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Artists Pastels
Thinking about trying artist pastels? That’s great! You definitely should. Learning a new media can enhance your creativity and open your mind to new artistic possibilities. In order to make the best decision about what artist pastel would be best to begin your pastel art supply make sure to read a little bit below about the different kinds of pastels that are available to you.
Soft pastels (pastel chalks): Soft pastels are the most common pastels available on the market. This variety of pastel is made almost entirely from pure pigment. Soft pastels or pastel chalks have the least amount of binder in them in order to hold the stick together and to transfer the color onto the work surface.
The consistency and feel of soft pastels vary greatly from very dry and hard, to soft and creamy. Many pastel artists have a variety of pastel in their pastel art supplies. The reason for this is, that harder pastels are best suited for creating the underpainted, initial layers of a pastel painting. The pastels with a softer consistency are best for layering on the top because they adhere to almost any surface.
Pastel chalks come in two major shapes, full sticks and half sticks. Half sticks are shorter and fatter and full sticks are generally longer and thinner. Some pastels even come in square sticks for artists who like having the edges to create fine detail.
Watersoluble pastels: These pastels are a more recent addition to the selection of pastel art supplies that are available to the public. These pastels are essentially a soft pastel that is bound with a watersoluble binder. This allows the artist to blend colors with a wet paintbrush.
Oil pastels: Oil pastels are created from ground pigment with oil as the binder. Oil pastels have the same variation in textures that soft pastels do. Some oil pastels are a little smoother than others, some tacky, and some are stiffer. Oil pastels can be blended and thinned with brushes that are wet with mineral spirits or thinners. Oil pastels are a great tool for artists to work out painting ideas in their heads before diving into a canvas.
Hopefully this information will be of some help to you in making your decision about a pastel art supply that will be best for you.
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