About Pastels

Pastels have been used for centuries by many artists and their work today remains as bright and vibrant as the day it was painted.  Alot of people confuse pastels with chalk. However, they are not. Pastels do not crack or fade over time and thus are one of the most popular mediums to use. 

Unlike painting, there is no need to mix colors on a palette, rinse brushes, or simply waste time for the piece to dry before continuing to the next phase of your project. This medium has brilliant colors and blends very easily.

 Pastels are ready to use and come in hundreds of colors already mixed for you.  Also, with hundreds of colors available, hundreds more can be made by layering colors over one another.

Pastels are pure pigments which are ground into fine powders, bound with a gum binder into a paste, formed into a stick and left to dry.When the dried pastel stick (or pencil) is stroked onto a surface, it returns to its original powder form. 

Without the use of a special "fixative" spray, alot of the pastel powder would just simply fall off the surface with accidental bumping or dropping of it.  I mildly "fix" each portrait with a special spray to prevent this from happening. However, since I use Suede Paper, the risk of losing any pastel is very minimal as the fibers of the suede hold the pastel very well.

Suede paper and Pastels are the perfect companions when creating Pastel Portraits.