Pastels
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Artists can utilize multiple mediums or drawing supplies to create their pieces, whether it’s through the use of paints, pencils or anything in between. A popular type of medium artists leverage to create vibrant pieces include pastels. Unlike the term used to describe the color, pastels are deeply pigmented materials that create a smooth, velvety texture in works of art. They are easy to blend and can have a high level of luminosity, which can give pieces a more life-like appearance.
Pastels are perfect for both beginners and seasoned artists, but it’s important to know the types of pastels available and what to look for when purchasing them. Read on to learn how to buy pastels and more.
What Types of Pastels Can You Buy?
There are different types of pastels for sale on the market and each have their own uses. Because of this, it is important to understand the differences between each one as they can vary greatly.
Chalk
This type of pastel has a high concentration of pigment and little binding, giving it a crumbly texture similar to sidewalk chalk. Chalk pastels can either be soft or hard, and are often used together.
- Soft: Soft pastels are the most common and delicate type of pastel. They offer the brightest colors and are great for blending or layering colors.
- Hard: While similar to soft, hard pastels are less likely to break apart, but they are also less vivid. They are ideal for creating solid lines and more detailed work.
Both types of chalk pastels are highly blendable and easy to work with either separately or together.
Oil
Oil pastels are waxy, and have a similar consistency to crayons. This makes them more durable than chalk pastels while still providing intense color. Because they have a harder texture than chalk pastels, this type is more difficult to blend and cannot create as much detail. Additionally, because of the texture, pieces created with oil pastels never completely dry, so they must be handled carefully to avoid unintended smudging.
What Brands of Pastels Can You Buy?
Pastels manufactured by a variety of popular brands are available for purchase at Staples. Top pastel brands include Caran d’Ache pastels, Prismacolor pastels, Rembrandt pastels, and Van Gogh pastels.
What Should You Look For When You Buy Pastels?
There are a few key things to keep in mind when you want to buy pastels:
- Quantity: Pastels are available in a wide range of quantities. Customers can purchase sets of less than ten all the way up to packs of hundreds. Some sets have a rainbow of colors which work perfectly for individual artists, while others have multiples of basic colors for larger groups.
- Quality: Along with the quantity, the quality of pastels also differs depending on what is suitable to the audiences that will use them. Student quality pastels typically have less intense pigments and more limited blending ability. They are also more budget-friendly and can be bought in bulk. The artist pastels for sale, on the other hand, are high-quality, brighter and offer greater usability, oftentimes at a higher price.
- Ingredients: When considering ingredients, it is important to look for products that are non-toxic and acid-free. This is especially critical when it comes to chalk pastels since they can create inhalable dust. It can also be helpful to purchase water-soluble products if you want to try out watercolor-like techniques.
Which Pastels Are the Best for Beginners?
Soft chalk pastels are best for beginners and kids because they are affordable and easy to work with. Getting a set of chalk pastels is a great value because they help new artists explore the many color options at a lower cost and give them the opportunity to learn how to blend them together. That said, most pastels are not clothing friendly, so make sure to wear a smock.