Pastel Drawing and Painting

Pastel seems to be one of those love/hate mediums - you love it, or you hate it... or maybe sometimes both. I haven't decided yet. I love the immediacy of color and the brilliance and purity of a good quality pastel, but I also hate the mess and dust. Inferior pastels can be frustratingly chalky, and getting the right paper can be a headache. You need enough tooth to hold plenty of pastel, but then too much makes it hard to achieve detail.... arrrgh!!! Here's some pastel drawing resources. We have a few pastel drawings in the gallery, too.