Pastel Colours
This post discusses pastel colors and their use in painting and pastel drawing. The information presented here regarding pastels is based on Max Doerner's book Malmaterial und seine Verwendung im Bilde (translated into Finnish as Maaliaineet ja niiden käyttö taidemaalauksessa). Max Doerner served as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, and his work has been widely used as a textbook for painting courses. The section dealing with oil pastels, on the other hand, has been compiled utilizing the experiences of our customers who use oil pastels, as well as our own insights regarding the medium.
Pastel Color
Pastel color has only surface light and no transparency effect. In appearance, pastel color resembles dry colored powder. Pastel color is non-yellowing and does not crack. However, pastel color is sensitive to knocks because, due to its powdery consistency, it adheres loosely to the painting surface.
Pastel colors are most commonly available as pencils or sticks. Only very little binder is used in the manufacture of pastel pencils and sticks. If large amounts of binder were used, the pencils and sticks would not release color so easily.
Pastel pencils and sticks are generally separated into four different categories. These categories are: Soft pastels, hard pastels, pastel pencils, and oil pastels.
Soft pastels consist almost entirely of pigment and are fragile and spread easily. Hard pastels contain more binder than soft ones, and therefore do not crumble as easily nor release color as easily as soft pastels. Pastel pencils are somewhere between hard and soft pastels in hardness. The binder in oil pastels is oil, so they cannot be used with ordinary pastel colors. Oil pastels are an alternative to soft pastels. Oil pastels are soluble in turpentine, so after being dissolved with turpentine, they can be applied with a brush.
Pastel sticks and pencils are readily available in art supply stores. Pastel colors are sold individually and in ready-made sets. Sometimes ready-made sets contain many intermediate colors (tints) that are often used sparingly in artworks. When purchasing pastel colors and sticks, it would be good to acquire enough pure colors (full hues) or at least ensure that the ready-made pastel set contains enough pure colors in relation to intermediate colors. By mixing pure colors, you can create intermediate shades yourself.
The most demanding users of pastel colors make the pastels themselves, allowing even the demanding user to get exactly the color they want. However, in this article, there is no need to delve into the making of pastel colors, as making pastels should be separated into a topic of its own.
Those looking for a high-quality ready-made pastel set containing main colors should check out Unison Colour Pastels. It is worth mentioning that Unison Colour Pastels are handmade and are also available individually, allowing you to mix your own color combinations. Unison Colour Pastels are available in 72 different shades, including main colors, at the Itäisenkadun Taidetarvike store. Click this link to check out Unison Colour Pastels.
Among pastel pencil sets, Derwent's Pastel Pencil Set is worth checking out, and those interested in soft pastels should also look at J. Luda Colors pastels, which are also handmade like Unison Colour pastels.
Pastel Painting Surface
Paper, cardboard, or canvas is usually used as a base for pastel painting. The pastel painting surface should be rough so that the color adheres to the base. Pastel color does not adhere to or stay on a surface that is too smooth. However, a surface that is too rough consumes more pastel color. When working with pastel colors, attention must be paid to keeping the painting surface stationary, because as mentioned earlier, pastel colors are sensitive to movements of the painting surface due to their poor adhesion.
You can make a pastel painting surface yourself. Art supply stores also sell ready-made papers suitable for pastel colors at an affordable price.
According to Max Doerner, a pastel ground is prepared as follows: The base, e.g., canvas or cardboard, is brushed with starch paste, and fine pumice powder is sprinkled on the wet brushed surface. Tapping the edge causes excess stone powder to fall off. The paste must be applied in thin layers so that brush strokes do not show when dried. The paste can be smoothed with the palm of the hand or a damp sponge. On top of the gluing, a thin layer of oil varnish can also be brushed, and pumice powder sprinkled into this as much as the surface absorbs. However, a grease-free ground is undoubtedly better according to Max Doerner. A dark gray or colored ground is advantageous according to Max Doerner. In old pictures, roughened parchment has sometimes been used as a base for pastel.
Pastel Painting Technique
Pastel colors allow a lot of freedom and possibilities in painting technique. Pastel colors can be placed as clear cold and warm shades next to each other or on top of each other, allowing a dark background to be utilized in shadows and transitions. Pastel colors can be spread with fingers, a brush, or a chamois, for example.
By using pastel colors, it is possible to achieve soft and velvety shades. Typical for pastel works is a soft and somewhat gentle mode of presentation. Pastel colors can also create contrasts between light and velvety soft shadows. When using pastel colors, one rarely strives for detailed precision, and the nature of pastel colors does not primarily favor a detailed and precise mode of presentation.
One learns best to use pastel colors by doing and trying different ways of using them. One can become a skilled pastel user by being so-called self-taught. But for example, adult education centers and art schools offer good and popular pastel painting courses.
Fixing Pastels
Completing a pastel work practically always requires the use of a fixative. Fixative is used to attach the pastel color to the painting surface. Thus, fixative prevents the pastel color from detaching from the painting surface. Also, when drawing in layers, intermediate fixative is sprayed between color layers. When talking about the use of fixative, the term fixing is generally used.
When fixing an image, the image gets wet due to the effect of the fixative. Wetting causes a transparency effect that darkens the image. To avoid darkening of the image and otherwise avoid the effects of fixative on the color, fixative should be used lightly.
You can learn more about fixative and its use in a previous article Use of Fixative.
It is good to keep in mind that by choosing a high-quality fixative, changes in the appearance of the work remain small.
For example, Winsor & Newton Professional Fixative is a well-known high-quality fixative. Winsor & Newton Professional Fixative is also known in Finland as "Ammattilaisen Kiinnite". Check out Winsor & Newton Professional Fixative via this link.
Also worth checking out is Degas Spectrafix Fixative, which is a casein-based fixative. The advantage of casein-based fixative is its non-toxicity. But on the other hand, casein-based fixative evaporates slower, allowing it to affect the pastel color for a longer time.
Oil Pastels
Oil pastels are a truly unique medium for creating art. Before delving into their use, it is important to understand the tools and techniques that make this medium so versatile.
Oil pastels offer a quick and easy way to start making art. You don't need complex tools, solvents, or brushes. With oil pastels, you really don't need much other than the pastels and a drawing surface, such as a canvas or paper. Although solvents, brushes, and other tools can certainly be used with oil pastels, it is not necessary for getting started.
Importance of Quality – "Student Quality" vs. "Artist Quality"
The quality of the oil pastels you choose is very important, especially for beginners. The biggest problem beginners often encounter is that low-quality oil pastels often resemble children's wax crayons. The reason for this is the low amount of pigment in low-quality oil pastels. This can discourage beginners, who often move on to other media and never truly discover what a fine medium oil pastels can be. It is important to be aware of the differences between "student quality" and "artist quality". This difference can be a decisive factor in whether you continue using oil pastels or not.
It is strongly recommended to start with the highest quality oil pastels, and artist-quality tools should generally always be used so that poor tools do not affect the success of the work and the enjoyment of making art. Many artists have initially been disappointed with oil pastels due to using cheaper quality, but have later found them to be a capable medium when using better quality.
If you do not want to acquire a large set of artist-quality oil pastels right away, the next best option is to buy a few individual artist-quality oil pastel sticks. You can also try mixing different brands in your work, and this also helps to compare artist and student quality as well as the differences between brands.
For example, Caran d'Ache Neopastel oil pastels are an excellent choice. They are soft, rich, and more vibrant in color, and they blend together more easily. Caran d'Ache Neopastel oil pastels are also available individually. For trying out, a custom set of six individual pastels is recommended, containing the main colors plus black and white (blue, red, yellow, green, white, and black).
Using Oil Pastels and Techniques
Although oil pastels can be considered a "drawing tool," they can still be messy. It is good to keep paper towels or an old rag or cloth with you. This is useful not only for wiping yourself but also for cleaning the oil pastel sticks.
Keeping the sticks clean is important, especially when layering and blending with other colors. The sticks can collect other colors, which can be a problem when you use the stick later and there is still color from another color on it.
Getting used to using oil pastels requires practice. The way you would expect colored pencils, oil paints, or soft pastels to work is not necessarily the same with oil pastels. Most beginners learn the techniques quite quickly, but initially, it requires practice and getting used to how the medium works. However, it is important to remember that there is no single right way to use oil pastels or to make art in general, but this article presents a working basic way to get off to a good start. By trying different ways and techniques, you will find the way that works best for you.
Oil pastels generally blend very well. Better quality brands usually blend better than lower quality ones. For blending, you can try your fingers or blending stumps, for example. Each blending technique produces different results. For this reason, it is good to try different ways.
With oil pastels, you can get started and make the work look good quite quickly. Colors can be layered easily and in just a few minutes you usually see where your work is heading. Although oil pastels cannot really be erased, you can try scraping them off or you can try applying new layers. Quality plays a role here too, and it is worth remembering to make experiments and sketches. Often experiments and sketches may eventually turn into artworks.
Suitable Paper and Surfaces
Oil pastels work on many different papers and surfaces. Generally speaking, it is worth using paper that has some texture, as it helps the paper to pick up the oil pastel color as you draw. Smooth paper, on the other hand, is not the best, as a smooth surface somewhat repels the oil pastel.
Various pastel papers are recommended for achieving the best results. Colored Canson Mi-Teintes earth tones is a good paper to start with. Thinner paper, such as sketch pad paper, can quickly get stained through by the oil. Also Pastelmat papers pick up color well and are high-quality thick paper that withstands oil pastel. Both Pastelmat and Canson are available in paper colored in different shades. Here you can see Canson Mi-Teintes grey shades. Needless to say, under the paper you also need a good hard or why not softer surface that you like, which is allowed to get a bit messy and supports the pair. You can put a piece of cardboard under the paper, for example, or use a drawing board.
Finishing and Framing
Once you have completed an oil pastel work that you want to hang or sell, you might consider using a fixative. However, some oil pastel artists oppose it, as fixative affects the color. As a beginner, it is good to try what works for you.
Sennelier manufactures oil pastel fixative and it can of course be used for all oil pastels. However, never use a fixative intended only for "pastels" or other drawing tools, as oil pastels contain oil and require a fixative specifically suitable for oil pastels.
Regarding framing, the most important thing to know is that oil pastels must not be framed right against the glass. They might smudge onto the glass and they need space to "breathe" under the glass or similar surface. Many oil pastel artists leave the glass out entirely, just like in oil paintings, but glass supports and protects the work, so using glass is worth considering. Framing work is best left to a professional, and in a framing shop, cutting the glass and attaching it correctly to the oil pastel work is also easily done.
Shopping List for the Oil Pastel Beginner:
- Caran d'Ache Oil Pastel Set or individual oil pastels in main colors plus black and white
- Pastelmat pastel paper
- Paper towels
- Sennelier Oil Pastel Fixative
Itäisenkadun Taidetarvike is happy to advise on the use and selection of pastels
Welcome to Itäisenkadun Taidetarvike to explore our selection of pastels and supplies. We are happy to advise on the use of pastels and the selection of materials. You can find us in Turku at Itäinen Pitkäkatu 31 (the corner house at Kaskenkatu).