How to Choose an Art Pastel Brand
What to Look for When Buying Pastels
How to pick the best art pastel for you with the least surprises.
Choosing a pastel brand is hard. It's not like you can test drive the set before you buy. Here are some tips that can be helpful when deciding if a pastel set will work for your art.
Look at the Pastels
First, if the package has a clear window, peek in it to look at the quality of the pastels. Do the pastels have small holes or pits on the sides? This usually means that the pastel is of poor quality. The picture of the single, yellow pastel is an example of a poor quality pastel. Notice how it is almost shiny. The holes and pits are from air bubbles in the pastel dough as it was formed. These pastels seem to have too much binding and do not give even strokes of pigment. Some may even scratch your paper.
Pastels that are already broken in the package should be avoided as well.
Next, notice what the stick looks like. If it is powdery, then the stick is more than likely a softer pastel. If the pastel has sharp, square edges or no powder or dust, than it is likely a harder pastel. Take a look at the picture of the soft and hard pastel. The difference is pretty clear. The blue pastel is the softer stick and the yellow pastel is the harder stick.
Research
If the pastel’s packaging has no window so that you can take a peek, then you will need to do some research. Some pastels will proudly have endorsements on the package from prestigious art schools. If not, you may want to go online to artist chat rooms or forums and ask what the artists there like.
Try It
No matter how much you research a pastel brand, the best way to know if a pastel will work for you is by trial and error. A good way to make this less costly is by looking for ads from pastel companies offering trial versions of their products. You can often find these on the manufacturer’s website. Another good place to look for trial-sized versions is in art magazines. The Artist Magazine often has many trial-size offers per issue. Keep an eye out for trial offers in art catalogs, too, such as Dick Blick, Jerry’s, and Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff.
If you feel frustrated, just remember, all artists have to go through this to find the perfect brand to fit their needs. It is just part of your journey as an artist.
