Pictured in Banner: The Dancers, Edgar Degas, Pastel & Charcoal on Paper, 71.1 x 59.1 cm, ca. 1900
Have you ever wanted to work with pastels, but didn't know where to get started? This article is for you. There are many different kinds of pastel available, so it's understandable how beginners can get confused! In this blog, we'll take a look at the various kinds of pastel available on the market and explore their different qualities to help you find the perfect pastel! We'll also dive into the various surfaces and accessories you should consider using to give your pastel artwork some extra polish.
What are Pastels?
Pictured Above: La Danseuse Rose, Edgar Degas, Pastel on Canvas, 93 × 73 cm, ca. 1877–1880
At their most basic, pastels are the combination of a powdered pigment and a neutral-hued binder. Most pastels you'll find on the market today are in a stick or crayon format, however brands like PanPastel also present them in pans to offer a more paint-like working experience. There are various kinds of pastel you can buy today, including Soft Pastels, Oil Pastels, Pastel Pencils, and more. We'll dive more into differences between them in just a moment.
Pictured Above: Portrait of the Sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, Marie-Suzanne Giroust, Pastel on Grey-Blue Paper, 91cm x 73cm, 1770
Pastels got their start back in the fifteenth century, but didn't really rise to prominence until the sixteenth century when artists like Jean Perréal and Leonardo da Vinci begun experimenting with combining pigments with a variety of ingredients to produce dry, waxy chalks. Pastels eventually grew in maturity and popularity, and by the eighteenth century had grown into a rather popular medium for portraiture.
Pictured Above: Bouquet of Flowers, Odilon Redon, Pastel on Paper, 80.3 x 64.1cm, ca. 1900–1905
Pastels are still loved by many artists today for their ability to combine both painterly and illustrative techniques. As seen with the artworks above, you can achieve highly textural, expressive illustration-style artwork or more oil-painting like work depending on your application and techniques. Because pastel colours don't require a drying time, they won't change in colour after application. If you hate waiting for paints to dry while working, pastels give you instantaneous results!
Types of Pastels
As mentioned before, there are many types of pastel available on the market today. What we now call soft pastels are perhaps the most traditional option available, but for artists who enjoy a more painterly experience oil pastels and water-soluble pastels are great options. In the section below, we'll explore the different benefits each pastel type has, and what you can expect in terms of composition and texture.
It's important to note that pastels from different manufacturers will have a unique compositions to one another, so if you need detailed information on the specific ingredients or composition, you should check out the product's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided the manufacturer. These can usually be found on the manufacturer's website or by contacting them directly.
Soft Pastels
Soft pastels are a versatile and expressive medium. Comprising pure pigment, chalk, and a minimal binder, soft pastels deliver intense and vibrant colours. They're known for their velvety texture, which allows artists to create rich, broad strokes or intricate details on various surfaces like paper or textured pastel paper.
Their blendability and ease of layering make them conducive to creating nuanced shades and gradients. Artists often appreciate the immediacy and tactile nature of working with soft pastels, as they enable the exploration of a wide range of artistic styles from the impressionistic to more detailed and realistic renderings.
Composition:
Soft pastels are made of pure pigment and a neutral-hued binder, which gives them a rich and vibrant colour.
Texture:
Soft pastels have a powdery and easily-blendable texture.
Application:
They are ideal for broad strokes and blending, making them popular for drawing and painting.
Hard Pastels
Hard pastels are characterised by a higher concentration of binder and less pigment compared to their soft counterparts. This composition gives them a firmer and more durable consistency, which allows for sharper lines and a greater degree of control.
Hard pastels are well-suited for detailed work, making them a preferred choice for artists engaged in technical or intricate illustrations. The range of colours and their ability to be layered make hard pastels a valuable tool for artists seeking precision and control in their pastel artworks.
Composition
Hard pastels have a higher proportion of binder, making them more rigid than soft pastels.
Conté crayons are a combination of pigment, clay, and a small amount of wax.
Texture
They have a harder texture and are suitable for drawing and sketching. Hard pastels have a firmer texture, allowing for more controlled and precise lines.
Artwork Credit: Ellie Jakeman
Oil Pastels
Oil pastels are known for their creamy consistency and intense colour pigments. Composed of a blend of non-drying oil and wax, these pastels offer a smooth and buttery texture that allows for easy blending and layering on various surfaces.
Unlike traditional pastels, oil pastels may not require fixatives (it is a matter of choice of finish) and maintain their flexibility and brilliance over time. Artists appreciate their versatility, as they can be applied with the precision of a pencil or used for broader strokes, making them suitable for a range of artistic styles.
The ability to combine and mix colours directly on the surface adds to the expressive potential of oil pastels, making them a favoured choice for artists exploring bold and dynamic compositions. Most oil pastel paintings are framed behind glass for longevity.
Composition:
Oil pastels are made with pigment, a non-drying oil, and a wax binder.
Texture:
They have a creamy consistency and can be blended easily.
Application:
Oil pastels are versatile and can be used on various surfaces. They often produce a bold and expressive effect.
Artwork Credit: Ellie Jakeman
Pastel Pencils
Pastel pencils are specialised drawing tools that combine the vivid pigments of pastels with the precision of pencils. Encased in a wooden barrel, these pencils contain compressed pastel material, allowing artists to achieve fine details and intricate lines with the ease of drawing.
They offer a versatile and controlled approach to pastel art, making them a favoured medium for those seeking the expressive qualities of pastels in a more precise and manageable form.
Derwent Pastel Pencils
Form:
Pastel pencils have a pastel core encased in a wooden pencil-like barrel.
Application:
Pastel pencils offer greater precision and are useful for detailed work and outlining.
Pitt Pastel Pencils
Composition:
Wax-free leads; drawings can be wiped just as with pastel crayons, so need to be fixed afterwards.
Texture:
They have a soft, powdery texture and come in a wide range of colours.
PanPastels
PanPastels are a unique form of dry pastel medium that diverges from the conventional stick or pencil format. These pastels come in pans, resembling small, shallow containers, and are formulated with a finely milled, ultra-soft consistency.
Unlike traditional pastels, PanPastels eliminate the need for direct application with sticks, allowing artists to use specialised tools like Sofft® applicators, sponges, or brushes for precise and controlled application. The result is a remarkable level of detail and a smooth, velvety finish.
PanPastels are favoured for their versatility, offering artists the ability to layer and blend colours in a more painterly fashion, achieving a wide range of textures and effects in their artwork. This innovative format makes pan pastels a valuable addition to the pastel artist's toolkit, providing new possibilities for creative expression.
Form:
Pan pastels come in small, sealed pans rather than sticks.
Composition:
Pan Pastels have minimal binder content compared to traditional pastels. The low binder content allows for a smooth and easy application.
Application:
Artists often apply pan pastels using special soft tools, like sponge applicators. They are known for their versatility and ability to cover large areas quickly.
Artwork Credit: Ellie Jakeman
Water-Soluble Pastels
Water-soluble pastels combine the vibrancy of traditional pastels with the versatility of watercolour. These pastels are formulated with a water-soluble binder, allowing artists to achieve a painterly effect by activating the pigments with water. This unique characteristic enables a wide range of techniques, from delicate washes and translucent layers to bold and expressive strokes.
Water-soluble pastels are favoured for their adaptability, enabling artists to explore both dry and wet applications on various surfaces like paper or watercolour paper. This medium grants artists the freedom to experiment with the interplay of colour and water, providing an exciting and fluid dimension to their artistic creations.
Caran d'Ache Neocolour - Water Soluble Wax Pastels
Composition:
These pastels are similar to soft pastels, but are designed to be soluble in water.
Application:
Artists can use them dry for regular pastel effects or add water to create more fluid and painterly effects.
Pastel Accessories
Pastel Papers, Pads, and Card
Using pastel paper is of paramount importance when working with pastels. The specialised texture and composition of pastel paper provides a unique surface that enhances the vibrancy, blending, and adherence of pastel pigments.
Unlike regular paper, pastel paper has a toothy surface that grips the pastel particles, allowing for better layering and smoother application. This unique interaction between the paper and pastels not only enhances the visual appeal of the artwork but also ensures its longevity.
Fixatives
Because pastels are a dry medium that is incredibly prone to smudging, we recommend using fixatives on your work. Both oil and soft pastels have a tendency to remain somewhat malleable and can easily smudge or transfer if not properly secured. Applying a fixative creates a protective barrier, preventing any unintended blending or deterioration of the pigments.
Fixatives can desaturate your colours and remove a bit of contrast from your work, but that is a small price to pay for the longevity of your work.
Workable Fixative
If you want to continue working on your pastel layers without disturbing the lower layers, a workable fixative can be applied between layers to set the current state without fully fixing the pastels.
Blending Tools
Soft brushes, blending stumps, sponges or your fingers can be used to blend and smudge pastels, creating smooth transitions and gradients.
Palette or Mixing Surface
If you're using soft pastels, having a palette or mixing surface is useful for blending and creating custom colours.
Artwork Credit: Ellie Jakeman
Palette Knife
A palette knife is handy for scraping off oil pastel layers, creating texture, or applying pastel in a more controlled manner.
Easel
An easel can provide a comfortable working angle and help prevent smudging by keeping your hands away from the surface.
Cloth or Tissues
Keep a soft cloth or tissues handy for wiping off excess pastel from your hands or blending tools.
Masking Tape
Use masking tape to secure your paper to a drawing board or easel and create clean borders for your artwork.
Storage
Pastels can be fragile, so consider a storage solution to keep your pastels organised and protected. A wooden or foam-lined box is ideal.
We Hope You've Enjoyed This Blast From The Pastel!
Pastels are a great medium for all kinds of artists! Whether you're looking for a more expressive, illustrative approach or a more painterly aesthetic, pastels are a great way to create vibrant, highly-pigmented artwork with instantaneous results.
Excited to get started with pastels? Well, luckily for you, we offer some of the UK's lowest prices a wide range of artists pastels from top brands, including PanPastel, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton, Conté à Paris, and more!
