Working on Cartridge Paper vs. Pastel Card

Pastel artist David Brammeld uses the subject of trees to create insightful paintings that inspire contemplation and affirm the relevance of art and nature. You can read a full feature about the artist, his artwork, inspirations, creative practices and working methods in the Winter 2025 Pastel Journal. Here, the artist shares some insights about working on two different surface types for his work, cartridge paper and pastel card, and how it changes his approach and the effects.

Working on Cartridge Paper

In this large pastel on cartridge paper, the many layers of different colors and tones of the tree are visible, and the form and movement of the branches is starting to work as they pass in front of the tree. To capture the essence of this tree meant working at a large scale to get a lot of detail in. I used the tip of a Girault pastel stick to draw fine lines for the tree branches. The rest of the work was completed using a combination of pan pastels and pastel pencils. At this stage, the slim gray trees in the background were just beginning to be blocked in. I started with light gray, planning to later add greens, browns, more light gray and possibly some white to achieve the right balance of background to foreground.

Working on Pastel Card

I used the new Sennelier Mixed Media 120 Pastel Card as the surface for my experimental pastel Tall Trees (20×14) because it allows for acrylic and watercolor washes. I applied pastel over a watercolor wash, and I enjoyed seeing the two different media work together.

There is no formula for painting. Each work, each surface, presents a different set of problems. The only question is how you resolve those problems.

Beauty in the Trees

Here are a few more examples of how Brammeld uses the pastel medium to capture the magical subject of trees—with special attention to composition, color, light and the play of shadows.

About the Artist

A member of the Pastel Society UK; the Société des Pastellistes de France; and The Royal Society of British Artists, David Brammeld is an award-winning, internationally renowned, multimedia artist. He works in pastel, acrylic, oil and mixed media and is an experienced art tutor and distinguished workshop leader. His main interests are in depicting urban landscapes and treescapes. His book, Creative Drawing Techniques by David Brammeld, is published by Crowood Press.