In every good portrait artists’ studio, you will find a palette of chalk pastels. Chalk portraits have been the envy and delight of art collectors for centuries as they enjoy the subtle coloring, the gentle strokes and delicate balance of colors. This is an art form I have long admired but knew I could never master – until now, with a little help from my computer and Craft-T chalks! By merely printing a black and white photograph, chalking in the areas in which color is desired, I now can enjoy beautiful “pastel” art works and so can you!

You will need:
Chalks by Craft-T
Applicators – I prefer Craft-T chalk applicators, but you may also use eye make up applicators or simple Q-tips will work
Black and White photos printed on matte paper – either matte photo paper or cardstock
Krylon Fixative

1. Before you begin the process, print out the photo you wish to chalk. You will do this either with a photo that is already in black and white or by altering a color photograph to black and white. I use a simple photo editing program, Photosuite, to do this and de-saturate the photo – in other words, I remove all the color and tint for the photo. I then raise the brightness and contrast to my tastes.

2.Once this is completed, print the photograph on matte paper, either matte photo paper or cardstock.

3.Look at the photo and decide where the color will be added. In the baby photographs, I have added the original blue to the dress and rosy pink to the cheeks, similar to the way heritage photos may been done. For the card, I only added color to the element I wanted to highlight – the starfish.

4.Using your applicator, pick up the lightest shade of chalk and begin adding it to the photo. You can always erase any mistakes you make! Working from light to dark, continue to add the colors you desire.

5.Once you have added all the color you want and you are happy with the results, you must seal the photograph so the chalks will stay. For a subtle finish, use Krylon’s Matte Sealer and for a more vibrant finish, one where the chalks “pop” with color, use Krylon’s Fixative Finish spray. With either spray, you will have great, long-lasting results.

Below are two completed examples using the above photographs: Little Blue Dress and You Are My Star. With Craft-T chalks and photographs from your stash, you are now ready to create your own work of art for your layouts, cards or wall art. Enjoy!

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See more of Mac's work in our gallery.