Oil Pastels - Supply List Paint in Pastel – Supply List

Paint in Pastel – Supply List
The Fine Line Creative Arts Center
Oil Pastels - Supply List
Class: Paint in Pastel
Instructor: Carol Zack – [email protected] – 847/302-0371
Website: http://www.zackartistry.com
Blog: http://zackartistry.blogspot.com
Session: Year: Winter/Spring 2013 (please call or email if you have any concerns)
Congratulations! Signing up for a pastel class will be full of many enjoyable and expressive
experiences. This supply list is designed for using oil pastels, which are greasy and oily rather than
dusty. They are very blendable and light colors will go over dark colors well.
If you are just getting started, this list will help you make the choice and minimize the cost. The
quality of application, or how the art material goes onto the surface, is important to learning specific
techniques. Art materials are calibrated differently for different uses. Some oil pastels are
manufactured to be hard, crumble, and fade quickly. Others are made to be extra oily, sheer, and
apply will allow for light colors to be applied over dark colors and won’t fade easily.
Come to class prepared to work on the very first day. Oil Pastel is fairly quick and easy to apply
and the results are almost immediate. When you shop in art stores or on-line art stores for oil
pastels, make sure you read the labels on the boxes very carefully to determine whether you are
buying oil pastel or dry soft pastel. The boxed sets often look exactly alike and can be confusing.
Please, If you have any questions before class starts, contact me to discuss any concerns you
might have by email [email protected] or by phone 847/302-0371. I will be happy to assist
before you buy.
Pamela Hamilton
Carol L. Zack
Examples of Oil Pastel
Page 1
Heidi Biederman
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel – Supply List
The Fine Line Creative Arts Center
1.
2. 3. Mungyo – Gallery Artists’ Soft Oil Pastels
Note: Read carefully. It can be confusing.
the boxes look alike – a set of 24 is preferred
The Preferred Brand:
 Gallery Artists’ Soft Oil Pastel
by Mungyo is drastically less
costly. This set runs about
$25.00
Compared with Sennelier or Holbein oil
pastel brands, which are the best oil
pastels on the market, this
recommended brand is an inexpensive option for achieving great
quality. This brand is a great starter
set.
The Fine Line is carrying sets of oil
pastel so check at the front desk
when you register.
Note: Most inexpensive oil pastel brands should not be used for
this technique, Other inexpensive or student brands are too
waxy and have less pigment. You will be disappointed in the
overall results and it will not be from a lack of talent, but rather
from using poor quality materials!
Jerrys Artarama Website page for these particular oil
pastels.
http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-artsupplies/pastels/oil-pastels/mungyo-gallery-oil-pastelsand-sets/mungyo-gallery-artist-soft-oil-pastel-sets.htm
4. Gel Medium
Jerry’s Artarama is the on-line art
source to find these wonderful oil
pastels.
A Preferred Brand:
In order to blend and mix oil pastel, a good gel
medium is highly recommended to build layers of
color. These two mediums come in large tubes and
glass jars. I prefer the tube version….easier to travel
with.
Carol L. Zack
Made in Korea, this oil pastel brand
appears to be artist grade and is
similar to the more expensive Holbein
and Sennelier brands, creamy lipstick
consistency, excellent coverage of light
colors over dark, but without the high
expense. Gallery Soft Oil Pastels only
has 72 colors available, but is a great
option for learning about oil pastel.
They offer smaller sets of 15 and 12,
but the larger sets of 24 or 48 and 72
will provide you with a much better
selection. Pastel artists apply the
pastel directly onto the paper, so you
will need many colors to achieve the
right color effect.
Page 2

Res-n-gel made by Weber
(cheaper and sometimes found
at Hobby Lobby and Cheap
Joes) Non – Toxic

Liquin Impasto by Windsor
Newton (smells like oil paint)
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel – Supply List
The Fine Line Creative Arts Center
5. Drawing Board
A Preferred Type:
You will need to tape your paper or canvas sheet to a
sturdy board. Foam core and masonite can be used. I
use more than one foamcore board to have more than
one painting going at a time. Board should be about 2”
bigger than the paper surface you plan to paint on.

Foam Core - A few white foam
core boards are great to use and
very light weight. Can be
purchased at Hobby Lobby,
Michaels and Dick Blick.
The class room has banquet tables to work on, chairs and
a few easels for standing and a few table easels for sitting
that can be used during class time.
I encourage the use of an easel when ever possible to
stand and paint if you are able.

Gator Foam Board – this board
has a laminate surface with a
foam interior. Will last longer and
more expensive.
6. Painting Surfaces
Preferred Types of Surfaces:
3 to 5 pieces of paper or mat board of various sizes. Start
with medium size papers or boards, approximately 18
x24. Choose the size you would like to paint on.
Remember the oil pastels are not as small as a pencil so
work larger than what you would use if you were using a
pencil.
Oil Pastels generally work best on surfaces that have the
appearance of feeling smooth, but are also absorbent and
have a very modest tooth.
Papers with a heavy texture or tooth only “eat” up your oil
pastels. If you want to use primed or gessoed canvas
sheets, ensure that the texture is not too rough.
Note: Good papers that are acid free or archival are
recommended.
7. Masking Tape
A roll of 1” neutral or white colored masking tape.
(Do not use blue masking tape, It adversely affects the
colors you use.)
8. Blending and Smudging Tools
Oil Pastels work great when you can blend and smudge
the colors into each other. I recommend any or all of the
blending tools listed to the right.
9.Scraping Tools
Razor blades or any instrument you can use for scraping
the oil pastel for spontaneous and calculated effects.
Carol L. Zack
Page 3

Toned Pastel papers

Pastel board

Mat board – acid free smooth

Heavy Bond Drawing Papers

Arches Printing Papers

Reeves BFK papers

Canson Mi-Teintes Toned
Note: Almost any paper will work with
oil pastels, so just pick what you think
you would like to work with.
Preferred Type:
 A roll of Neutral or white masking
tape about 1” wide
Preferred Type:
 Rubber Tipped Blenders called
Colour Shapers (expensive)
 A white vinyl eraser
(inexpensive)
 Strong Paper towels – Bounty or
Viva work well or blue paper
towels from Ace Hardware.
Preferred Type:
 Razor blades or any instrument
you can use for scraping
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel – Supply List
The Fine Line Creative Arts Center
10. Plastic Banquet Tablecloth
You will need a piece of banquet table sized plastic to cover the
classroom table you use. You must also be extremely careful
not to drop or leave any oil pastel on the floor. Always check
the floor around you when cleaning up.
Preferred Type:
 Plastic tablecloth for a
picnic table or banquet
table size


Large garbage Bag
Plastic Paint drop cloth
Preferred Type:
11.Cleanup
 Wet Ones
 Baby Oil
Toxic Solvents, like turpentine or mineral spirits are not
 Soap and Water
needed. At the end of class, the items listed in the right column
 Plastic Gloves
work well to remove the oil pastel from your hands, easels and
table . I prefer “Wet Ones”. They are mild on your hands and
help to remove the oil from under your fingernails. I buy the
travel size at Target in the pharmacy section in the travel bins.
As long as your skin is not sensitive to the alcohol in them, they
are the best and quickest for cleaning up.
Nice to Have items:
12. Your Photographs and your digital camera
Search your photo albums for landscapes, portraits and still life images. Bring them to class for
reference. I love taking photos with my digital camera of my surroundings, places that are part of
my everyday life along with vacation shots. I really want the photos to be ones that you have
taken, not other artist’s work or photos by other people, or even magazine photos. Try to bring
your own images to class.
13. Surgical Rubber Gloves
For those who have nice manicures, this is nice to have if you are not allergic to the Latex.
14. Glassine Paper
Like Wax paper. Use to protect and store your paintings and to keep the oil pastel from sticking or
rubbing onto another surface before you frame it. It’s great to tape it to your work to protect it to
and from class and laying protected in your portfolio. (news print can be used but the oil is likely to
bleed into the newsprint when it is laid on top.
15. A Portfolio
Great carrying case and storage for your paper and paintings. Keeps your paper protected and
flat. I use an inexpensive plastic one with a zipper and it gets my work back and forth to class
safely.
16. Carry All
A carrying tote to hold all your supplies. Many of us enjoy various styles of totes on wheels so we
can get to the car and across the parking lot and back to home and the classroom. A shoulder tote
can work well too. Also, as we determine that we need additional pastels, many of us find assorted
plastic carrying cases to hold sets of colors. The cardboard boxes eventually wear out.
Carol L. Zack
Page 4
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel – Supply List
The Fine Line Creative Arts Center
17. Outside Painting Table or Easel
When painting outside at The Fine Line, you may take the metal lightweight easels out to work on,
but you will also need a small table to set your pastels on. Also, consider bringing a lightweight
cooling bag with ice to keep oil pastel cool during hot summer days.
18. The Oil Pastel Society Newsletter www.oilpastelsociety.com
An on-line organization that you may want to join because you’ve gotten hooked on the medium
and want to learn more!!!
19. The Yellow House Artists www.yellowhouseartists.com
Ask me about this great group of artists who work and live in the Fox Valley area and exhibit their
oil pastels a few times a year. It’s Fun!
Nice to Know:
Holbein is a Japanese company based in Osaka, Japan. Formed at the turn of the century, it
took the name of the European artist Hans Holbein the Younger in the 1930s. Holbein has
become a supplier for artists around the world, including many in Southeast Asia, Australia,
South Africa, and Europe. HK Holbein of Burlington, Vermont, introduced Holbein color lines to
the American market. Holbein is a member of the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI), a
world leader in toxicological services to the makers of Artist Materials. One of the world's
largest manufacturers of professional art materials, Holbein is dedicated to excellence,
believing that there is no substitute for quality.
In 1949, Parisian painter Henri Goetz approached Henri Sennelier, the famous artist materials
manufacturer, about creating a wax color stick for his friend Pablo Picasso. Picasso, a long-time
Sennelier customer and a frequent visitor to their store across the street from the Louvre
museum, was looking for a medium that could be used freely on a variety of surfaces without
fading or cracking.Their collaboration produced the incomparable Sennelier oil pastels. Originally
available in a palette of classic hues, the color selection was expanded with the addition of
metallic and iridescent hues.
Carol L. Zack
Page 5
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel (soft pastel option)
The Fine Line Creative Art Center
Dry Soft Pastel Option - Supply List
(provide the enrolled student with one of two supply lists for this class)
Class: Paint in Pastel
Instructor: Carol Zack – [email protected] – 847/302-0371
Blog: http://zackartistry.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.zackartistry.com
Session: Year: 2012 (please call or email if you have any concerns)
Congratulations! Signing up for a pastel class will be full of many enjoyable and expressive experiences.
Please review the list below. This supply list is designed for using dry soft pastels. If you would prefer to use
oil pastels instead, request the oil pastel supply list from the registration desk or contact Carol Zack at
[email protected] to get the applicable list based on your selection. Either type of pastel is acceptable for
this class. You just need to choose one type, dry/soft or oil before you come to the first day of class.
If you are just getting started, this list will help you make the right materials choice and minimize the cost. I have
selected the best materials to give you the highest level of success. Artists who work in pastel only work with
professional or artist grade materials, because they are manufactured and calibrated to ensure the highest
standard of color pigmentation and resist fading. The quality of application, or how the art material goes on, is also
a big factor between professional/artists grade and student grade and clearly separates the good materials from
the bad materials. Even a beginning student should purchase professional/artist grade quality materials to ensure
the specific techniques that are taught in the class can be accomplished. Student grade materials will never allow
for the creative flexibility and will be frustrating to work with, so they are never recommended for this class.
Come to class prepared to work on the very first day. Soft Pastels are fairly quick and easy to apply and the
results are almost immediate. When you shop in art stores or on-line art stores for soft pastels, make sure you
read the labels on the boxes very carefully to determine whether you are buying oil pastel or soft pastel. The
boxed sets often look exactly alike and can be confusing as they are often together on the same shelf. Soft
pastels come in a variety of softness….from hard compressed to crumbly soft. Medium to soft are recommended.
Please, If you have any questions before class starts, contact me to discuss any concerns you might have by email
[email protected] or by phone 847/302-0371. I will be happy to assist before you buy.
Examples of Soft Pastel
Bernie Bosch
Carol L. Zack
Laura Peppers
Page 1
Carol Zack
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel (soft pastel option)
The Fine Line Creative Art Center
Soft Pastel, first of all, are very dusty and crumble easily. The professional artist quality sticks are very soft and
are extremely rich and colorful. The sticks apply heavily to the paper and give wonderful coverage. You will need to
prepare your working area to minimize the dust. To do that, I will provide some guidance when you get to class
that you must adhere to. In the mean time go to the art store, or on-line and search for the type of pastels you
would like to work with. (see stores and online resources below) Dick Blick, Jerry’s Artarama are two good
resources
There is a difference between pastel and chalk. Many pastel manufacturers pride themselves on making sticks that
are “pure pigment” or very close to it, so referring to these products as chalks would be a misnomer. Colored chalk
is made by adding a liquid colorant to white chalk (calcium carbonate) The fact that the method of application and
feel of pastels is akin to colored chalk certainly contributes to the confusion. You don’t want chalk, but rather soft
pastel sticks that come in boxed sets or can be purchased individually at art stores or on line art stores. You want
professional/artist grade soft pastels, not student grade. Student grade quality will often fade quickly, and will
not be as dense in pigment as professional quality. The quality of application is critical with soft pastel. You will be
expected to apply several layers of pastel and student grade materials will not enable you to create the many
required layers to complete the pastel painting.
There are a lot of varieties and qualities to choose from. I like a variety of both very soft and hard types in as wide
a variety of colors as possible. Some pastels also come in pencils, which are nice to have but should not be used
exclusively. Unlike oil or acrylic paints, mixing colors is limited in pastel, so the more colors you have to work with
the better.
You will need a minimum of 15 colors of your choice, but buy a good variety, and as many as you feel you can
afford. Reds, Yellows, Blues, Greens, Whites and Blacks. There seems to be many more colors in soft pastels
than oil pastels to choose from.
Art stores sell student grade mostly, but some stores also sell professional grade pastel sticks by the set and by
the stick. These are the type of oil pastels you will want to use. They run about $3.56/stick. Anything less costly
i.e. in the 50 cent/stick range will give you problems, because they have too many additives, not enough pigment
and do not transfer to the paper well.
Choose the Brand you wish to work with for this class.
1.
Rembrandt Soft Pastels are Made in Holland by Talens,
Rembrandt soft pastels provide you with 208 highly brilliant
colors. These wonderful pastels have a maximum degree of
uniform softness and light fastness. Pastels which have no hard
bits or sharp edges and blend to an infinite range. Each stick
measures 11×72 mm. Sets in cardboard or wood boxes.
Carol L. Zack
Page 2
Preferred Brand:

Hard Soft Pastels (less dust)
o Van Gogh Pastels
o Prismacolor Nupastel Sticks
(not shown)
o (Not recommended for this
class)

Medium Soft Pastels (rich
creamy, superior coverage. Light
colors will go over dark colors
easily)
Rembrandt – a box of 30 half
sticks runs about $30.00
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel (soft pastel option)
The Fine Line Creative Art Center
2. Sennelier Soft Pastels - An absolute must in any pastel artist’s
studio, Sennelier Soft Pastels have a world-wide reputation for
exceptionally pigmented colors . . . and they have the largest and
richest collection of dark colors. Made from the purest pigments
chosen for their intensity and high lightfast rating, they are
handmade and air dried for four weeks to maintain a uniform
softness.
Preferred Soft Pastel Brand:

Available in a wide range of sets
and 525 open stock colors . . .
Select Sennelier for the finest
quality soft pastels
available. Two sizes to chose
from, Standard or La Grande, a
medium size stick, roughly
equivalent to eight standard
sticks.

3 Sizes: Standard, Half Stick
and La Grande
525 incredibly intense colors
Super soft feel and texture
Larger diameter sticks
Made from purest pigments
Fabulous deep dark tones
Set of 24 sticks are about
$75.00
Often available by the stick








3. Unison Soft Pastels - Out of a frustration with the pastels
available, British artist John Hersey began making handmade
pastels. Developed to be superior in color, texture and response,
Unison Soft Pastels are unlike anything on the market today. John
Hersey worked out his unique color formulations over a decade of
experimentation, creating intense, vibrant colors, blended almost
exclusively from pure pigment and water. In his handmade
process, the pigment hardly gets pressed at all. The sticks are
rolled lightly making them very fluent when you use them.
Preferred Soft Pastel Brand:






4. Schmincke - Working with Schmincke’s finest extra-soft pastels
leads you back to the origin of color and is a real painting
experience rather than a simple drawing experience.
Preferred Soft Pastel Brand:



Carol L. Zack
Page 3
These pastels are truly a work of
art before you ever use them.
Hand-rolled with no
compression or heating
Made by hand to ensure
consistent creaminess and
reliable softness
Richly pigmented colors
About $70.00 for a box of 36
Often available by the stick
Extra Soft Pastels - They
contain only the purest medium
fine ground artists’ pigments,
which are in the highest possible
concentration. Contrastingly, the
binding agent content is kept to
a minimum, which ensures a
stable compound
Schmincke – Recommended,
about $60.00 for a set of 15
Often available by the stick
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel (soft pastel option)
The Fine Line Creative Art Center
5. Where to find good quality soft pastels
There are only a few places in the greater Chicago area who stock good professional quality pastels by the
set and by the stick. I have listed phone numbers, websites and addresses to help you locate the right kind
of materials.






Dick Blick 1 (800) 447 – 8192
1 (847) 619 – 1115 Schaumburg
1 (630)653-0569 79 Danada Square East, Wheaton, IL.
Dick Blick Website www.dickblick.com
Cheap Joes Website www.cheapjoes.com
Jerry’s Artarama www.jerrysartarama.com
Dakota Art Pastels www.dakotapastels.com 1-888-345-0067
The Art Box, a new art supply store in Geneva, IL. 514 West State St. #101 Phone 630-232-2870
http://artboxgeneva.com/
6. Turpenoid or Alcohol or Gamosol
Used to create an under-painting. You will only need a small bottle
and an old stiff 1” brush, and a small plastic container

Local Art Store or hardware
store
7. Vine Charcoal
Wonderful for creating your original drawing

Local Art Store
8. Drawing Board
You will need to tape your Pastel Paper to a sturdy board. Foam
core, Gator Board and masonite can also be used in place of a
heavy wood drawing board.
The class room has tables, chairs and
a few easels to use during class time,
but you will still need to have a drawing
board. White foam core is preferable.
9. Painting Surfaces
Almost as important as the pastels themselves are the various
surfaces or “grounds” on which they are used. There are many
kinds, permitting the pastellist a broad range to choose.
Papers come in a wide range of sizes
from 19” x 25” to sheets measuring up
to 30” x 40”. The beginner must
gradually experiment with many kinds
of paper, but remember, pastel sticks
are pretty chunky and thick, so it is not
recommended to work too small in the
beginning.
Soft Pastels generally work best on a toned, textured or gritty
surface so the pigment adheres to the surface. Pastel is seldom
used on a white ground due to the fact that the colors appear
darker when laid on, and seem to lack brilliance. On the other
hand, a tinted or toned paper
provides a background very useful in qualifying the color placed
upon it.
The preferred paper today is a paper called Wallace that has a fine
sandpaper surface that many experienced pastel painters now use
regularly.







Wallace - Recommended
Suede Mat Board
Pastelboard
Pastel Paper
Charcoal Paper
Canson Mi-Teintes Toned
papers
BFK
Note: Good papers that are acid free
and medium to heavy weight seem to
be the best for getting started.
10. Masking Tape
A roll of 1” neutral or white colored masking tape.
Carol L. Zack
Page 4
(Please Do not use Blue Masking Tape
the color of the tape will affect your
color judgment)
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel (soft pastel option)
The Fine Line Creative Art Center
11. Blending and Smudging Tools
Soft Pastel needs to be blended directly on the paper. Paper
stomps (tortillons) usually work best for this medium



12. Plastic Tablecloth
You will need a piece of banquet table sized plastic to cover the
table you use in the class room to minimize cleanup.



Large garbage Bag
Plastic Paint drop cloth
Vinyl tablecloth for a picnic table
or banquet table



Wet Ones
Soap and Water
Lots of Paper Towels!!! Bounty
or Viva seem to work the best!
If you are using soft pastel, another plastic sheet or table cloth for
the floor is also a good thing to have to protect the art classroom
floor from excessive dust.
13. Cleanup Solvent
At the end of each class period, the items listed in the right
column work well to remove the pastel from your hands. I prefer
using Wet Ones. They are mild on my hands and help to remove
the pastel from under your fingernails. Also great for cleaning
easels and grabbing the powder and dust.
Strong Paper towels – Bounty or
Viva
Latex Finger Cots – to protect
your fingers
Paper Stomps or paper
Tortillons
Nice to Have items:
14. Your Photographs and digital camera. Bring your own photos printed from your camera, 4x6 or larger.
Have your camera ready to take photos around the Fine Line and to photograph your work when you
have completed it. It is very important to make an archive record of all the work you do.
15. Surgical Rubber Gloves For those who have nice manicures, this is a nice to have or use for both Oil
Pastel and Soft Pastel, if you are not allergic to the Latex.
16. Glassine Paper
Like Wax paper. Used to protect and store your pastel paintings and to keep the pastel from sticking or
rubbing onto another surface before you frame it.
17. Fixative
Optional – Many soft pastellists choose not to use Fixative as it changes the look and color of your art. I
don’t use it and feel it is a frivolous purchase.
18. Sandpaper Block
The simple way to keep a point on difficult to sharpen drawing pencils, charcoal, pastels or crayons
19. Watercolor
Great way to mix mediums and to provide a toned ground for the pastel.
20. Razor Blades
Great for scraping into the surface to create grasses or tree branches.
21. Rice in a Plastic Tupper-wear container
Cleaning your pastels needs to be done occasionally. One way is to keep them in a plastic container with
dry rice. The rice helps to remove the outer dust and helps to capture the dust as well.
22. A Portfolio
Great carrying case and storage for your paper and paintings. Larger than 18 x 24 is good.
23. A Carry All
A carrying tote to hold all your supplies. Some of us are using carrying cases with wheels to ease the
transport to and from class. Home Goods and The Container Store are good resources.
24. Table Easel
Nice to sit at a table and still have your work positioned up right as you work. The class room has a few
easels to stand and paint.
25. Pastel Societies – The Pastel Society of American http://www.pastelsocietyofamerica.org
26. The Pastel Journal
Barnes and Noble, Borders and other book stores…also online at www.pasteljournal.com
Carol L. Zack
Page 5
9/27/2012
Paint in Pastel (soft pastel option)
The Fine Line Creative Art Center
Nice to Know:
Schmincke Soft Pastels - Working with Schmincke’s finest extra-soft pastels leads you back to the origin of
color and is a real painting experience rather than a simple drawing experience. They contain only the purest
medium fine ground artists’ pigments, which are in the highest possible concentration. Contrastingly, the binding
agent content is kept to a minimum, which ensures a stable compound. In order to guarantee the highest quality
it is necessary to manufacture Schmincke pastels using special recipes which avoid the use of machinery during
manufacture.
‘Worm extruders’ form the pre-kneaded dough into round skeins, which are then detached by hand and cut in a
wire-strung frame. The damp sticks have to dry for around eight days before they can be labeled and packed by
hand. This is a costly and time consuming process; however it is the only way Schmincke can guarantee
homogenous quality and smoothness in all the production cycles, in order that the artist can be assured that his
favorite color shade is consistent throughout our range of finest extra-soft artists’ pastel colors. The complete
assortment includes 400 colors classified in 80 rows with 5 colors each. The range also contains five additional
pearl luster effect colors.
Rembrandt Soft Pastels are aimed at the very high standards of the professional artist and the amateur
aspiring to perfection. The pastels are made from the purest pigments mixed with the finest quality kaolin.
Rembrandt Soft Pastels have for years been the most popular artists' pastels in the world.
These pastels have a number of characteristics and unique features including the perfect degree of softness.
They are so soft that a large amount of color is immediately released, and yet hard enough not to powder
quickly. The very high color intensity and purity ensure that each piece of work has a brilliant finish. No pigments
containing heavy metals are used, such as cadmium, lead and cobalt, in the production of Rembrandt Soft
Pastels.
Unison Soft Pastels - Hand-to-Hand - In the hills of Northumberland, England, an artist makes pastels. He
mixes pigments in equipment a baker would use. He lightly hand-rolls the dough and allows the sticks to air-dry.
No other pastels flow so smoothly into the tooth of the paper. These pastels are truly a work of art before you
ever use them.
A Rapture of Texture & Color - Out of a frustration with the pastels available, British artist John Hersey began
making handmade pastels. Developed to be superior in color, texture and response, Unison Soft Pastels are
unlike anything on the market today. John Hersey worked out his unique color formulations over a decade of
experimentation, creating intense, vibrant colors, blended almost exclusively from pure pigment and water. In
his handmade process, the pigment hardly gets pressed at all. The sticks are rolled lightly making them very
fluent when you use them.
"Many of our colors are pure and single pigments," Hersey says. "On the whole they are blended, three or four
or five different pigments together. But we blend in very little white or chalk. Artists are generally looking for
intense and dark pastels. You can get sick of the endless arrays of pale pastel shades. You want some really
strong colors. And those are just pigment and nothing else."
Hersey brings a poet's sensibility to his work with color. He has developed his range of 288 pastels as a series of
20 sets with 18 colors each. The nine central sets follow Hersey's theory of color-integration. This theory is
based on his observations of nature, in which he observes that a single color, from a single light source, can take
on almost endless variations. He bases his color ranges on these variations.
Sennelier Soft Pastels - Since 1887, Sennelier has a rich history of providing Plein Air painters like Degas and
Cezanne with their pastels. The 80 color half stick Plein Air collection has been chosen out of 525 colors for its
simplicity and ability to mix a full spectrum of landscape color, without carrying the extra weight of too many
pastels in the field. Half sticks are great for making broad strokes.
Sennelier Soft Pastel 100 Pure Tones - No chalk or clay—just pure color! Includes all of the dark, purest and
most brilliant colors!! It took a whole lot of convincing but Sennelier finally created this set of the most luscious
colors in their line. So you need not hunt for the pure colors, the deepest shades and the most brilliant colors
possible. All these pure colors cost much more than the others in the line and are the most valuable for getting
the most vivid results. All colors are fitted within a deluxe wood box.
Carol L. Zack
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9/27/2012