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What are they?

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Artists have used pastels since the 16th century. At that point, pastels were made from pigment, a neutral filler, and some sort of binder. They were often used in place of paint because of their ability to blend easily, maintain vibrant color, be carried conveniently, and be purchased affordably. Look at the following artworks. Do they look like drawings or paintings? What kinds of details do you see? How do you think the pastel medium differs from other types of drawing media?

Click on the images to enlarge them and learn more.

dancer-in-her-dressing-room
dancer-in-her-dressing-room

Dancer in Her Dressing Room by Edgar Degas, 1879
Degas created many artworks with pastels. He was very adept at creating details and often allowed the natural texture they created to show through (e.g., in the background, floor, and skirt of this work). But he was also very skilled in his blending. Look at the smoothness of the dancer's skin and the delicate highlights in her hair. These details make this artwork seem more like a painting than a drawing.

portrait-of-king-louis-xv-1748
portrait-of-king-louis-xv-1748

Portrait of King Louis XV by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1748
This artwork is a great example of the flexibility of pastels. There are several different textures present, and they are all rendered realistically. The velvet and fur look soft and luxurious while the metal looks hard and shiny. The amount of detail created is impressive too. The artist created the fleur-de-lis pattern on the cape and the intricate design on the medal around the king’s neck. While it takes a great deal of patience and time to create details like this, it is possible with pastels.

the-porte-d-amont-etretat-1849
the-porte-d-amont-etretat-1849

The Porte d'Amont, Etretat by Eugene Delacroix, 1849
This artwork is a wonderful example of the portability of pastels. They can be taken anywhere, much like graphite pencils and colored pencils, and used with minimal extra tools. They lay down pigment smoothly and quickly to cover large areas, but they can also be used to create small details. Pastels also layer well; it is possible to put light colors on top of dark colors and vice versa.

Pastels are sometimes called chalk pastels because of their resemblance to the chalk often used on blackboards and sidewalks, but there isn't any chalk used in their composition. Pastels today are made from essentially the same ingredients they were made from originally. The binders used are typically some sort of gum, clay, or starch. Like colored pencils, pastels are available in different classes. Artist-grade pastels have more pigment and less binder, and the pigment is higher quality and less prone to fading.

Pastels also come in a variety of forms. Can you think of different ones? Click through each section below to learn about the different forms that pastels can take.

Soft pastels are made with more pigment and less binder. These are typically the type that come to mind when talking about pastels. They blend and lay down large amounts of color easily, but they can be difficult to work with when it comes to hard lines and details.

Hard pastels consist of more binder and less pigment. It is easier to create hard lines and details with hard pastels, but they do not lay down large areas of color smoothly, and their colors are not as vibrant. They also do not blend as easily as soft pastels

Pastel pencils are simply hard pastels that are enclosed in wood pencils. These can be sharpened to a fine point and are best used for small details. Again, these do not blend as easily as soft pastels.

Oil pastels are made up of pigment mixed with oil and wax. They do not behave like other pastels, so they will be discussed in another lesson.

Artists who work with pastels call their artwork "paintings" because of the painterly effects that can be derived from the medium. Pastels can be layered and blended, and they can also be used to create fine details, just like oil or acrylic paint.

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Sketch

Take a moment and create a test page in your sketchbook to explore the way your pastels work. Try layering colors on top of one another. Do they immediately mix? Does one color stay vibrant on top of another? Try them out on different kinds of paper. How do pastels act on smooth paper versus textured paper? What can you use to blend them? Are you able to create fine details? Work with them until you feel that you have a proficient grasp of how this new medium acts.