September 20 & 27, 2025
Advanced Pastel Innovations Workshop with Dawn Emerson

Description

*Class size limited to 15 students

Dawn Emerson will be instructing via Zoom from her studio in Oregon. 

Next Session:
Saturdays – September 20th & 27th, 2025
10:00 am – 1:00 (PST)

This class is open to artists ages 16 years – adult.

This workshop is designed for students who have previously taken a class with Dawn and have explored the techniques covered in Dawn’s PanPastel Innovations Class.

In this class Dawn will be delving more into design and composition, using a combination of stick pastel and PanPastel with mixed media. She will introduce a few additional techniques for layering materials additively and subtractively. One week prior to the first class an assignment will be given, that will be reviewed by Dawn during the session.

Each three-hour class includes several short demonstrations that are followed by practice time and a short question and answer period.
Students will be given an assignment at the end of each class to inspire further practice and discovery.

These classes will be recorded and available for reference to those enrolled for a select period of time after the 2-week session is completed.

For a successful class experience we ask that you have a strong internet connection and have access to a computer, tablet or smartphone (android or iOS) that is microphone and camera enabled.

Dawn Emerson is an award-winning pastel artist and instructor. She is the author of “Pastel Innovations” and several instructional videos. She brings an attitude of playfulness and experimentation to the pastel stage as she merges drawing, painting and the printmaking process to inspire story telling. 

“We each have our own unique stories to tell and all visual artists communicate with the same vocabulary of shape, color, texture, edges, space and value (dark to light). It is my joy as your instructor to introduce you to a new medium that is both a painting and a drawing medium that can help you express those stories. As a pastelist and author (Pastel Innovations), I hope to inspire you to express your ideas in your own unique way, and guide you to new ways to reclaim your creativity.”

~ Dawn Emerson, PSA

To learn more about Dawn and to view her work Click Here

Materials List
Pan Pastels – Dawn Emerson Color Wheel Set (Recommended but optional):
Available at Dakota Pastels 

This set includes:

• 20 slot tray
• Primary Colors – Hansa Yellow, Permanent Red, Ultramarine Blue
• Secondary Colors – Orange, Permanent Green, Violet
• Tertiary Colors – Diarylide Yellow, Phthalo Blue, Turquoise, Magenta
• Titanium White
• Black
• Soft Tool – Large Angle Slice PanPastel Applicator

–  or –

Available at Dakota Pastels or Dick Blick

• 3 primary colors (Permanent Red, Ultramarine Blue, Hansa Yellow)
• Black
• Titanium White
• Soft Tool – Large Angle Slice PanPastel Applicator

Additional:

• One pad of smooth, lightweight drawing paper (14″ x 17″, 16″ x 20″ or 18″ x 24″) – at least 20 sheets
  (Instructor will be using 30-sheet pad of 18″x24″ Strathmore 300 Series Printmaking Paper)
• Kneaded Eraser & Mars plastic eraser
• Water Mixable Oil Paint – 1 small tube of White & Black (1.25 oz) – any brand
• One soft rubber brayer -2, 3 or 4 inches (Speedball style- NOT foam or hard rubber)
• Freezer Paper or Wax Paper – 1 roll
• Low Tack Masking Tape
• Mark making tools – combs or clay tools
• Sumi Ink and several brushes of different sizes
• 2-4 pieces of bright colored scrapbooking paper (12″x12″ linen texture preferred)
• Any smooth/flat/non-porous surface for rolling out water mixable oil paint with brayer
• Flat razor blade  1 or 2
• Baby Wipes or Paper Towels
• Pencil
• Several plastic pattern stencils
• One piece each of fine and coarse steel wool
• One sheet of this plastic stencil material OR clear packing tape
• Xacto knife and cutting mat
• Dawn dish soap and small scrub brush for cleaning brayer
• Optional items – crayons, inks, colored pencils, oil pastels, cold wax medium.

PLEASE NOTE: Do not feel that you need to have all of these materials. While Dawn will be demonstrating with them, you can improvise with what you have. 

Additional resource materials and Zoom meeting link will be emailed prior to the start of the first class session.