Mercurius Blackboard Pastel Chalk - An Art Demonstration by Sophia Montefiore

Sophia Montefiore is an exhibiting artist, published illustrator and experienced educator, with a special enthusiasm for the Waldorf Curriculum and Projective Geometry. Her chalk board art creations are an inspiration to many. 

Sophia recently tested out our newly released Mercurius Blackboard Pastel Chalk, creating the most beautiful blackboard drawing of a frill-necked lizard. We hope you enjoy watching and learning about her artistic process below, and that you are inspired to try out our new Pastel Chalk for yourself.

"These new Mercurius blackboard pastels have a wonderful airy texture and come in harmonious natural colours. It was a pleasure to be able to explore their unique qualities in this drawing. There is so much joy to be found in the range and variations you can achieve..." 

Watch the full video demonstration on Instagram

Sophia's Step-by-step guide:

• Sketching the form – Sketch lightly to create the overall proportions. Look at the form and angles of the frill-necked lizard as well as the negative spaces (the shapes in between). These help me to see the shapes objectively.
• Block in the colours using the chalk on the side - Look for colour variations and keep refining the form.
• I tend to blend my first layers of colour with my fingers - This helps to fill out the texture of the blackboard and make a richer finish. I can easily create more texture over the top of the blending.
• Look for highlights and shadows - Shade these in blocks to establish the three dimensions.
• Charcoal is excellent for creating depth - It is easy to blend and can be overlaid with other colours. Experiment gently to begin with, as some charcoal is quite powerful. I try to make sure I blend out any lines; I keep checking over the picture so that the only lines I leave are part of the detail rather than outlining a form. It is good to create the form out of shading and changing colours.
• Details - For the details I use the edge of the tip of the chalk and experiment with the pressure that I need to create the correct amount of tonal contrast. Sometimes I need to shade lightly over a section where the detail is too striking and doesn’t sit with the surface. An example of this is where I cross-hatched the frill around the lizard's neck to create an impression of scales, but it was too stark so I shaded lightly over this with the length of the chalk to soften the effect.
• Tonal contrasts - I check for the lightest and darkest sections of my picture every so often. The contrasts in tone create the illusion of three dimensions.
• Multiple colours - I use as many colour combinations as I can. I try blending and layering to see the wonderful effects that I can get. For example in the tree trunk I have used two types of green, yellow, gold, brown, black and some dark blue.
• Shadows - I shade my shadows with charcoal and add blue or purple for more mystery.
• The sheen of reflected light - The light from the sky can sometimes give a blue or lilac sheen. I have added blue and lilac to the edge surfaces of the lizard’s legs and body.
• Rhythm – The overall rhythm guides the viewer’s eye around the picture. The radial forms around the lizard’s face bring focus which is supported by the diagonal reddish mountains and green tree trunk. Also the lizard’s hind leg is mirrored by the branch on the fallen tree trunk.
• Irregular sized shapes – I try to keep repeating forms (such as the rocks) irregular. This creates a more natural feel and allows movement within the picture. Repeating forms in the background attract attention and unnecessarily break the flow .
• Balance detail with breathing spaces - Pictures that have some strongly detailed sections as well as areas which have soft transitions allow a healthy space for the viewer to breathe out and let their own imagination become active. I have chosen to give detail to some sections of the lizard and fallen tree trunk while others parts remain as blocked in colour. It is worth experimenting and comparing the impact on the viewer of a picture with evenly distributed detail to one that has areas in and out of focus.

I hope you have enjoyed a few of my blackboard drawing techniques and are inspired to experiment further - Sophia Montefiore

Discover more of Sophia's beautiful artworks on her website, Sophia Art Perspectives, follow her on Instagram, and check out her books on Projective Geometry: For Teachers, and For Students.