celebrate with you! So let's create some holiday magic together!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, with abundant creativity and joy in the coming year.🌟

Alain Picard

Colors of Fall: Three Strategies for Painterly Landscapes

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Living in New England, one thing never fails to take my breath away—the vibrant colors of fall. The changing leaves here rank among the most stunning sights in nature. I want to share the beauty of autumn with you and explore how we can bring this seasonal magic to life through our art.

Painting Fall Foliage: A Perfect Opportunity

Autumn landscapes present a golden opportunity to hone your painterly techniques. The season’s bold, rich colors demand expressive brushwork, making it a perfect time to stretch your creativity and learn new approaches. Let’s walk through three key strategies that will guide you through painting the essence of fall using pastels.

Thumbnail Sketch, Tombow Brush Pens, White Paint Pen

1. Design with Value

Before diving into the vibrant hues of fall, it’s crucial to first establish a strong foundation with value sketches. Simplifying your scene into light and dark shapes helps create a well-designed composition. By squinting at your reference, you can filter out the details and focus on the large value masses. This method allows you to see the pattern of light, middle, and dark tones that form your scene.

When painting light, you’re painting form. But with shadows, you’re capturing the atmosphere. Keep your shadows flat and simple, avoiding excessive detail. Simplifying the scene in this way lets you see your subject in a more painterly manner, setting the stage for a dynamic composition. 

100-Stroke Color Study on LaCarte Card

2. Suggest with Marks

Now that you’ve laid out your composition, it’s time to take bold steps with your mark-making! One of the best exercises to develop your confidence in this area is the 100-Stroke Challenge. The goal is to make each stroke deliberate, as you’re limited to only 100. This encourages you to squint down your scene and make each mark count.

Some helpful tips:

  • Use side strokes to cover more ground.

  • Step back often to view the big picture.

  • Be decisive with your marks—once you make them, don’t touch them again.

Blaze of Glory, Alain Picard, 10.5x16” Pastel on UART400 Board

3. Create the Impression

With your underpainting in place, carry on to the final painting, bringing your fall colors to life with just enough detail to suggest the scene’s magic. Remember, you’re creating an impression, not a photograph.

Here’s a helpful mantra I like to use: “Be an impressionist, not a journalist.” Journalism is all about describing granular details to tell the story. Impressionism is about capturing the big effect to create a feeling of the moment. This mantra will remind you to focus on the big effect, stepping back often to ensure you maintain the freshness and simplicity that impressionism requires.

In the final steps of a painting, build up the lights with thicker pigment, while keeping the shadows airy and flat. By simplifying your details and focusing on form in the lights, you’ll capture the essence of autumn.

 

Fall’s glorious colors offer endless inspiration for painterly landscapes. By focusing on value, bold marks, and a painterly impression, you’ll capture the beauty of autumn with a fresh, artistic approach.

Keep showing up at the easel for your creative dreams!

Alain Picard

The Secret To Bold And Fresh Color!

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Thanks for giving me the opportunity to come along side you and encourage your creative growth throughout the year. It fills me with such fulfillment and joy to share painterly techniques and creative insights that help you flourish so you can make an impact through your art.🙌

I want to express my gratitude to you by sharing a lesson on how to get to bold, expressive color in your paintings filled with freshness and excitement. Would you like to know the secret? Color studies!

Enjoy this video lesson on Color Studies and know that I am so grateful we can share our creative journey together.

Ready to jump into more lessons and more hands-on techniques like these, join us in one of our Pastel Painting courses where we dig deeper into various pastel techniques such as these.

Be inspired!
Alain