Pastels are a permanent and colorful medium for the artist.
Pastels are the most permanent of all artist's media. Brilliant pastel paintings have survived since the seventeenth century. They do not yellow, fade or crack, as paints do. Pastels consist of a mixture of pigment, talc and gum arabic that is then formed into sticks or pencils. The less binder material used, the more vibrant the color will be when it is applied to the paper. Unlike acrylic paints or oil paints, the blending is done on the paper, not on a palette. Pastels are applied to paper in layers, which builds up the colors, and it takes very little time to cover a large area of paper. If you have covered most of the paper surface with color, it is called a pastel painting. If less of the surface is covered, it is referred to as a pastel drawing.
Pastel Sticks and Pencils
In pastels, there are many choices to be made when choosing your materials. You need to choose which colors you want in hard pastels, soft pastels and pastel pencils, all of which will be used to complete one painting. The hard pastels are used to lay the basic foundation of colors. The hard pastels do not leave as much pigment on the paper as the soft pastels and you can apply several layers of colors without lifting the previous layer. The sticks of soft pastels are used to apply the final layers of colors. You can achieve a brilliant layer of pigments with the soft pastels while blending the layers of color you have already painted with the hard pastels. The pastel pencils are designed for detailed line work and will be the last pastels that you use to complete your painting.
Choosing Your Surface
There are many choices of papers and painting surfaces that are suitable for pastels. The characteristic these surfaces have in common is that they all have "tooth." Tooth is the texture on the paper's surface that will hold onto the pigment from the dusty pastels. Any textured paper will work for pastels, whether it is colored paper that is especially manufactured for pastels, or cold-pressed watercolor paper. Some pastels artists enjoy working on fine sandpaper or covering a Masonite board with a mixture of gesso and pumice.
Begin a Painting
Tape your paper onto a stiff board, such as a Masonite or foam core, that is slightly larger than your paper. This allows you to turn your paper as you work without having to touch the paper. Using charcoal, sketch your subject and add your darkest shadows. Next, add layers of colors with your hard pastels on top of one another, lightly blending with your finger or blending with the pastels as you work. You can use the pastel pencils to add small details. Apply your brightest highlights and most vibrant colors with your soft pastels. Experiment using your pastel sticks on their sides with sweeping strokes and making sharp quick strokes that aren't blended. You will soon develop a style of your own.
Framing a Pastel
Some pastel artists use an acrylic spray fixative on their art when it is completed. Fixatives, however, will make the colors less vibrant. Framing the painting under glass protects it and does not require a fixative, so the colors remain bright. A double mat should be used so that the surface of the paper will not touch and rub against the glass. A spacer between the paper and the mat should be used so that any dust falling from the surface on the paper will fall behind the mat, where it will not be visible.
