using acetone for quick drying

Artist Bill Hosner works from life, whether outdoors in nature or inside with a model. He uses Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper and likes to begin with a pastel underpainting, which he sprays with acetone. Acetone dries quickly and lets him move on to the next application of pastel almost immediately. (If it smells familiar, it’s because it’s the same liquid as fingernail polish remover, only it’s less expensive when purchased in quantity at the hardware store. Acetone sold as nail polish remover may have perfumes, oils or other additives that could be problematic if used on a pastel painting, so don’t just head to the medicine cabinet.)

BEFORE
toning with acetone
After blocking in the big simple shapes of the subject, use a brush to wash it in with acetone, allowing some of the colors to blend if you wish. Note that while the shapes are simple, the values are already clearly established.

Red Sedona
11" × 14" (28cm × 36cm) by Bill Hosner

AFTER
finish the painting
As the painting progresses, you can allow some of the underpainting to show through here and there. The underpainting gives you a structure to follow for the completion of the painting, but you can still make changes as needed. Note the addition of small shapes of bushes on the distant hillside at the left, which were not represented in the block-in stage.