What Pastels Should I Use?

Introduction

Choosing the right pastels can be overwhelming due to the wide variety available on the market. This guide aims to simplify your decision-making process by breaking down different types of pastels, their characteristics, and recommendations based on your needs. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your pastel collection, this tutorial will help you invest wisely in quality materials.

Step 1: Understanding Soft Pastels

Soft pastels are essential for achieving a rich, painterly style. Here's what you need to know:

• Key Characteristics

  • Soft pastels are highly pigmented and allow for bold, rich marks.
  • They are best for creating vibrant, expressive artwork.

• Recommended Brands

  • Terry Ludwig Pastels: Known for their dense pigmentation; ideal for soft marks. Price around $5 per stick but worth the investment.
  • Great American Pastels: Offers half stick sets for budget-conscious artists, allowing you to collect a variety of colors.
  • Blue Earth Pastels: Excellent quality and pigmentation; great for both landscape and portrait work.

• Format Options

  • Square Format: Recommended for crisp marks.
  • Round Format: For softer, more blended strokes.

Step 2: Exploring Medium Pastels

Medium pastels have a different quality and are generally less pigmented than soft pastels.

• Key Characteristics

  • Often contain more binder, resulting in less vibrant colors.
  • Suitable for initial stages of artwork but may not provide the lush effect desired.

• Recommended Brands

  • Rembrandt Pastels: Good quality but may crumble easily.
  • Gallery and Mungo: Medium density, decent pigmentation, better for sketching than finished work.

Step 3: Investing in Hard Pastels

Hard pastels are perfect for detailed work and sketching.

• Key Characteristics

  • Harder texture, useful for crisp, controlled lines.
  • Ideal for layering over soft pastels.

• Recommended Brands

  • New Pastel by Prismacolor: Great for sketching and blending with soft pastels; inexpensive and holds an edge well.
  • Polychromos by Faber-Castell: Known for high lightfastness; more expensive but worth it for longevity.

Step 4: Utilizing Pastel Pencils

Pastel pencils are useful for detailed work and signatures.

• Key Characteristics

  • Offer precision for fine lines and details.
  • Ideal for sketching and adding finishing touches.

• Recommended Brands

  • Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils: Excellent for sketching with good durability.
  • Conte Pastel Pencils: Available in various colors for diverse applications.

Conclusion

Investing in the right pastels can significantly enhance your artwork. Start with a quality set of soft pastels for vibrant colors, add hard pastels for precision and detail, and consider pastel pencils for fine work. As you grow more comfortable with your materials, you can expand your collection based on your artistic needs. For a complete list of recommended supplies and links to purchase, be sure to check out the pastel supply list provided by Alain Picard. Happy painting!