Pastel

Pastel is pure pigment, the same pigment used in making all fine art paints. All top quality pastel brands are permanent when applied to conservation ground and properly framed. Pastel that has not been sprayed with fixative contains no liquid binder that may cause other media to darken, yellow, crack or blister with time. Pastels from the 16th century exist today as fresh as the day they were painted.

Media

Pastel crayons or sticks, which resemble chalk, consist of pure pigment combined with an inert binder, such as gum arabic, gum tragacanth, or methyl cellulose. They are available in varying degrees of hardness, the softer varieties being wrapped in paper. The colors are simply drawn onto the artwork surface, usually paper.

Related Topics:
Chalk - Pigment - Inert - Gum arabic - Gum tragacanth - Methyl cellulose

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The available pastel media can be subdivided as follows:

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• Hard pastels — These have a higher portion of binder and less pigment, producing a sharp drawing material that is useful for fine details. These can be used with other pastels for drawing outlines and adding accents. However the colors are less brilliant than with, say, soft pastels.
• Oil pastels — These have a soft, buttery consistency and intense colors. They are slightly more difficult to blend than soft pastels, but do not require a fixative.
• Pastel pencils — These are pencils with a pastel lead. They are useful for adding fine details.
• Soft pastels — This is the most widely used form of pastel. The sticks have a higher portion of pigment and less binder, resulting in brighter colors. The drawing can be readily smudged and blended, but it results in a higher proportion of dust. Drawings made with soft pastels require a fixitive to prevent smudging.
• Water-soluble pastels — These are similar to soft pastels, but contain a water-soluble component. This allows the colors to be thinned out using a water wash.

Some artists protect their finished pieces by spraying them with a fixative. In all cases, the pastel drawing or painting must be framed under glass to further protect it from smudging, environmental hazards, humidity, and so on. Drawings in a book of art paper can be protected by separating the pages using laid paper.

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Pastels can be applied on a surface with some tooth (usually consisting of finely ground pumice or marble dust) which holds the pastel color in place. This avoids or minimizes the need for applying fixative which tends to darken and dull colors.

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