Artist's Pastel Top Picks
Monday October 8, 2007
Because we associate them with the crayons we used as kids, pastels are often thought to be an 'easy' medium and are sometimes the first colored medium that people try. However they can take a bit of time and effort to master. If you're thinking about trying pastel drawing, you might like to check out this selection of my favorite artist's pastels. I've included hard pastels, soft pastels, pastel pencils and a couple of the better student quality brands. I've noted a little about the different qualities of each one. Choosing the right ones for you depends on what you want to achieve and your working style. Its a good idea to try a small selection of various types first - and most are available in small sets or loose stock - before committing to the big boxed set with hundreds of colors. Our Painting guide Marion Boddy-Evans has also created a list of her favorite brands.
Comments
You say you havent tried Prismacolor NuPastels yet…you should! They out perform all others I have tried! They have a beautifully creamy appearence without all of the mess!
see mine at artwanted.com/georgiagirl
Your choices are poor for pastels. You obviously don’t know much about them.
Paula, I’m certainly no expert on pastels, and tend to use them for sketching painting ideas rather than finished art.
As I said, I find the Polychromos and Caran d’Ache good to use and like their colours, and also like the Senneliers. I’ve used Art Spectrum quite a bit.
I’ve tried to include a range of prices – Van Gogh and Reeves are obviously not the greatest but are priced accordingly, so may be a suitable choice for some readers.
I’d welcome suggestions from more experienced pastellists – what are your preferred brands, and why?
best
Helen