Demystifying Different Types of Pastels (2024)

FAQs

Demystifying Different Types of Pastels? ›

Pastels are available in several types: hard, soft, oil, PanPastels, and pastel pencils - each with their own unique characteristics.

Pastels are available in several types: hard, soft, oil, PanPastels, and pastel pencils - each with their own unique characteristics.

The basic difference is sharpness. Chalk is easily sharpened. Therefore, an artist can use chalk pastel to create sharp lines and yet use pastel. Soft pastel sticks are not easily sharpened and their colours spread easily.

Soft pastels are created by combining the pigment with water and a form of artificial binder. They are very dry, crumble easily and have a feel that is comparable to a stick of chalk. Oil pastels are slightly more durable than soft pastels and will not crumble as easily.

Compared to Soft Pastel Sticks:

PanPastel and soft pastel sticks create very different marks. Compared to sticks PanPastel Colors are semi-transparent, mixable and low dust. They are also a quicker and cleaner way to achieve more uniform coverage for large blocks of color.

For beginner artists, soft pastels are the ultimate tool to not only master new techniques but to play around with colour and have fun with a new medium. Don't be afraid of these magic colour wands, they are a great addition to any novice artist's craft box.

Conté crayons are much firmer than soft pastels, so they produce little dust and are easy to control. Sharpened with a knife, nail file or sandpaper. All sets come in a plastic case. The set of 12 classic contains grey, black, sanguine, bistre, sepia, white an excellent sketching set particularly for life drawing.

Soft pastel produces a subtle effect, with a beautiful velvety quality, the disadvantage of dry media is that it easily smudges or dislodges from smooth surfaces. This can be counteracted by using a fixative, but fixing can affect the pastel colour and texture.

Soft pastels are also the easiest to blend, the easiest to layer colours on top of one another and will cover larger areas the most quickly. Confusingly some soft pastels, for example Rembrandt, are a harder type of soft pastel.

"It dulls the color" When you blend pastels, it breaks down the crystalline edges of the layers of the pigment and combines them. Sort of like mixing paint on a palette. This process makes the color less pure and vibrant.

What are some problems with oil pastels as a medium? ›

The main issue with oil pastels seems to be the conservation of the artworks: There is a bit of conflicting information on the internet about this. Oil pastels are made with inert oils and wax and are not supposed to damage paper as oil sticks would (oil sticks are usually made with linseed oil).

Soft pastels are best applied to paper or card with texture as the friction this offers makes it easier to deposit colour and hold it in place. It is possible to use cartridge paper for quick sketches, but special pastel papers and cards allow for a greater number of layers to be applied.

- Composition: Soft pastels are made from pigment, chalk, and a binder, giving them a powdery texture that is easy to blend. - Colour Intensity: Soft pastels produce softer, more subtle colours compared to oil pastels, making them ideal for creating delicate, atmospheric effects.

Binder: Oil pastels bind pigment with oil and wax, while other types use gum, resin or cellulose. Pastels with the same binder can blend together while different binders make blending difficult. Resistance: Non-oil pastels are often categorized as hard or soft. Hard pastels contain less pigment and work for sketching.

Generally, the softer a pastel is, it means that it has more pigment and fewer binders added to it. That's why the softest pastels tend to be the most expensive (pure pigment is insanely pricey).

Dry or soft pastels are painting and drawing tools, generally cylindrical or rectangular in shape, born from mixtures of pure pigment of extremely thin and binding powder color, which can be of various nature and will change the drying characteristics, brilliance and method of use.

In contrast to oil sticks, without the presence of a drying oil the pastels will not cure and harden by oxidation and will remain workable indefinitely. Oil pastels will remain sticky and vulnerable to smudging if not protected by glass.