Pastel art is a versatile, vibrant, and immediate medium consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder, allowing artists to paint directly with color sticks. It is known for its powdery, soft, or intense, oily, texture, used for centuries to create vivid, light-fast works. Popular on textured paper, pastels are blended with fingers or tools, offering a unique, direct expression.
Key Aspects of Pastel Art
- Types of Pastels: The medium includes soft pastels (high pigment, chalky), hard pastels, pastel pencils (for detail), and oil pastels (creamy, wax-based).
- Techniques: Artists blend with fingers, soft cloths, or tools like tortillons. Common methods include layering, where lighter colors are added over darker ones, and wet-on-dry, where soft pastels are mixed with water.
- Surface: A "tooth" or texture on paper is required to hold the pigment. Common surfaces include pastel paper, watercolor paper, or special boards.
- Fixative: Because of their loose, powdery nature, finished, soft-pastel artworks often require a spray fixative to prevent smudging, and they must be framed behind glass.
- Versatility: Pastels are ideal for sketching or fully rendered paintings because they are portable and require no drying time, brushes, or solvents (except for oil pastels).
Originating in the 15th century and favored by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, pastels remain a popular choice for artists seeking rich, direct color application.