Soft pastels & oil pastels

Soft pastels
History –

Pastels have been used by artists since the Renaissance, and gained considerable popularity
in the 18th century, when a number of notable artists made pastel their primary medium.
This medium is said to be practiced during the 15th and 16th century but the true origin is
considered to be in the 18th century.

Introduction –

A pastel is an art medium in a form of a stick consisting of powdered pigments and a binder.
Pastel sticks or crayons consist of powdered pigment combined with a binder. The exact
composition and characteristics of an individual pastel stick depend on the type of pastel
and the type and amount of binder used. It also varies by individual manufacturer.
Soft pastels are the purest form of color similar as water color in painting. It gives a matt
look to the drawing. Dry pastels have historically used binders such as gum Arabici and gum
tragacanthii. Methyl cellulose was introduced as a binder in the twentieth century. Often
a chalk or gypsum component is present. It is manufactured by mixing pure pigments with
gum water for tints and then compounded with opaque white base or filler. If the finished
drawing is framed under the glass and then it is taken a good care, then the brilliance of the
drawing remains fresh as the day of the painting. Some 1750s works are still fresh to up to
date due to good care.
Structure –

Soft pastels come in different grades; hard, medium and soft. Its shape ranges from round and
square sticks to wood encased pencils and pan pastels. The soft pastels cannot be mixed on a palette
and for this reason many artists use an extensive range of colors. The minimum range of shades for
limited purpose is about 552 shades for a French brand.

Supports –

For common use, a well sized 100% rag (handmade) papers can be used. Laid paper (e.g. Ingres,
Canson Mi Teintes). Abrasive supports (e.g. with a surface of finely ground pumice, marble
dust, or rottenstone). Velour paper (e.g. Hannemühle Pastellpapier Velour) suitable for use
with soft pastels is a composite of synthetic fibers attached to acid-free backing.

Others –

Fibrous rag is unsized handmade papers which can be toned with particular shade of watercolor,
tempera, acrylic, light fast inks. There are ready-mades available as well ranging from cream to
ochre, brown, blue, green, grey. For soft pastels, neutralized toning papers or using toned papers
are good as they act as middle tone or network between warm and cool tones while drawing.

By Prabodh Chitrakar
 Soft pastels & oil pastels

- Granular papers - Granular papers can be made by spraying pumice or marble dust on wet acrylic
medium or cellulose paste coated paper. Ready-made fine sand papers are toned with thin acrylic or
gouache.

- Velour (flocked) papers -Velour paper can be defined as the paper in which the dust of powdered
cloth is coated on the paper. Velour holds pastel well and is very appropriate for soft edge work due
to the nature of the longer fibered surface. It gives a rich velvety look.

Techniques –

Pastel techniques can be challenging since the medium is mixed and blended directly on the
working surface, and unlike paint, colors cannot be tested on a palette before applying to
the surface. Pastel errors cannot be covered the way a paint error can be painted out.
Experimentation with the pastel medium on a small scale in order to learn various
techniques gives the user a better command over a larger composition. Some techniques
are characteristic of pastels and sketching mediums such as charcoal and lead, for
example, hatching and crosshatching, and gradation.

Cross hatching (line) -We can use cross hatching line technique for soft pastel using 2 to 4
different colors. We can use the technique of rubbing the colors with our fingers as well.
Also, we can use plain ground technique and blending after the hatching technique.

Overlaying (broad strokes)-Overlaying can be done by using broad strokes on rubbed

ground and non- rubbed ground. Multi-layers using workable fixative

Direct drawing method (thick line and strokes)- For direct drawing method, we use thick
line ad thick strokes. Granular papers are suitable with no rubbing or blending. It is better to
choose a set off more shade rage.

Preserving - Fixatives Fixative is a clear liquid made with polyvinyl acetate resin (pva). It is
usually made by applying or spraying the binding resin onto the finished artwork to stabilize
the pigment and to preserve finished artwork. The drawback of using fixative is that its color
changes even if it is sprayed from backside.

Frames - The soft pastel drawing can be framed under glass with proper mould guarding. To
preserve and protect the drawing, layering inside the frame can be done. The process
includes glass, thick mount, artwork, mould proof card board sheet, waxed sheet and
backing board.

Oil pastels
Introduction-

Oil pastel is manufactured by using the mixture of different pigments, hydrocarbon waxes
and animal fat. It is more flexible than wax crayons and gives intense buttery look to the
drawing. It does not tend to smudge so it is a bit difficult to blend. Also, it is not ideal for

By Prabodh Chitrakar
 Soft pastels & oil pastels

small scale and detailed works. Its manipulating factors are turpentine, white spirit and
heat.

Techniques –

For Oil pastels, techniques listed below can be used:

• Overlaying

• Overlaying and burnishing

• Cross hatching

• Crosshatching and burnishing

• Flat toning and scraping off overlayer

• Blending and spreading with diluents

• As wax resist with watercolors/ acrylics

• Recently oil sticks are available as well. They are considered as both drawing and painting
mediums. It gives the freedom of directness as in pastel and is compatible with oil painting
mediums and solvents to manipulate with brush or knife as pure oil painting.

i
Gum Arabic-Gum arabic, also known as gum sudani, acacia gum, Arabic gum, gum acacia, acacia, Senegal
gum, Indian gum, and by other names, is a natural gum originally consisting of the hardened sap of two species
of the Acacia sensu lato tree, Senegalia senegal and Vachellia seyal. The term "gum arabic" does not legally
indicate a particular botanical source, however. The gum is harvested commercially from wild trees, mostly
in Sudan (80%) and throughout the Sahel, from Senegal to Somalia. The name "gum Arabic" (al-samgh al-
'arabi) was used in the Middle East at least as early as the 9th century. Gum arabic first found its way to
Europe via Arabic ports, so retained its name.
ii
Gum Tragacanth- Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle
Eastern legumes of the genus Astragalus, including A. adscendens, A. gummifer, A. brachycalyx, and A.
tragacantha. Some of these species are known collectively under the common names "goat's thorn" and
"locoweed". The gum is sometimes called Shiraz gum, Shiraz, gum elect or gum dragon. The name derives from
the Greek words tragos (meaning "goat") and akantha ("thorn"). Iran is the biggest producer of this gum.

By Prabodh Chitrakar