Get Started in Pastels with a Few Basic Supplies

Basic Pastel Supplies

Pastel is among the most popular art mediums today. It is prized for its rich color and easy handling. I love it because it is a very direct medium and gives me instant satisfaction. I like instant satisfaction. You don't have to learn to mix colors on a palette, handle brushes or other equipment and spend hours drawing before you apply color. Nope. You can just pick up a pastel and start. It is both a drawing and a painting medium.

 

The most appealing thing about pastel is it doesn't take much equipment to get started.

• Pastel Sticks - These come in hard and soft types. Hard pastels are usually square and used for under painting. Soft pastels are shown in the photo. You can buy sets or buy them individually (open stock). Cheap Joe's Art Stuff  carries a good variety. Many other art supply stores do as well.
• Pastel Pencils- Use these for detail work
• Paper- There are a variety of papers for pastel use and most are tinted (colored). One of the least expensive is Canson Mi-Teints Paper. You can also experiment with other types of paper such as velour, sanded, charcoal paper or watercolor paper. The paper MUST have a texture in order to hold the pastel to the surface.
• Support- The pastel paper will need to be attached to a support. This must be smooth and firm.  Foamcore board  is light weight and very easy to handle but a wooden drawing board, masonite or any firm smooth surface will suffice.
• Tape or Bulldog Clips-These are used to hold the paper to the support.
• Exacto Knife or Razor- Handy for sharpening your pastels.
• Cotton Swabs-For blending colors
• Kneaded Eraser- for lifting color and erasing.
• Paint Brushes- For brushing off excess pastel and blending.
• Box- to transport pastel sticks *I have a great tutorial on how to build your own pastel box click here
  

A few other things that would be nice to have handy but not completely necessary are an easel, rags or baby wipes (for cleaning your hands), cotton balls, Galssine paper (to cover work in order to protect it during transport) and a chair if you prefer to sit while you paint.

The most expensive thing on this list will be the pastel sticks. You can buy them in a set or open stock (individual sticks). I do it both ways. You can also buy half sticks and Pan pastels.

A Good Starter Palette

• Ultramarine Blue No. 6
• Ultramarine Blue  No. 1
• Prussian Blue No. 3
• Cerulean Blue No. 4
• Purple No. 6
• Mauve No. 2
• Crimson Lake No. 6
• Cadmium Red No. 6
• Cadmium Tangerine No. 4
• Yellow Ocher No. 6
• Yellow Ocher No. 1
• Cadmium Yellow No. 4
• Lemon Yellow No. 6
• Olive Green No. 8
• Hookers Green No. 3
• Hookers Green No. 1
• Sap Green No. 5
• Lizard Green No. 3
• Green Gray No. 1
• Blue Gray No. 4
• Cool Gray No. 4
• Burnt Umber No.  8
• Raw Umber No. 6
• Burnt Sienna No. 4
• Silver White
• Lamp Black

This is where the money is! You don't HAVE to buy all of these to start off. The most important thing to remember is that all pastel colors come in different "values", that means the lightness or darkness of the color. Different manufacturers denote the value (tints) in different ways, mostly by numbering them. for example, 1 is the lightest and usually 10 the darkest. Read the manufacturers details to find out how that particular pastel is marked with the value of the tint. Some make up to 200 tints of the same color.

 

Raw Umber Tint 1 and Tint 5

Above is an example of Burnt Umber in two of the many tints available. Tint 1 is the lightest shade and tint 5 is going into the darker range. I recommend at LEAST having a light and dark tint of the colors you will use.

 

Buy some different types of paper to see which one you like best. Really paper and pastels are the main things you HAVE to have. Now gather some pastels supplies and start experimenting!