Your phone/tablet camera can expose what you cannot see! When you think you might be finished with the painting, hold the camera close--real close-- to the painting and slowly move it around. Zoom in. The camera's eye might show you spots that you cannot catch with the human eye. 

In the photo below, I didn't see any of these flaws on the painting surface. But click on the image and notice . . . 
tiny white spots on forehead and under eye
what IS that pattern looking space on her cheek?
an errant spot of purple on her chin
extra and unwanted build up of pastel on her neck where a stroke stopped or started. 

Give it a try, both by looking through the camera and by taking a photo and zooming in. You will see things to fix as well as those annoying white specks of paper showing through.
​
​-- A new information series from PSST, short tips to make being an artist a little easier. Author - Carolyn Hancock

Dawn Emerson, feature interview for April.
Dawn's paintings are full of movement and energy. How does she doe it? "I have learned that if I'm not playing and enjoying what I'm doing, no one else will either. Life is too short to keep holding back, and it's important to me to take risks in front of others so they will not be afraid of doing the same."

PSST members enjoy exclusive access to her April 10 demo. Read Dawn's full interview here.

The March 4 program for PSST
PSST members and guests got a behind the scenes treat, with a "zoom through" view of products carried by Dakota Pastels. We got a close up view of popular brands carried by Dakota, from pastels to papers, from pencils to boxes.  It was a fun, conversational tour with April, who provided the following resources. 

Dakota's new YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOFrYwdR4mDyS2a9DU9dWXw, includes videos on pencil sharpeners, with more content being added daily!

Video link for the Dakota Pochade box (shows Tripod mount plate): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY5G4rBBRhs&feature=youtu.be

A very handy pastel comparison chart: https://www.dakotapastels.com/files/pdfs/Hardness2021-Chart.pdf

So many artists love the Terry Ludwig Eggplant pastel, that Dakota prepared this graphic showing comparable darks in other brands.