1 of 4

Write now Article Tools

There are two different types of pastels on the market: oil pastels and soft pastels. This article will discuss tips for working with soft pastels.

Soft pastels are pure pigment held together with gum binder thus making them the most vibrant and permanent medium in use today. Because they are not made with any oil or other filler they will not yellow and crack over time as oil paints do.

Choosing Artist Quality Pastels.

The term "chalk pastel" is a misnomer because there is no chalk at all in artist quality pastel. In fact you want to avoid "chalk" pastel as it is cheap quality akin to sidewalk chalk. The correct term is Soft Pastel. Chalk pastels are for elementary school kids. So how do you tell the difference between the two? Brands such as Unison, Schmincke, Sennelier, Terry Ludwig are all 100% pure pigment. They are expensive. A good indication of a quality pastel stick is if the stick is around $4-$7 each for individual stick. If you can get a whole pastel set for that much, then its only chalk. If you want a cheap but quality pastel set to build on, try Nupastel.

The Right Pastel for the Job

Within the term "soft pastel" there are different consistencies from brand to brand and colour to colour. Reds tend to be harder due to the nature of the pigment. Unison brand tends to be firmer and Senneliers tend to be the softest; almost a consistency of butter which makes them great for landscapes, especially when doing cloud work. When layering pastels, the harder ones should always form your base with any softer pastels laid on top. If done the other way, the softer pastel will not layer; it will only be scraped away by the hard pastel. The harder pastels are great for more detailed work. It's a good idea to purchase a varied palette of pastel pencils for the detailed work.

The Right Paper for the Job

There are several choices for pastel sub straights. All of which provide a toothed surface to grip the pigment dust. I like to use a sanded paper such as Kitty Wallis, Colourfix or Sennelier La Carte paper. The end result is a smooth look, like velvet. Another choice is to use a heavy quilted pastel paper but you will have the texture show through. That look may not be suitable for certain subjects like wildlife or still lifes but it has its place in landscape painting. Also available is pastel board. This provides a textured surface on a thick board so it is more durable than paper.

Getting Started

Now that you have your brand of pastels and your paper, you will need

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Tips for working with pastels?
We want to hear your view. Write now!