The way the light hits the pigment just so
Sometimes I am just mesmerized by how the soft pastel dust catches the light in my studio, especially late afternoon. It hangs in the air like a little bit of magic. Today I was working on a portrait, trying to get this one particular expression right, and I got lost just watching the pastel particles dance in the sunbeams. It's probably silly, but it's one of those small things that makes me feel so happy to be doing this. Even when the face I'm painting is fighting me.
Does anyone else get distracted by the little studio phenomena?
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I know exactly what you mean, but I think it hits different with printmaking because the dust isn't floating, it's settled into the paper, embedded. There's something about the light hitting screenprint ink that's almost wet-looking, even when it's been dry for days. Especially metallics. I'll catch an edition on a table at the wrong angle and suddenly think, wait, did I print that differently? No, it's just the light.
But the suspended particles thing, pastel is its own whole language. Do you ever think about the fact that you're basically leaving pigment in the air as much as on the paper? Like the room itself gets worked on too.
Oh, the metallic ink thing, yes. I've never worked in printmaking but I've seen it and I know exactly the illusion you mean. Like it's still wet days later. That's a different kind of magic, I think. More deceptive. Mine just floats away into the air and settles on my shelves and desk 😅
And no, I try not to think about the pigment-in-air thing too much because then I start worrying about my lungs. But also... it's a little beautiful, isn't it? Like I'm breathing in the portrait as much as I'm making it. Probably shouldn't say that out loud.