Soft pastels are colored drawing sticks that resemble crayons in appearance and contain a pigment as well as a binding agent to keep the pastel together. The binding agent in soft pastels is minimal, allowing them to be blended or smeared on a drawing. Soft pastel drawings do not hold up well unless they are then covered with a fixing agent or fixative.
Pastel colors come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Hard pastels have a higher amount of binding agent, which makes them less blendable. When an artist wants to render fine details, they are frequently used in conjunction with soft pastels. Oil pastels have a soft, waxy feel to them. Because you don’t have to apply a fixative to the finished product, these are commonly used in children’s artwork. They’re popular with kids because they’re easy to smear or blend colors with, and they come in a variety of colors. After using oil pastels, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands to avoid getting the oil on your walls or furniture surfaces.
Leonardo Da Vinci was the first to discuss the use of pastels in art, and it is thought that some early pastel art did not survive. Soft pastels and hard pastels must be used on acid-free paper or canvas to work properly and last. For soft pastel drawings, there are special papers and canvases available. Pastel paints, which are known for their vibrant colors, have been used to create some amazing works. Sleepy Baby, by Mary Cassat, is a lovely example of soft pastel work from 1910.
Edgar Degas was well-known for his pastel paintings. It’s worth noting that Degas and Cassat were both chastised for using too bright colors in their work due to their use of soft and hard pastels. Rosalba Carriera, Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin, and Maurice Quentin de la Tour were early pastelists in the 18th century (Degas and Cassat were 19th and early 20th century artists). Soft pastels were also a favorite medium of James McNeill Whistler.
Pastel is made by a variety of companies, some of which are quite expensive for professional artists. If you want to experiment with soft pastels, you can buy amateur or “student grade” soft pastels. Soft pastels for students are slightly more expensive than wax crayons, costing around 3-4 USD for a set of 12, and about 5-6 USD for a set of 32-36. Artist quality soft pastels are a little more expensive, ranging between $20 and $100 for a full set.