Pastels - Resources for Artists

Pastels - Definitions and History 

Pastel - by Wikipedia

Wikipedia entry for pastels

Oil Pastel - by Wikipedia

Wikipedia entry for oil pastel

pastel: Definition and Much More From Answers.com

pastel ( ) n. A drawing medium of dried paste made of ground pigments and a water-based binder that is manufactured in crayon form

about pastels by Conneticut Pastel Society

Information about pastels

Pastel Society of America - About the Medium

Includes an article on the care and preservation of pastels by Marjorie Shelley,
Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge of Photographs and Works on Paper, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Brands of Soft Pastels 

Links to all the makers' websites for all the soft pastel brands on the Internet

Making a Mark: Book review: Multi Brand Color Chart for Pastels

This is a completely innovative book (based on a known concept - the Munsell color space) which specifically addresses the needs of the pastel artist.

The colour analysis has a clear conceptual basis and, unlike some other books on the market, the analysis has been done in what appears to be a completely independent and rigorous way.

It provides information about pastels which should be of great help for those artists who are looking for help with understanding colour and value better - and developing the range of pastels they own and use. It will also help people to identify and plug the gaps in their current stock at the same time as avoiding duplications and near-duplications.

Pastel Set Photos

Photos of various brands of pastels - in sets - contributed by members of the Wet Canvas Pastels Forum (and co-ordinated by the wonderful Sooz RIP)

UNISON COLOUR Soft Pastels

Unison Colour Soft Pastels - hand made in Northumberland, England. For more information contact info@unisoncolour.co.uk

Art Spectrum Soft Pastels

Australian soft pastels which come in two sizes but are not always easy to find. Their colour chart provides information about light fastness. The very best pigments are selected and triple milled at maximum concentration to produce smouldering darks, brilliant and intense pure colours and a range of subtle and delicate tints. All Art Spectrum pure pigment pastels are free from heavy metals, asbestos or other toxic substances.

Daler Rowney Soft Pastels

UK pastel. Soft round stick is smaller than most but is available in 194 tints. All colours come in tints of 1-4 (4 being the deepest) with each colour derived from precise blending of finest quality pigments. Each colour has the same pigment combination, which is then mixed with superior quality chalk & china clay to produce the different tints. All colours are non-hazardous with minimal tendency to crumble and dust.

Girault Pastels

A french pastel - one of the oldest handmade pastels in the world. Until the 1940s, Girault used to supply several fine arts manufacturers and important stores with pastels. Later the pastels were sold both at the workshop's shop and by Lefranc-Bourgeois. Known as Pastels Girault until 1987, they then used the trademark Quentin de la Tour until 1995.

Available in France and the USA - distributors listed on website. 4 colour charts and 82 main colours and 444 shades (mixed with white, with white and black, or with other colours) making 526 hues in total. Plein air case contains 300.

Mount Vision Pastels

USA based pastel company based in Mount Vision, New York state launched in 2000. Very informative website

Talens - Rembrandt Soft Pastels

Popular medium soft pastel found in a lot of art stores. Link provides a colour chart in pdf

Schminke

Schminke Pastels are pigment rich and very soft. There are 400 colours classified in 80 rows with 5 colours each.

Sennelier Pastel "A l'ecu"

Soft French pastel available in 525 shades.
All tones are made up of delicate shade gradients, tending towards white. These pastels are available in 3 sizes. The range of "Grand soft pastels à l'écu" includes 62 shades. They have a reputation for breaking up once the paper cover is removed.

Terry Ludwig Pastels

Very soft pastels with some amazing dark shades - which are also super soft
From the website
Pastelist Terry Ludwig has developed a comprehensive process for handcrafting an unprecedented array of exceptionally soft pastels. Described as buttery and velvet by the Pastel Journal, these pastels surpass the spectrum of color and quality of pastels manufactured for other art suppliers.

Winsor and Newton Soft Pastels

UK based pastel with 200 colours: 40 full strength colours also available in 3 lighter tints and 1 darker tint

Mt. Vision Pastels - Color Chart

Highest quality handmade pastels for the professional artist - displayed in all the colour sets

Great American Art Works - Soft pastels

Soft pastels at Great American ART WORKS, researching, refining and manufacturing soft pastels.

Conté crayons

Brief wikipedia description about the origins and composition of Conte crayons

Henri Roche - profile

Story of the background to Henri Roche Pastels

Heaton Cooper Studio Ltd > Natural Sanguine

Rich red chalk from Tuscany. Native iron oxide with clay. Use as a soft pastel for drawing (as did Leonardo da Vinci).

Diane Townsend Handmade Pastels

From their website: Townsend Pastels are hand made pastels for artists. Choose from three types of pastels; Soft Form Pastels, Terrages, a larger pastel with added pumice which enables the artist to open up the surface of paper and work in more color, and lastly our new Thin Line Pastel, a pencil-like pastel for detail and delicate work. Pastels are available individually and in box sets

P R I S M A C O L O R Soft Pastels

From the website: Artists' quality for every level of expertise
Rich, soft, creamy pigments for easy blending and shading
High quality, brilliant pigments create vivid colors
Available in rectangular length sticks provide the convenience of coverage as well as line definition

PanPastel Colors ­ Ultra Soft Artists’ Painting Pastels

PanPastel Colors - professional artists’ quality soft pastels in a pan. Ultra soft, highly pigmented, low dust, lightfast. Paint straight from the pan

Making a Mark reviews......: Opinion Poll: Which is your favourite make of soft pastels?

This post tells you which make of soft pastel has been voted as favourite by artists visiting Pastels - Resources for Artists

Between 2006 and January 2010, I've had an opinion poll running on my information site Pastels - Resources for Artists which asks the question POLL: Which is your favourite make of soft pastel?

453 people have now voted on this poll. You can see the results of the poll by right-clicking on the image and opening it in a new tab.

Brands of Hard Pastels 

Lefranc et Bourgeois - Conte A Paris

LEFRANC & BOURGEOIS distribute the CONTE à PARIS fine art range of pencils, crayons and pastels.

Conté crayons are most commonly found in black, white, and sanguine tones, as well as bistre, shades of grey, and other colors and are particularly suitable for fine hatching.

POLYCHROMOS Pastellkreiden (Artists' Pastels)

Polychromos Artists' Pastels
From the website:
POLYCHROMOS pastel open up an almost inexhaustible variety of colour. They contain a high proportion of light-fast quality pigments. These pastels have impressively bright colours and a fascinatingly silky "feel".....The characteristic square-cross section allows you to draw fine details with an edge, or shade extended areas with one face. The crayons have a uniform consistency, are economical in use, and adhere excellently to paper, card, wood, and stone. They need only a minimum amount of fixing for permanence.

P R I S M A C O L O R Nupastels

Nupastels®
From the website:
Artists' quality for every level of expertise
Rich, creamy pigments for easy blending and shading
Stronger than traditional soft pastels create less breakage and easier clean-up
Ideal for illustration or tightly rendered drawings

CRETACOLOR ART MATERIAL: Pastels

From the website: The square (carré in French) CRETACOLOR hard pastels have been recognized by artists all over the world for their brilliant colors and high pigmentation. Their square shape lends itself well to painting both large surfaces and small details.

Pastels: Technical data about their composition and lightfastness / permanence 

What are your pastels made of? Are they lightfast?

Winsor & Newton - Artists's Soft Pastels

The table in this link provides technical information on the composition, permanence and characteristics of Winsor and Newton Artists' Soft Pastels.

* Permanence ratings will tell you how long your painting will last over the years...
* The Chemical description will tell you exactly what pigments make up your colour and...
* Transparency and Opacity ratings are key indicators to how your colour will perform when layering colour

Art Spectrum - Soft Pastles

Professional Quality Artists' Soft Pastels
Websites states that all Art Spectrum pure pigment pastels are free from heavy metals, asbestos or other toxic substances.
No fugitive (*) colours according to website.

Information on colour chart about lightfastness - as determined by Art Spectrum - and the details provided on the label.
Label states carries the ACMI AP seal indicating compliance with ASTM D4236 (health and safety labelling practice - ACMI AP seal means that products contain no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to humans or to cause acute or chronic health problems.")

Daler Rowney - Pastel pigment listing

Pdf file of the pigments used in Daler Rowney soft pastels. This includes:
- colour name and tint designation
- pigment name(s)
- C.I. names and C.I. numbers
- degree of permanence (star rating)

Colour charts on the website also indicate lightfastness. Sets includes moderately permanent (**) and fugitive (*) colours.

Artists Network - Lightfastness Testing for Pastels

Lightfastness Testing for Pastels - The Artists Network

Lightfastness Testing for Pastels
August 31, 2007
by Michael Skalka

The Artist's Magazine - Anatomy of Art Materials by Michael Skalka

Why should artists be afforded the luxury to make objects without thought as to their longevity, leaving the difficult task of maintaining the artist's intent to a future generation of conservators?

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Lightfastness-a Matter of Longevity

Currently, pastel manufacturers are working to get their ASTM ratings. Soon the pastel public will have the same information that oil, watercolor and acrylic painters have been enjoying. Since certain pigments are less permanent than others, it will prove helpful to have this rating available when choosing individual pastels.

Reviews of Brands of Soft Pastels 

What the pastel artists thinks about different pastels

Making a Mark: Unison Pastels: the Darks and the Lights

Image of and commentary on the dark and light colour sets of Unison pastels

Making A Mark: Unison Pastels - The Blues and Greys

Commentary on the bluer end of the Unison range plus three completed pastels to demonstrate what they look like

Making A Mark: Unison Pastels: Blue Greens and Blue Green Earth

I'm very attached to my Unison blue green and blue green earth sets. It might be something to do with my favourite colour being duck egg blue or it might be because they are just so useful when doing skies, water, trees etc. I know that it was these two sets which first got my plastic twitching!

Making A Mark: Unison Pastels - Greens 1-36

All the greens - except the blue greens and the yellow greens! This is the third in the series of posts about my Unison Colour Value sets. The Greens come in two boxes 1-18 and 19-36.

Making A Mark: Unison Pastels - Yellow and Yellow Green Earth

Unison Yellow and Yellow Green Earth: pictures of the pastels and examples of them in use

Making A Mark: Unison Pastels: Red, Red Earth and Brown Earth

Pictures of and commentary on three sets of Unison Pastels at the red end of the spectrum

Pastel: Unison Review

Casey Klahn reviews Unison pastels

Pastel: Diane Townsend Pastels Review

Casey Klahn reviews his favorite brand of pastel - Diane Townsend Artist's Pastels. These handmade jewels come in three styles: Soft Form, Terrages and Thin Line. By way of explanation, consider the Soft Form to be a classic shape, Terrage ("Earth Gesture") to be a large rectangular shape, and Thin Line to be as described by their name.

The Studio News - Sennelier Pastels

Lisa Bachman uses soft pastels from several different manufacturers, and their texture ranges from hard, to very soft. However her biggest collection of very soft pastels are made by Sennelier - which she writes about in this review

Pastel: Sennelier Critique

Casey Klahn PSA - on why he likes Sennelier

Barry Katz Homebuilding - Westport, CT Pastel Article- HOT ON THE TRAIL OF THE WORLD'S BEST PASTELS

HOT ON THE TRAIL OF THE WORLD'S BEST PASTELS A detective story by Barry Katz During a recent visit to Paris, he devoted a good deal of my time to tracking down what are reputed to be the world's best pastels - Henri Roche - and found the source!

Wet Canvas Product Reviews - Soft Pastels Product

WC members comments on different soft pastel products for professionals

Dakota Art Pastels - the list of pastel brands in order of softness

This is a classification of generally how soft different brands of pastel are. Bear in mind the hardness or softness of individual colours can vary due to the nature of the pigments used.

Censura Reviews: Pastels (Soft/Pro): Roche Soft Pastels

Rating and review of Roche Soft Pastels

PanPastel: Bringing Painterly Innovation to the Pastel Medium

Created in 2007, PanPastels are innovative pans of pastel pigment that are meant to be scooped, spread, and smoothed using specially-made Sofft painting knives and sponges.

Pastels « Pastel on Paper - Bryan McGurgan

Pastels - I love art materials and tools, and this page is dedicated to sharing some of my thoughts on the types of pastel I use. As with my passion for handmade papers, I'm very enthusiastic about those brands of soft pastel produced in small quantities by tiny, artist-owned firms.

Soft Pastels - Dark and Light Sets 

Making a Mark: Unison Pastels: the Darks and the Lights

These two are my most recent acquisition - the Darks and the Lights. They've not been used a lot as yet - but they are very well liked my me already - some of the shades are what I missed from the original range. The nice thing is that the darks are not at all scratchy - which often seems to happen with dark colours in some brands of pastel.

UNISON COLOUR | Pastels

Light Set

UNISON COLOUR | Pastels

Unison Dark Set

Terry Ludwig Pastels: 30 Intense darks #1

Intense Dark Set #1

Terry Ludwig Pastels: 30 Intense Darks #2

Dark Set #2

Making your own soft pastels 

Useful links if you'd like to have a go at making pastels for yourself

Making Professional Pastels by Paul deMarrais | Daniel Smith Art Supplies

Paul de Marrais discusses how to make pastels

Sinopia.com | How to make your own Pastels

A San Francisco pigment supplier discusses how to make pastels

Making Pastels - by Phyllis Franklin

Making soft pastels is a time-consuming messy job but well worth all the trouble when you are successful making that one special color that you have not been able to find anywhere else.

How To Make Pastels by Tony Johansen

A very detailed guide to making pastels

pastel making

Pastels are very easy to make and the savings over store bought pastels is enormous. Pastels are made by mixing a gum solution with pigment, shaping into sticks and allowing it to dry. That's all there is to it.

The Colorist: Get Busy Making Pastels

Have some fun, and save money on expensive pastels, by making some of your own sticks. It's easier than one may have heard. Some of the information online is positively frenetic with how complex and difficult it should be. Don't believe it!

The Colorist: Making Pastels - Continued

Yesterday, we gathered our tools, and I promised to show you how to make pastels with no expensive purchases, just to get you started. We are going to make a stick from your easel tailings (dust that fell off of your paintings in production). Then, we'll just briefly touch on repairing broken sticks, and then we'll talk about making your own authentic colors.

Daniel Smith Art Materials: Making Professional Pastels

Making Professional Pastels: Paul deMarrais discusses how to make your own soft pastels and the materials you'll need. A little know-how can lead to a lot of satisfaction.

Pastel Supports - boards and papers 

Some are designed for pastels and some just work well with pastels

Kitty Wallis Pastel paper

Wallis paper is a sanded paper available in two archival standard versions - 'professional' and 'museum'. Kitty Wallis's forum on Wet Canvas. Get a free sample and find out what you can and cannot do with this paper - available from all major art suppliers in the USA. See next link for UK supplier

Art Spectrum Colourfix

Colourfix provides a toothy surface which is not harmed by water. The manufacturer's informative webpage provides details and colour charts for Pastel Primer and Colourfix Paper. the paper is available in different weights and different sizes.

Canson Mi Teintes

Paper comes in 50 different shades - but what is available in reality will depend on country and supplier (EG Dick Blick lists 42 shades). Paper is: 65% rag (cotton), tub sized, antique wove, roller marked, variable grain direction and has a textured surface.

IMO this paper has a horrible chicken wire pattern on one side which can very apparent in artwork but the smoother side is great. It comes in sheets, rolls, and pads.

Beware - the colour of this paper is NOT lightfast.

Canson Mi-Teintes: which side and why?

The Wet Canvas Pastel Talk Forum discusses "Canson Mi-Teintes: which side and why?" and identifies some real concerns about lightfastness

Fabriano Tiziano

Marion Boddy's review of Fabriano Tiziano paper.

Ampersand Art Supply - Pastelbord

Pastelbord is a clay and gesso coated hardboard panel with a granular marble dust finish comparable to a sanded pastel paper except more durable and more versatile. It can be used with wet or dry traditional pastel techniques or with acrylics, and more! (I've used it with coloured pencils and fell in love with it!) The coating is pH neutral and non-yellowing, making it a truly permanent museum quality surface.Available in Gray, Green, Sand and White.

Making a Mark: Abrasive Supports for Pastels & Coloured Pencils #1

The first post in an overview of seven abrasive supports for pastels and coloured pencils. Includes links to more infomation.
Covers: Ampersand Pastelbord, Art Spectrum Colourfix and Ersta Sanded Paper.

Making a Mark: Abrasive Supports for Pastels & Coloured Pencils #2

Covers: Richeson Premium Pastel Surface (new product); Sennelier La Carte Pastel (Pastel Card) / Rembrandt Pastel Board; Schminke Sansfix Pastellkarton and
Wallis Paper

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Mounting Pastel Paper

One of the most frequently asked questions is about mounting pastel paper-especially Wallis pastel paper-to a support before painting, and whether or not this has to be done professionally. The purpose of having paper mounted is to add stability and to facilitate the use of water-based underpaintings.

Pastel Paper Review by Mary Herbert

Mary Herbert is an artist based in Leicestershire specialising in pastel portraits of horses and dogs. She's been painting pastel pictures on mountboard for many years. In the meantime, many new surfaces have come onto the market, and the time has come to try some of them out and see if any of them can help me produce better art. This review covers five papers, all with quite different qualities.

Neutral pH UART Sanded Pastel paper - from Dakota Art Pastels

NEW (Replaces Ersta)
Dakota Pastels are offering a new industrially produced sandpaper to replace Ersta. Uart has the same wonderfully consistent machined surface that characterized the Ersta papers - but it is produced on a neutral pH backing paper!

The papers are available in four grits ranging from P400-P800. Three size sheets and rolls available in all surfaces! The paper is a lighter, creamier color than the former Ersta.

Saint Armand Sabretooth Pastel Paper - from Dakota Art Pastels

he Saint-Armand Sabretooth paper is made in Montreal, Canada.
The rag base paper is archival, acid-free, very lighty textured and internally sized. The acrylic based sand coating is applied with a roller to achieve an incredibly even, subtle textured surface. The coating will take both water and solvent base washes and can withstand vigorous scrubbing and reworking. This is a great sheet for both soft and oil pastel. A range of nine colors is available in individual sheets of 22" x 30" or a pack of four sheets of a single color in 15" x 20".

The Pastel Pointers Blog - When Homemade Is Best by Richard McKinley

We're fortunate to be painting in a time when there are so many wonderful pastel surfaces commercially available. In the Dark Ages of pastel-not so long ago actually-it was a necessity to know how to make your own, especially if you required a sanded surface. But even with the proliferation of available surfaces today, there are times when a homemade surface fills the bill.

To create a homemade, sanded pastel surface, you'll need a substrate and the ground components (binder, grit and, optionally, a tone):

Support system by Maggie Price

A Pastel Journal Special report - on supports for pastels - available as a pdf file

New York Central Art Supply - ARCHES MBM INGRES (MICHALLET)

ARCHES MBM INGRES (MICHALLET)
Originally designed by the mill for the artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, this type of paper set the standard for charcoal and pastel drawing and has been duplicated by many other mills around the world.

Michallet was the name given to a heavier version of this sheet that was prized by many artists, including George Seurat. Although Michallet is no longer made, the rougher surface of the 105 gsm. sheet replicates the original. The letters "MBM" refer to the owners, Morel, Bercious and Masure who introduced the first mouldmade machines in 1883.

Arches MBM Ingres has 2 natural deckles, 2 torn edges, is watermarked and neutral pH.

New York Central Art Supply stocks fine art and decorative papers from all over the world in sheets and rolls, and at times in pads and blocks.

The Pastel Pointers Blog - On the Surface

Views on working with different grades of UART paper

Clairefontaine - Pastelmat

PASTELMAT is a premium card surface (360gsm / 170lb) specially developed for pastelists. Its unique velvety surface, made from a fine coating of cellulose fibers, has the ability to grab and hold multiple layers of even the softest pastels.
* Unique velvety surface with excellent grabbing power
* Holds many layers of pastel
* Reduces the need for fixative
* Gentle on fingers & tools
* Premium card weight (360gsm/170lbs)
* Use with wet and dry media
* Available in 8 colors

The Pastel Pointers Blog - A New Surface for Pastels (Pastelmat)

Richard McKinley's review of Pastelmat

Making a Mark reviews......: Product Review : Clairefontaine Pastelmat

Highlights:

* possible to get a really white 'white' on the black pastelmat
* possible to get a very sharp line / suits those drawing hair or fur
* manufacturer claims that there is no need to use fixative for soft pastels between layers
* work on sheets in pads protected by crystal inserts
* good quality saturation means less layers required
* possible to blend and smudge (unlike with velour)
* not abrasive (unlike Colourfix and Fisher 400)
* Creative Art Company states that it has a tough waterproof surface

The Pastel Pointers Blog - The flatter the better

One issue pastel painters often confront is the flatness of their painting surfaces. Many papers and surfaces are made from cotton rag for archival reasons. As superior as these are, they're also prone to wrinkling and warping when moisture is introduced.

ASW - Pastel Paper & Boards

Art Supply Warehouse - good range of pastel papers and boards - including:
* Ampersand Pastelbord
* Art Spectrum Colourfix Papers, Boards, Pastels and Primers
* Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper

Art Supply Warehouse - Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper

Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper is water and solvent resistant, making it the perfect choice for working with pastels and mixed media. Available in Antique White or Belgium Mist Grey, each sheet is made with aluminum oxide grit, providing one of the hardest and most re-workable surfaces available on the market.

Professional sheets are neutral pH and feature a 236g weight card stock.

Museum sheets are acid-free, buffered, and feature 100% cotton 300 g card stock. Rolls are 10 yards long x 46" wide. Pads are perfect for Plein Air techniques, and have 8 sheets ready for field use. All 18x24"and 24x36"sheets require a Minimum Purchase of at least 10 Sheets.

Handmade Paper - Pastel on Paper review by Bryan McGurgan

Handmade Paper Since paper is a real passion of mine, I've put together some notes and photos describing some of my favorite handmade varieties. I purchase most of my paper from New York Central Art Supply, and all of the papers listed below can be found there. These days, most of the papers I use are handmade and it begs the question, I suppose, of why that's the case.

Observe Closely: Eight Adaptable Pastel Supports

Recommendations as to eight surfaces which can be used as supports for colourfix primer

Fixatives 

Artists Network - Pastel Fixative Options

Learn different methods of fixing pastels-and the the pros and cons of those methods."

Pastel Painting Problem Solver -- Using Hairspray to Fix Pastels or Artist's Fixative?

Is it okay to use hairspray to fix pastels or should you use only artist's pastel fixative? Find a scientific answer to the debate in this Pastel Painting Problem Solver.

Pastel Lesson - Fine Art Instruction

Lesson in pastel drawing and painting - materials, techniques, color study, personal expression. Includes section on fixative

Sennelier - Soft pastels and application products - Fixative and Paper

"LATOUR" Fixative For Soft Pastels.
A clear fixative made from a resin and alcohol base.
Creates a totally transparent and matt film.
To be sprayed lightly and repeatedly, if necessary.

Winsor & Newton Fixative - Bottle

A colourless medium which provides protection of charcoal, pencil, pastel and chalk drawings. Specially formulated to reduce smudging and dusting. Dries rapidly.

Winsor & Newton Fixative - Aerosol

A colourless medium which provides protection of charcoal, pencil, pastel and chalk drawings. Specially formulated to reduce smudging and dusting. Dries rapidly. Aerosol can enables easier & even application.

SpectraFix Natural Non-Toxic Pastel Fixative

SpectraFix: The Original Non-Toxic, Natural, 100% Archival Casein Spray Fixative for Pastel, Charcoal, Watercolor, Gouache and Mixed Media. No Unhealthy Fumes! Perfect for Classrooms or Indoor Spraying. No Fumes!

AMIEN Forums - commenting on casein pastel fixative

A resource for artists dedicated to providing the most comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate, and unbiased factual information about artists' materials.

Pastels Suppliers (UK) 

Who are the best retail and online suppliers for pastels and associated supplies in the UK?

Heaton Cooper Studio - Art Materials Section

I bought my first colour sets of Unison Pastels at the Heaton Cooper shop in Grasmere, Cumbria, Since then I've used their very efficient online ordering system. They're great at packing!
They carry a very wide range of pastel brands and a good range of pastel supports.

Jackie Simmonds - sole UK supplier of Wallis Papers

Well known UK pastel artist Jackie Simmonds first discovered Wallis Paper through her connections in the USA and the Pastel Society of America, discovered WALLIS paper. Impressed with its performance Jackie Simmonds now works closely with Kitty Wallis to supply Wallis paper in the UK. This link also provides good quality information about Wallis paper.

Green & Stone Art Materials

Pastels, chalks and charcoal from Green and Stone, Chelsea

L Cornelissen and Son - Artists' Colourmen: Pastels

The widest range of pastels available in London and maybe the UK! Four full manufacturers ranges with all the colour variations in stock. Add to that the crayons and oil pastel ranges and you have an idea of the scale of our offer.
Our range includes:-

Soft Pastels - Schmincke;Sennelier, Talens & Unison, Conté Carré Crayons, Oil Pastels, Sets & Boxes, Fixative, Stumps, Pads, Pastel Cloth & Paper

A P Fitzpatrick - Catalogues and mail order: Kremer Pigments

As well as selling materials from our London art shop we offer a mail order service.

GreatArt - Pastel Paper

Canson Mi-Teintes Artists Paper, Hahnemuehle Pastel Paper, Fabriano Tiziano Pastel Blocks, Lana Coloured Paper, Colourfix Pastel Paper, Sennelier Pastel Paper

GreatArt - Pastels

Unison, Schmincke Pastels, Sennelier Extra Fine Artists Pastels, Winsor & Newton Artists Soft Pastels, Conte a Paris Carre Pastels, Jaxell Jumbo Pastels, Faber-Castell Polychromos Pastels

PanPastel Colors – Ultra Soft Artists’ Painting Pastels

         UNITED KINGDOM Distributor:
West Design
West House
Shearway Business Park
Pent Road
Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4RJ
Tel: +44 (0)1303 297888
www.westdesignproducts.co.uk

Tools for working with soft pastels 

Heaton Cooper Studio Ltd > Charcoal Stick Holder

Grips charcoal or graphite sticks from 4 to 6mm diam, enabling clean working and avoids waste of the end.

Heaton Cooper Studio Ltd > Stumps and Tortillons

Disposable rolled paper tools for blending pastel, charcoal and pencil work. Stumps are densely rolled, tortillions loosely.

Heaton Cooper Studio Ltd > Colour Shaper Pastel Blending Tool

For good control in blending, shaping and smudging. Double-ended tool, one end chisel tip shaper, the other a spongy blender. Silicon tips simply wipe clean.

Heaton Cooper Studio Ltd > Colour Shaper Pastel Set

Set of four tools comprising one silicon chisel tip shaper, one silicon tapered tip shaper, one nylon fan blender and one blender brush. For defining, blending and smudging. In two sizes - size 2 for detailed work and size 6 for detail and area work. Silicon tips wipe clean.

Artists Network - A Word about Drawing Tools by Butch Krieger

A Word about Drawing Tools by Butch Krieger (March 10, 2008)

You can find a host of drawing tools on the market. Here's some information, to help you choose the best gear for you.

Pastels Suppliers (USA) 

A mini-directory of suppliers of pastels and associated art materials and supplies

Dakota Art Pastels

A site totally dedicated to being the leading resource in the USA for pastels and premium pastel papers.

FineArtStore - Pastels

Complete range of supplies for the pastel artist from this art supplier based in Rochester, New York.

Jack Richeson Catalogue for Unison Pastels

Jack Richeson is the approved distributor of Unison Pastels in the USA. This catalogue provides a good overview of the pastels, the process of production and a detailed colour chart for the different sets.

Rochester Art Supply - Pastels

Rochester Art Supply
150 West Main Street, Rochester, New York 14614 USA

This store has a great range of pastels - including what are reputedly some of the finest in the world - Henri Roche soft pastels. You can also order a Pastel Catalogue.

Italian Art Store - Professional Pastel Sets for Pastel Artists

Pastels stocked include:
Art Spectrum, Maimeri, Mount Vision, Schminke, Sennelier and Unison as well as Golden Acrylic ground and Lascaux reworkable fixative

Pastels - soft pastel - oil pastel - water soluble

Quality oil pastels, including Winsor and Newton, Rembrant, Schmincke, Unison, Mount Vision, Blockx, Girault pastels and grumbacher

Utrecht - Pastels from Conte, Faber-Castell, Prismacolor, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Sennelier from Utrecht.

Browse Pastels from Utrecht, your source for Pastels and art supplies. Bring the beauty of pastels to life with our wide selection of soft/chalk pastels , oil pastels , pastel pencils , soft/chalk pastel sets , and oil pastel sets .

Lots of different ways to store all your pastels 

Where to put them all; how to carry them around

Making a Mark: Can you ever have enough pastels?

Most pastellists would snort at this completely rhetorical question since the answer is emphatically 'No'. Read on........

A new form of storage for pastels

These new pods provide a new and more flexible form of storage for pastels

Artbin Pastel Storage Box

I've got two ArtBin storage cases for pastels and they've proved extremely robust for travelling by air (in a case) and carrying around for plein air work. However the size of the slot will not take larger pastels (eg Unison). So check whether it will take your favourite pastel before you buy.

ArtBin Pastel Tote

This is the ArtBin storage which is the best one to use if you have odd shaped and/or larger pastels. Plus the transparent cases are useful for seeing easily which pastels to get out.

The Heilman Pastel box

Available in Three sizes; all sizes have Tripod receptors
BACKPACK Box: 10-1/2"x13"x2-1/4", 3.25 llbs
Original Box: 12-1/2"x 16"x 3-5/8", 6.5 lbs
Large Box: 14-1/2" x 17"x 3-5/8",8.75 lbs.

Designed with input from Pastel Artists and Instructors who wanted a handy, secure box.
Used and recommended by artists Albert Handell, Anita West, Richard McKinley, Maggie Price, Margaret Evans, Lorenzo Chavez, Glenna Hartmann, Stephanie Birdsall, Alan Flattmann,Richard McDaniel and many others who use it in the field and studio.

Richeson Roz Box

I've never seen this - but I guess if it's from Richeson then it will be designed especially to accommodate Unison Pastels for artists in the USA.

Heaton Cooper Studio Ltd > 'Langset' Wooden Pastel Box

Well finished good quality wooden box, with four lift-out trays, 2 with foam inserts. Could hold 200+ pastels. Brassed fittings and leather carry handle. External size 36x26x14cms, weight 2.75kg.

Heaton Cooper Studio Ltd > 'Epworth' Wooden Pastel Box

Well finished good quality wooden box, with two lift-out trays each divided into 10 sections with foam inserts. Brassed fittings and leather carry handle. External size 36x26x8cms, weight 1.75kg, will accommodate up to 80 standard size pastels.

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Keeping Things Clean

How to keep your pastel palette and storage container clean

WetCanvas - View Single Post - Question about pastel containers

WetCanvas: Cyber Living for Artists | Forums & Community for Fine Artists

Question about pastel containers

Donna Aldridge shows how to make foamcore boxes to store and transport pastels

Famous pastel drawings 

Musée d'Orsay: Edgar Degas The Tub

Presented at the eighth Impressionist exhibition in 1886, this pastel is one of a series of seven pictures produced by Degas in the mid 1880's on the theme of women at their ablutions

Louvre - Chardin - Self-portrait with Spectacles

Jean-Siméon CHARDIN (Paris, 1699-1779)
Self-portrait with Spectacles
1771
Pastel
H. 46 cm; W. 38 cm
Jean-Augustin de Sylvestre collection; François-Louis Gounod collection; Bruzard collection; purchased by the Louvre in 1839.
INV25206
Prints and Drawings
Signed and dated at bottom right: "chardin / 1771"

Louvre - Full-length portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour

Maurice-Quentin Delatour
(Saint-Quentin, 1704-Saint-Quentin, 1788)
Full-length portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour
1748-55
Pastel on gray-blue paper with gouache highlights, the face is cut out and mounted on the paper
H. 1.77 m; W. 1.3 m
Offered by Lespinasse d'Arlet to the Museum central des arts which refused it; sold publicly July 11, 1803; purchased by Paillet and sent to the Musée spécial de l'École française in Versailles, 1804
INV27614
Prints and Drawings

Louvre - Question de la Tour - Self-portrait Pointing or Self-portrait at an %u0152il-de-Boeuf Window

The latter, which soon became famous for its convincing portrayal of the artist's temperament and character, was engraved by Georg Friedrich Schmidt and much copied by La Tour's pupils. Five different versions of the work are now considered autograph.
Thanks to the Friends of the Louvre, the museum has acquired this pastel self-portrait, whose provenance and quality distinguish it as the original version.

Louvre - Leonardo da Vinci - Portrait of Isabella d'Este

Leonardo DA VINCI
Portrait of Isabella d'Este
1499-1500
Black and red chalk with stump, ochre chalk, white highlights on the face, throat, and hand. Original black chalk lines are visible in several places: face, hair, veil on the forehead, neck, garment covering the breast, left shoulder. Paper prepared with white in the upper left and right parts.
H. 61 cm; W. 46.5 cm
Bartolommeo Calderara (b. 1747); Vittoria Pelulso, the widow Calderara; Domenico Pino (c. 1760-1828); acquired in 1829 by Giuseppe Vallardi, 1855 catalogue, p. 66 n°2, among the framed pieces; Chevalier A.D. de Turin, Paris sale, December 10, 1860, n° 72; acquired by the Musée Impérial.
MI753
Prints and Drawings

Artists who work in Pastels 

Wolf Kahn

Wolf Kahn is one of the most important colorists working in America today.

Albert Handell

Albert Handell is a Master Pastellist who delivers Pastel Workshops

Sally Strand Pastels & Mixed Media

Sally Strand Pastels and Mixed Media work and workshops

Margaret Glass - painter in oils and pastels

The paintings of Margaret Glass demonstrate her ability in both Pastels and Oils. Her subjects are varied and include many from Venice, Italy and from her home county Suffolk, UK

Dianna Ponting

Dianna Ponting has won many awards for her pastel work. She is a Master Pastellist of the Pastel Artists of Canada and is current President of the Federation of Canadian Artists

Mark Leach

Mark Leach PS - award winning UK artist specialising in contemporary landscape painting. On-line gallery.

Making a Mark: Mark Leach PS, President Elect of The Pastel Society - an obituary

On 29th March this year Mark Leach was elected to be the next President of The Pastel Society in 2009. Last Friday, on 4th July 2008, he passed away.

In this post I'm going to comment on his work, point you to places where you can see it still and intersperse my comments with extracts from Mark's own manifesto which is featured on his website.

Jackie Simmonds

Pastel painter, gallery of original pastel paintings, limited edition prints, books and videos, art instruction

Frances Treanor

Frances Treanor (her entry in The Bridgeman Art Library entry - one of the World's most comprehensive source of fine art images for reproduction)

Bridgeman Art Library - work by Felicity House

Felicity House is a Council Member of The Pastel Society

The landscape paintings of M. Katherine Hurley.

Colourist art - landscape paintings in oil and pastels by artist Katherine Hurley - a student of Wolf Kahn

Kitty Wallis

Pastel paintings by Kitty Wallis (courtesy of the Harris Gallry in Houston). Many are views of the water garden at Giverny in France.
Click to see a a larger version in a separate window

Barbara Benedetti Newton

Now works primarily in soft pastels but started initially with coloured pencils. Author of the Colored Pencil Solution Book.

Sheila Evans - Anisotrope Studio

Sheila produces wonderful pastel paintings of landscapes, trees, leaves, succulent, flowers and ambient light ©2005 Anisotrope Studio

Richard McKinley, fine art

Painter in pastels and oils and instructor in plein painting with pastels

Michael Chesley Johnson, PSA - Landscape En Plein Air Painter in Pastel, Oil

Michael Chesley Johnson offers a a lot of very good information about pastels on his website - including pastel demonstrations

Jimmy Wright, Artist

Jimmy Wright, juror for the Still Life and Floral section of the 8th Annual Pastel 100 competition 2007. Details of Classes, Exhibits, Works on Paper, Paintings, Biography and essays

International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) - IAPS Ninth Juried Exhibition

Artists accepted into the 9th Juried exhibition of IAPS

Hosner Fine Art - Plein Air Pastel

A collection of plein-air works by Bill Hosner created by painting figures and scenes from life. I feel that this way of working is the only way to convey the nature of light, and emotional connection between myself and the subject.
Pastel 100 Juror 2008

The Art of Ron Monsma

The Official Site of Ron Monsma. Ron is the head of drawing and painting at IUSB, and an internationally acclaimed artist. In 2008 he won the 9th Pastel 100 Jack Richeson/Unisons Pastels Best of Show Award

:Casey Klahn

Casey Klahn Fine Art - Colorist American Landscapes

:Bill James-American Impressionist

Bill James - American Impressionist
Bill works in pastels, watercolour and oils and has won many awards. He excels at heightening colour within landscapes.

Susan Ogilvie

SUSAN OGILVIE Entire site copyright © 2007 Susan Ogilvie. All rights reserved.
All content on this website is the property of Susan Ogilvie, and is protected under United States and International copyright laws. The images on this site may not be reproduced, stored, or manipulated, without the written permission of the artist.

Arts and Stuff with Susan Borgas

Australian artist Susan Borgas - paints the Flinders Ranges of South Australia in pastel

Pastel Masters article by Naomi Ekperigin published by American Artist

Published in the June 2008 edition of American Artist and on their website.
It covers Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Wlliam Merritt Chase, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699 - 1779) and Jean-François Millet (1814-1875).

American Artist: Pastel Masters

Pastel Masters by Naomi Ekperigin
Covers Degas, Cassatt, Chase, Chardin and Millet

Kim Lordier Web Site

Kim Lordier Fine Art
Pastel Paintings in the Plein Air Tradition

Artists who blog about Pastels 

Making A Mark

My blog - click the pastels category (RH column) to bring up all my blog posts about pastel brands / supports / workshops / artists - and my art too!

The Pastel Pointers Blog - with Richard McKinley

Richard McKinley's Blog. The opinions expressed herein are his own personal opinions.

The Pastel Journal Blog

News from the Pastel Journal staff

Small Pastel Studies by Margaret Dyer

Margaret is a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America. She has been featured in The Artists Magazine, American Artist, International Artist, Pastel Artist International, The Pastel Journal, "How Did You Paint That?-100 Ways to Paint People & Figures, Vols. 1 and 2", and "Pure Color: The Best of Pastels".

Michel Chesley Johnson

Signature member of the Pastel Society of America and Contributing Editor to the Pastel Journal - this is his plein air blog (pastels and oils). he has another weekly painting blog.

loriann signori's painting-a-day

Pastel Landscapes - Loriann's work has been described as poetic realism. She paints that moment of beautiful light, the one that stays in one's mind evoking emotions past.

An outdoors person at heart, Loriann has always relished plein air painting as it's the perfect combination of her love of nature and painting. After many years of balancing painting and a teaching career she now paints full time. Taking part of the Painting -a-Day movement since 2007 Loriann continues to paint at least one small painting outdoors each day. Her studio works are often on a grand scale and imbued with light.

The Colorist

Casey Klahn aims to provide a newsletter for patrons of colorist art without the artspeak

Casey Klahn - Pastel

A blog about all things pastel. The backstory on the "medium of pigment," interviews, technique, featured artists, and my own art.
"Pastel" is a new box of eye-candy, full of possibilities and waiting for the creative touch of the artist.

Painting My World

Original Pastel Paintings created daily by Karen Elizabeth Margulis

bigcatheads

Life as an artist who paints cats - in charcoal and pastel

barbara benedetti newton paintings

Barbara is a Signature Member of the Northwest Pastel Society, a juried member of Women Painters of Washington, a Charter Member, Signature Member and past president of the Colored Pencil Society of America.

Daily Paintings by Ria Hills

Ria Hills is a pastel painter born in The Netherlands, raised in New York and living in Massachusetts. She has discovered the satisfaction of completing a painting a day by joining the daily painters movement on the web.

Daily Pastel Painting - Mike Beeman

Based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Mike regularly shares new pastel works

Pastel and Paint - Lesley Finn's Art

New Zealand artist Lesley Finn writes about the influences on her art - and shares pastel works as well as work in other media

Pastel: In Praise of Henri Roche, Pastel Maker

Casey Klahn comments on the pastels of Henri Roche

PA Ford Pastelist

Paula Ford, Tennessee

Brenda Boyylan - Dusty Fingers

The job as an artist allows me to play around with my many friends in the Northwest Pastel Society, and the Portland Plein-Aire & Studio Painters. My work has been published in the Best of America Pastel Series II and am represented by the Earthworks Gallery on the Oregon coast.

Nancy Poucher - Pastel Painting

Nancy Poucher | Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States

Astrid Volquardsen - Pastell-Blog

Pastel artist - Astrid Volquardsen Buchholz, Germany

Gesa Helms - paint and pastel

Gesa Helms - ideas, thoughts and experiments on painting: in pastel, oil, mixed media and more.ideas, thoughts and experiments on painting: in pastel, oil, mixed media and more.

Maryland Pastel Society, Monthly Drawing Challenge

All Maryland Pastel Society members are welcome to join in on the monthly drawing challenge. Please submit images of your paintings by the first of each month to be posted on the MPS blog

Pastels - Tutors, Classes and Workshops 

The Pastel Society - Workshops

The Pastel Society | Founded London England 1898
The Society holds a variety of workshops throughout the year to encourage and promote drawing skills in all dry media. The workshops cover a wide range of subjects and are tutored by members of the Society.

Pastel Society of Australia - List of members offering workshops

Pastel artists in different states

Albert Handell - Workshops

Demonstrations will be in pastel and oils. Every day during the workshop, Mr. Handell will give a demonstration. Every afternoon, he will give individual help to each artist while painting at one of several special locations. At the end of the day there will be a daily critique.

Sally Strand Pastels & Mixed Media | Workshops Information

Sally Strand Pastels and Mixed Media work and workshops

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TUTOR Sally is an excellent tutor - see link immediately below for an insight into one of her five day courses

Making a Mark: The best ever workshop - pastel painting with Sally Strand

A synopsis, with photos, of a Sally Strand workshop about painting the colour of light. Highly recommended for both advanced and aspiring pastel artists.

Susan Ogilvie - Workshops

All of Susan's workshops stress the fundamentals of design and composition, while encouraging a personal approach to color. Students can expect to work both in the studio and on location (weather permitting), painting from value and color studies as well as plein air. Each day includes a demo/discussion to clarify the day's assignment. Students receive individual attention as they work.

Richard McKinley - Calendar of workshops

list of workshops in different states

Dianna Ponting - Pastel Workshops

Pastel workshops in North America, Europe and the UK
Dianna Ponting is an award winning Master Pastellist an ex President of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

RECOMMENDED TUTOR - see link immediately below

Travels with a Sketchbook in.......: Dianna Ponting Pastel Workshop weekend - 15th-16th July

On my first weekend in California I took a pastel workshop up the coast in San Clemente with Dianna Ponting SFCA, PPC, MPAC, PSA. Dianna is the current President of the Federation of Canadian Artists. She has also been awarded the status of Master Pastellist by Pastel Artists Canada and Premiere Pastellist by the Pastel Society of Canada.

The class had been booked out for some time with a number of pastellists in the southwest USA anxiously trawling for a cancellation.

Michael Chesley Johnson - Landscape En Plein Air Painter in Pastel , Oil

Michael Chesley Johnson, PSA - Landscape En Plein Air Painter in Pastel , Oil
2010 Plein Air Workshops

Felicity House

Felicity House teaches Life Drawing and short courses in pastels and watercolour, and works as a freelance illustrator. Drawing is fundamental to her art work . She draws and paints directly from the subject using a spontaneous expressive line.

She is an an elected member of the Pastel Society and serves on the Council. She has been awarded prizes at the Discerning Eye, New English Art Club and the Pastel Society .

RECOMMENDED TUTOR - see link below

Making a Mark: A pastels workshop with Felicity House

Yesterday I did The Pastel Society Workshop on drawing a clothed figure at the Mall Galleries. Felicity House PS was the tutor. It was a real delight to be able to take the workshop as I've long been an admirer of Felicity's work.
Felicity is an experienced art tutor, provided good guidelines for people new to drawing the clothed figure and was extremely well prepared.

Kim Lordier -- Workshops

Inspired by the turn of the century California Impressionists and Tonalists, Kim paints in the plein air tradition. Fascinated with California's unique atmospheric qualities, Kim strives to capture the beauty, depth and energy of the land and sea. She is currently a Signature member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters, the Pastel Society of America, a Distinguished Pastelist in the Pastel Society of the West Coast, and Artist Member of the California Art Club.

Pastel Workshops with Karen Margulis

Karen offers:
- small group and private lessons in pastel in her Marietta, Georgia home studio.
- a variety of one day workshops in pastel with some unique and fun themes. See the current schedule below for details.

Pastel Workshops by Renowned Pastelist Terry Ludwig

Pastelist Terry Ludwig has developed a comprehensive process for handcrafting an unprecedented array of exceptionally soft pastels. Described as buttery and velvet by the Pastel Journal, these pastels surpass the spectrum of color and quality of pastels manufactured for other art suppliers.

Pastel workshops - UK Wolf Conservation Trust

The UK Wolf Conservation Trust is a non-profit organisation working to keep wolves in the wild.
Join award winning British wildlife artist Vic Bearcroft on this special pastel workshop, where you will learn how to paint wolves in pastel on velour paper.

La Conner Art Workshops - with a focus on pastels

List of instrucors and classes scheduled

Different ways of learning about Pastels 

Videos, DVDs and online classes

Making a Mark: The best ever workshop - pastel painting with Sally Strand

A synopsis, with photos, of a Sally Strand workshop about painting the colour of light. Highly recommended for both advanced and aspiring pastel artists.

Sally Strand - The Color of Light

Take a workshop with Sally Strand if you'd like to know how to work with pastels using watercolour underpaintings and how she achieves wonderful light effects in her work.

Daniel Greene - Painting Videos

Observe the techniques and learn the procedures of master painter Daniel Greene

Jackie Simmonds - Art Instruction books and videos

Art instruction books and videos from best selling author and award winning UK pastellist Jackie Simmonds

Jackie Simmonds Art Class

Access to free tuition from jackie Simmonds

Artshow.com - Pastel workshops

A list of workshops - all of which should be about learning about pastels - but check the description carefully as sometimes they're mixed media rather than pastel specific

American Artist: Albert Handell's Pastel Paintings: A Retrospective Exhibition

American Artist's preview of a retrospective exhibition of paintings by Albert Handell and an outline of how he works taken from one of his books

A History of Pastels

Madlyn Woolwich's history of lens from the "Associated Patellists on the Web" site.

Making a Mark: Pastel with Ponting - an online pastel class

A review of Dianna Ponting's pastel workshops and online class

Basic 102: Class 12---Pastel with Ponting - WetCanvas!

Wet Canvas Drawing and Sketching Forum's Classroom - an online pastel class by a premier pastel artist Dianna Ponting. Basic 102: Class 12---Pastel with Ponting is hugely informative about pastels, supports and methods and is a 'must read' for all those people who want to use pastels for realism and/or still life.

The Unison Story - Rex Art Supplies

Rex Art Supplies - Unison Handmade Soft Pastels - The Unison Story

Out of a frustration with the pastels available, British artist, John Hersey began making handmade pastels. Developed to be superior in colour, texture and response, Unison Soft Pastels are unlike anything on the market today. John Hersey worked out his unique colour formulations over a decade of experimentation, creating intense, vibrant colours, blended almost exclusively from pure pigment and water.

he making of Mount Vision Pastels

Highest quality handmade pastels for the professional artist.

The first step in the making of pastels is getting the right formula. Aside from blind luck, this is usually done with trial and error, and since we have very little luck here in Mount Vision we rely on lots of trial and error. Finding the right color is the starting point. Combining pigments can bring out the inherent beauty of each, enriching the undertones and making the colors sing. The tricky part, like a conductor, is to get them to sing in the same key.

Working with Pastels - Tips, tricks and techniques 

Various Tips and Tricks for working safely, cleanly and exhibiting work

From the website of Pastel Artists Canada

Pastel Journal - questions and answers

questions e-mailed to the pastel journal with answers

WC Pastel Forum Library - Soft Pastel index

a range of useful threads covering a variety of topics

Pastel Pratfalls

Twelve common mistahes and how to avoid them by Margot Schultze for APOW

Pastel Talk - how to mat, frame and ship a pastel painting

Deborah Christensen Secor shares the results of a panel discussion held at the Fourth Biennial IAPS Convention held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 11, 2001.

Studio Tips for the Pastel Painter - ©Aldridge

Studio Tips for the Pastel Painter by Donna Aldridge PSA. Donna covers new pigments and new colours; keeping clean in the studio; HEPA filter fans; masking edges; masking slides; applying fixative; storing pastel works; choosing frames and shipping work to shows

Pastels Troubleshooter

Jackie Simmonds has a page of tips on her website

10 things about using pastels

Brief and to the point - tips from the lornamatic Blog

Wet Canvas Pastel Talk: How To Make A Simple Dust Catcher

Peggy B and WC members share their ideas - with photos of how to make a simple and effective dust catcher for studio or plein air work

International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Dry Pastel

Answers to frequently asked questions about pastels and pastel paintings by the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) - Representing pastel societies uniting in a common cause - to demonstrate the validity and quality of pastel fine art around the world.

FAQ on pastel fixation, pastel protection and pastel framing

tips on pastel fixation, pastel protection and pastel framing provided by Marie Lydie Joffre

American Artist: Drawing With A Powdered Pastel 'Wash'

August 13, 2007 - Drawing With A Powdered Pastel 'Wash' by Robert T Barrett

Jackie Simmonds: Painting Shadows

There is much more to a shadow than simple absence of light. It is not just a grey shape. Shadows are often full of color, and shadows give the artist an opportunity to add drama and interest to a painting in a variety of ways.

Wet Canvas Pastels: Marc R. Hanson: Pastel Demo from a Plein Air Oil Sketch

Mark Hanson demonstrates the development of a pastel on Walli paper using gouache for the underpainting

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Pastels and Planes

an overview of what to do when travelling with pastels on planes

The Use of Fixative | ©Aldridge

Notes on Fixative for Pastel Paintings from a 1999 IAPS Program on Conservation by Ross Merrill. Head Conservator of the National Gallery, Washington, DC
With additional comments and illustrations on sprayingby Donna Aldridge PSA M-MAPS

Painting a pastel portrait step by step with Mary Herbert

Mary Herbert is an artist based in Leicestershire specialising in pastel portraits of horses and dogs. This is a step by step demonstration of pastel painting on a smooth surface using pastel pencils.

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Pushing Around Pastel by Richard McKinley

To rub or not to rub is a personal artistic choice. Different surfaces, pastel brands and tools will create varied results. Experimentation is always recommended. When choosing a tool, many simply use the most convenient-the hands. If you do use your hands, you should employ some precautions.

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Turning the World Upside Down by Richard McKinley

To clean up our mental hard-drive and allow our internal computer to work efficiently, try this simple trick-look at things upside down. By observing subject matter in this way, the mind is unable to quickly associate its prejudices to the visual symbols the eyes are sending. This allows us to see the simple shapes, values, and colors, leading to a stronger painting that relates better to the natural world. When painting from printed reference material, turning the reference upside down easily facilitates this. Working on location, or from life, is harder unless you're able to bend over and look through your legs for prolonged periods of time (something I gave up years ago). This is when a mirror comes in handy.........

The Pastel Pointers Blog - The importance of Neutrals

A review of the importance of neutrals/greys to relieve fully saturated colour

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Dealing with Dust

minute pastel fragments are often toxic and can be hazardous to your health. Use caution to avoid inhaling the pigment particles.

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Underpainting With Oil Paints

Starting pastel paintings with a thin, wet, loose underpainting is something many artists enjoy. It sets up a foundation on which to respond with the subsequent application of pastel.

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Preparing the Pastel Stick

...peal the paper off and break those beautiful pastel sticks into usable sizes! Think of them as brushes. If you don't do it now, some instructor will insist on it in the future.

Pastel Lesson - Fine Art Instruction

Lesson in pastel drawing and painting - materials, techniques, color study, personal expression.

Diane Townsend Handmade Pastels

Diane Townsend Handmade Pastels - how to work with pastels

Making a Mark: Working with Pastels - Tips #1

Whenever you go to a Private View I find that you always end up swapping tips about what media and supports people use and the various ways of working and framing. Here are a few about working with pastels that I picked up recently.

Practical Painting - Tips when using Pastels

Tips about a range of issues relating to Pastels

Donna Aldridge Studios | Techniques for Removing Pastel

Techniques for Removing Pastel
from Art Spectrum Colourfix Papers and Other Sanded and Regular Papers
Donna Aldridge
PSA M-MAPS © 2001 Donna Aldridge

Making A Mark - blogging about pastels 

Making a Mark: Working with Pastels - Tips #1

Whenever you go to a Private View I find that you always end up swapping tips about what media and supports people use and the various ways of working and framing. Here are a few about working with pastels that I picked up recently.

Making a Mark: 5 guidelines for beginning to use soft pastels

This post outlines 5 ways that people new to soft pastels - or maybe contemplating using them for the first time - can get both a good grounding in soft pastels and avoid wasting their money.

I know I always have a lot of questions when starting to use a new media. A while ago I contributed some thoughts in another place about different approaches to getting started in soft pastels for the first time. It was based on the range of approaches I adopted when I started to use soft pastels for the first time. This is an updated version of that piece.

Making a Mark: Exhibition review: The Intimate Portrait

This is the first major exhibition to have been held in the UK which focuses on Georgian and Regency portraiture in terms of the smaller works created in pencil, chalk, pastels, watercolour and miniatures on ivory - all the sorts of works of art which I love looking at! It includes nearly 200 works from the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland and the British Museum.

Making a Mark: Change of dates for Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2009

The Pastel Society has changed the date of its Annual Exhibition for 2009. This year the Annual Open Exhibition will take place in June (rather than March) at the Mall Galleries. The aim is to present a vibrant exhibition of paintings and drawings which reflect the extremely diverse nature of the use of the pastel medium by artists working today. The annual exhibition is open and consequently features works by both members and non members.

Making a Mark: Mark Leach PS, President Elect of The Pastel Society - an obituary

On 29th March this year Mark Leach was elected to be the next President of The Pastel Society in 2009. Last Friday, on 4th July 2008, he passed away.

In this post I'm going to comment on his work, point you to places where you can see it still and intersperse my comments with extracts from Mark's own manifesto which is featured on his website.

Making a Mark: Book review: Multi Brand Color Chart for Pastels

The Multi-Brand Color Chart for Pastels by Marie Meyer was published yesterday by Huechroval. I've been sent a pdf preview copy of it - on which this review is based - and a hard copy is on its way to me from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The idea behind this new publication is that it should help all pastel artists when choosing their pastels.

The Pastel Journal Videos 

The Pastel Journal - Albert Handell: Orchestrating with Contrast

The Pastel Journal Blog (13.08.07) describes the visit made to Albert Handell's studio in Santa Fe. In this video he talks about working with contrast and the juxtaposition of transparent and opaque in his work.

The Pastel Journal: Albert Handell - Plein Air Painting Trip

Albert Handell describes a typical plein air painting trip to Taos.

The Pastel Journal - Albert Handell's Plein Air Set-Up and Supplies

In this video Albert Handell shows us the components of his supplies and set-up for plein air work - including the brand of pastels he uses and the support he works on.

The Pastel Journal - Albert Handell - managing colour with value

Albert Handell shows he works with pastel colours in terms of values. You also get a chance to peek inside his box to see how he organises his pastels.

Societies of Artists working in Pastels 

International Association of Pastel Societies

This is the society that most pastel societies belong to.

The Pastel Society (UK) - new website

The main Pastel Society in the UK, It was founded in 1898 and aims to promote the medium. It has over 50 members - who are elected by their peers.

Pastel Society of America

Founded in 1972 to set standards and promote and encourage the use of pastel in the USA

Pastel Society of Australia

This society was founded (in Brisbane) in 1985 and now has over 200 members

Pastel Artists Canada

Founded in 1989, it now has some 200 members from coast to coast

Associated Pastellists on the Web

A group of professional pastellists - membership by juried application only

Les Pastellistes de France

This is the national society for French pastellists

Arizona Pastel Artists Association - APAA

Arizona Pastel Artists Association (APAA). We are an association of pastel artists, promoting artistic skills and public appreciation of the Soft Pastel medium. Website includes membership info, history, members list, current events & exhibits and featured artist.

Austin Pastel Society

The Austin Pastel Society is a Non-Profit Organization founded in 1998 by a group of Austin artists who are active in the soft pastel medium. It has approximatly 100 members.

| Connecticut Pastel Society

Connecticut Pastel Society - Our aim is to encourage and raise public awareness of this medium, while giving our members an opportunity to exhibit, meet fellow artists and share ideas.

Welcome to the Degas Pastel Society

The Degas Pastel Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1984, dedicated to promoting public awareness of the pastel medium and providing exposure and recognition for the Society's members through exhibitions.

Gateway Pastel Artist

Gateway Pastel Artists of St. Louis, Missouri. Dedicated to the usage and promotion of pastels in artwork.

Great Lakes Pastel Society Online

The Great Lakes Pastel Society seeks to promote the use of pastels and increase the public awareness of creative pastel painting as a fine art medium.

Lake Country Pastel Society

Lake Country Pastel Society: We seek to unite artists interested in the pastel medium and to serve their needs by encouraging artistic growth and development through education and sharing. we also work to create public awareness of pastel as a unique and beautiful art form.

Leicestershire Pastel Society

Leicestershire Pastel Society: the website includes information about members and their work and the Annual Exhibition

The Maryland Pastel Society - Welcome

The Maryland Pastel Society is an organization of artists whose primary purpose is to promote the medium of pastel. It is the oldest state pastel society in the United States.

Mid America Pastel Society

The MidAmerica Pastel Society aims to bring together practicing pastel artists, to educate and promote the medium of pastel in the visual arts, to support members in their artistic development, exhibit work as a group and individually and to provide workshops.

IAPS Member Societies - maps the location of member societies

International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) - Representing pastel societies uniting in a common cause - to demonstrate the validity and quality of pastel fine art around the world.

Framing and matting pastels 

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Framing Without a Mat

Many pastel artists are abandoning traditional mat and frame presentations and replacing them instead with wide wood frames. This allows the pastel to look less like a print or poster, which commonly have a wide surrounding border. These works are attracting the attention of the canvas-buying public. Commonly, oil and acrylic paintings are displayed with a wider wood frame that may or may not have a small liner. A pastel presented in a similar fashion demands the same respect often afforded these canvas media.

The Pastel Pointers Blog - Trimming a Finished Pastel Painting

Pastel surfaces often need to be trimmed to fit framing requirements or to improve the overall composition of the painting. Once pastel has been applied, this becomes a more delicate matter and requires added precautions so as not to alter the appearance of the painting.

Pastels - Exhibitions and Competitions 

Making a Mark: "Pastels Today" - The Pastel Society Exhibition (#1)

"Pastels Today" is the annual exhibition of The Pastel Society at the Mall Galleries. This blog post is about the 2007 exhibition which had 346 works exhibited by members and non-members. This post is about the exhibition as a whole.

Making a Mark: "Pastels Today": The Pastel Society Exhibition (#2)

This post focuses on artists featured in The Pastel Society annual exhibition in 2007 at the Mall Galleries whose work I particularly liked. I'm only including those which have websites I can point readers to - as narrative without images isn't very satisfying. 'PS' after their name means that they are members of The Pastel Society.

Making a Mark: The Pastel Society UK - 109th Annual Exhibition

"Pastels Today" is the annual exhibition of the The Pastel Society UK. This post includes some photographs of the exhibition plus some links to excellent reproductions of work done last year by members on the Pastel Society website. It also:

* reviews any year on year changes which I thought I perceived in exhibited work
* highlights artists who caught my eye - and images of their work

Making a Mark: Exhibition review: The Pastel Society's 110th Annual Exhibition

This is a post about the 110th Annual exhibition of The Pastel Society which opens today (10th June) and continues until Sunday 21 June 2009. This post highlights
* the work of artists who caught my eye
* who won which award - and links to more information about them where available
* changes in arrangements and/or presentation this year

Pastel Society of America - Annual Exhibition 2006, New York, Sept 8 - Oct 1

Pastel Society of America is America's oldest and most prestigious pastel society. Their Annual Exhibition is at the National Arts Club in New York between September 8 and October 1 2006.

Making a Mark: 2005 Pastel 100 competition

My blog review of the 2005 Pastel 100 competition associated with the Pastel Journal

The Pastel Journal - 8th Annual 100 Competition

2006 Pastel 100 Competition - details here. Deadline 1st September 2006 - entry by slide or digital file

Making a Mark: The Pastel Journal and the Annual Pastel 100 Competition

Read about the Pastel 100 competition

Making a Mark: The 9th Annual Pastel 100

The Pastel 100 is an annual competition which is run by F&W Publications, the publishers of North Light Books and the Pastel Journal. The 9th Annual Pastel 100 results were published in the April edition of the Pastel Journal.

American Artist: International Association of Pastel Societies Announces Award Winners

The International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) recently held their 11th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art, in Youngstown, Ohio, and award winners were selected by jurors Duane Wakeham and Urania Christy Tarbet. Among the artists receiving awards were Sharon Will, who won the Prix de Pastel for Painting Projects; Richard Lundgren, who won the Gold Award for his painting Reed Crescent; Claudia Seymour, who won the Silver Award for Mandarins & Morning Glories; and J. Kay Gordon, who won the Bronze Award for The Blue Motorcycle.

10th Annual Pastel 100

Details of the competition - closing date September 1st 2008

Forums for artists working in pastels 

Wet Canvas Pastel Forum

The main page for a large and very active Pastel Forum for artists from all over the globe

Wet Canvas - Soft Pastels Studio

The place to post and discuss artwork in soft pastels on the Wet canvas website

Wet Canvas - Pastel Talk

Drop in for the 'weekly scumble' and general chat about pastels and any 'off-topic' discussions by members of the Pastels Forum

Artist Daily - Pastel Forum

Including both soft and oil pastel

Pastels and Pencils - Fine Art by Katherine Tyrrell 

Pastels and Pencils

Original fine art by Katherine Tyrrell. Galleries of paintings and drawings of landscapes, still life and floral subjects in pastels and coloured pencils; drawings and sketches in pencil and pen and ink of landscapes, flowers, interiors, people and cats. Information about art materials resources and supplies

Pastels and Pencils - Art Materials & Other Resources - pastels, pencils, paper and pen and ink

A summary of information about the art materials used by pastels and pencils artist Katherine Tyrrell and other resources for all artists using pastels and pencils

Pastels and Pencils - How to Sketch - advice and information by Katherine Tyrrell ASGFA

How to Sketch - information and advice about sketching; tips, techniques and toolkits and advice about keeping a sketchbook by artist Katherine Tyrrell

Pastels and Pencils - Making A Mark Publications by Katherine Tyrrell

Making A Mark Publications for artists. Publications available as pdf files which can be downloaded for free for personal educational use only.