Unveiling the Preferred Pastels of Fine Artists

Key Insights into Artists' Pastel Choices

Sennelier and Holbein: These brands consistently emerge as top choices for professional oil pastels, lauded for their exceptional creaminess, rich pigmentation, and smooth blending capabilities.
Soft Pastels for Layering and Expressiveness: For soft pastels, brands like Schmincke, Sennelier, and Terry Ludwig are highly favored due to their intense pigmentation, buttery consistency, and suitability for vibrant layering and expressive marks.
Versatility Across Types: Fine artists often utilize a combination of pastel types—soft, oil, and pencils—to achieve diverse effects, from broad color application and seamless blending to intricate details and crisp lines.

Fine artists meticulously select their materials, and pastels are no exception. The choice of pastel greatly influences the texture, vibrancy, and overall impact of a piece. While personal preference plays a significant role, certain brands and types consistently gain recognition for their superior quality, pigment load, and handling characteristics. Understanding these preferences can provide invaluable insight for both aspiring artists and seasoned professionals looking to expand their toolkit.

The World of Pastels: Types and Their Artistic Applications

Before delving into specific brand preferences, it's essential to understand the different types of pastels available and their typical applications in fine art. Each type offers distinct qualities that cater to various artistic techniques and desired effects.

Soft Pastels: The Traditional Choice

Soft pastels are arguably the most traditional and widely used form of pastels, cherished for their intense color and velvety texture. They contain a high concentration of pigment with minimal binder, resulting in vibrant, easily blendable colors. This softness, however, also makes them crumbly, requiring careful handling and often a fixative for longevity.

Characteristics and Artistic Use

Artists favor soft pastels for their ability to lay down rich, opaque color quickly, making them ideal for broad strokes, expressive marks, and extensive layering. The powdery texture allows for seamless blending, creating smooth transitions and painterly effects. Brands like Schmincke, Sennelier, Unison, and Terry Ludwig are frequently cited by professionals for their exceptional quality. Sennelier, in particular, is renowned for its ultra-soft, almost buttery consistency and its impressive range of 525 shades, making it a gold standard for many.

Artists Soft Pastel Sticks Set of 24 Colours

A vibrant set of artist-grade soft pastel sticks.

Oil Pastels: Creamy and Versatile

Oil pastels are characterized by their smooth, oily, and somewhat waxy texture. Composed of pigment, wax binder, and a non-drying oil, they offer a different working experience compared to soft pastels. They are less dusty and can be layered and blended to create rich, paint-like effects without drying completely.

Characteristics and Artistic Use

Fine artists appreciate oil pastels for their vibrancy, layering capabilities, and the ability to create impasto effects. They are excellent for filling in large color blocks and can also be used for fine lines when cold, offering a drawing material quality. Sennelier and Holbein consistently top the list for professional-grade oil pastels due to their smooth, creamy texture and superior pigmentation. Caran d'Aache Neopastels are also highly regarded for their vibrant, creamy texture, high-quality pigments, and notable dust-free quality, often being described as slightly firmer than Sennelier and Holbein but excelling in blending.

A comprehensive set of oil pastels, known for their rich and vibrant colors.

Pastel Pencils: Precision and Detail

Pastel pencils combine the intense pigment of soft pastels with the control and precision of a pencil. They consist of a pastel core encased in wood, allowing for sharp lines, fine details, and initial sketching where stick pastels might be too broad or messy.

Characteristics and Artistic Use

While often used in conjunction with soft or oil pastels for detail work, pastel pencils are indispensable for artists who require crisp edges and intricate textures. Brands like Caran d'Ache, Faber-Castell PITT, Stabilo CarbOthello, Derwent, and Conte are well-regarded. Caran d'Ache is noted for its "perfect colors," while Faber-Castell's PITT line is recognized for its firmness, making it suitable for artists transitioning from colored pencils.

Top Pastel Brands Preferred by Fine Artists

Fine artists often develop strong loyalties to specific brands based on their working properties, color range, and overall quality. Here’s a detailed look at some of the most frequently mentioned and highly respected pastel brands among professionals.

Sennelier: The Epitome of Softness and Pigmentation

Sennelier is almost universally acclaimed, particularly for its soft pastels and oil pastels. Established in 1887, this French brand is a benchmark for quality. Their soft pastels are renowned for their incredibly soft, buttery consistency, allowing them to glide effortlessly across paper. They boast an exceptional pigment load, yielding vibrant, rich colors perfect for layering and highlights. The extensive range of 525 colors in their soft pastel line provides artists with unparalleled chromatic possibilities. For oil pastels, Sennelier is considered the top choice, noted for its smooth, creamy texture, rich pigments, and excellent lightfastness.

Schmincke: High Brilliance and Smoothness

Schmincke soft pastels are another favorite among professional artists. They are known for their extremely soft, almost "fluffy" consistency and high color brilliance. Honsell stocks, which are made by Schmincke, are noted for using the best artist pigments to achieve vivid colors and a smooth glide. Schmincke offers an impressive range of 400 colors, making them versatile for multilayered techniques and vibrant applications.

Holbein: Superior Oil Pastel Quality

Holbein Artist's Oil Pastels stand alongside Sennelier as a preferred choice for professionals. While similar in quality to Sennelier, artists often find subtle differences in their feel and blending properties, making them a personal preference. Holbein pastels are celebrated for their rich pigments and creamy texture, making them excellent for serious oil pastel work.

Caran d'Ache: Versatility in Oil and Pastel Pencils

Caran d'Ache is a Swiss brand highly respected for both their Neopastel oil pastels and their pastel pencils. Their Neopastels are lauded for being entirely dustless, offering a smooth, creamy, and vibrant texture with high-quality pigments and excellent lightfastness. They are often described as slightly firmer than Sennelier or Holbein but blend exceptionally well. For pastel pencils, Caran d'Ache is a go-to for many artists due to their reliable quality and ability to provide precise details.

Rembrandt: A Balanced and Popular Choice

Rembrandt pastels by Royal Talens are among the most popular pastels globally, striking a balance between softness and firmness. They are considered medium-soft, allowing for good control, sharp details, and effective layering while still blending beautifully. Their large color range and reasonable price point make them an excellent choice for artists of all levels, including professionals seeking reliable quality.

Terry Ludwig and Unison: Hand-Made Excellence

Terry Ludwig and Unison are both highly regarded hand-made soft pastel brands. Terry Ludwig pastels are often praised for their vibrant colors and unique shapes, which facilitate various marks. Unison pastels are slightly firmer than some of the ultra-soft brands but are known for their consistent quality and beautiful color saturation, comparable in price to Ludwig.

Evaluating Pastel Performance: A Comparative View

The "best" pastel often depends on an artist's specific technique and desired outcome. To illustrate the nuances, here's a comparative radar chart showing how various top-tier brands might be perceived across different performance metrics.

This radar chart provides a comparative overview of popular pastel brands across key performance attributes.

Choosing the Right Pastel: Considerations for Fine Artists

The selection of pastels for a fine artist is a nuanced decision that goes beyond just brand recognition. Several factors come into play, influencing the artistic process and the final artwork.

Hardness and Softness: Impact on Technique

Pastels vary significantly in their hardness. Softer pastels provide intense color and blend easily, ideal for broad applications and expressive work. Harder pastels, conversely, are excellent for fine lines, details, and initial sketches. Many artists use a combination, starting with harder pastels for underpaintings and details, then building up layers with softer pastels for richness and blending.

Pigment Load and Lightfastness

Professional-grade pastels contain a higher concentration of pure pigment, resulting in more vibrant and saturated colors. Equally important is lightfastness, which refers to the pastel's ability to resist fading when exposed to light over time. Fine artists, especially those selling their work, prioritize high lightfastness to ensure the longevity and archival quality of their pieces.

Color Range and Availability

A comprehensive color range allows artists to explore a wide spectrum of hues and values without needing to mix colors on a palette. Brands offering extensive open-stock options (individual sticks) are highly valued, as they enable artists to replenish specific colors or experiment with different brands.

Blending and Layering Capabilities

The ease with which pastels blend and layer is crucial. Soft, creamy pastels excel at creating seamless transitions, while some harder pastels can scrape off underlying layers. Artists often look for pastels that facilitate smooth blending while also allowing for multiple layers without saturating the paper's "tooth" too quickly.

A Glimpse into Pastel Application and Techniques

To further illustrate the versatility and appeal of pastels to fine artists, it's beneficial to see how they are used. The following video offers a visual demonstration of working with various soft pastel brands, providing a practical perspective on their handling properties and effects.

This video compares different soft pastel brands, offering insights into their application and performance.

This video provides a valuable visual complement to the discussion of soft pastel characteristics. It showcases how different brands behave on paper, highlighting their unique qualities in terms of softness, pigment release, and blending. Observing an artist at work with these materials can help one understand the tactile experience and the range of expressive possibilities that pastels offer. The video reinforces that while technical specifications are important, the subjective feel and performance of a pastel in an artist's hand ultimately determine its suitability for their individual style and projects.

Summary of Key Pastel Brands and Their Attributes

To consolidate the information, the table below provides a concise overview of the prominent pastel brands preferred by fine artists, categorizing them by type and highlighting their standout features.

Pastel Type	Brand	Key Characteristics	Ideal For
Soft Pastel	Sennelier	Ultra-soft, buttery, highest pigment load, vast color range (525 shades).	Vibrant layering, expressive marks, painterly effects, highlights.
Soft Pastel	Schmincke	Extremely soft, fluffy consistency, high color brilliance, excellent for layering.	Rich, saturated color application, achieving smooth transitions.
Soft Pastel	Rembrandt	Medium-soft, good balance of firmness and blendability, reliable quality.	Fine detail, neat lines, general use, building layers.
Soft Pastel	Terry Ludwig	Hand-made, vibrant colors, unique shapes, consistent quality.	Diverse mark-making, rich textures.
Soft Pastel	Unison	Hand-made, slightly firmer than ultra-soft, good color saturation.	Expressive work, building layers, consistent coverage.
Oil Pastel	Sennelier	Smooth, creamy texture, rich pigments, excellent lightfastness, painterly look.	Thick impasto, blending, vibrant color application.
Oil Pastel	Holbein	Creamy, high pigment quality, comparable to Sennelier in performance.	Rich color, smooth application, professional-grade work.
Oil Pastel	Caran d'Ache Neopastels	Dustless, smooth, creamy, vibrant, good blending, slightly firmer than Sennelier/Holbein.	Clean application, crisp lines, blending large areas, fine details.
Pastel Pencil	Caran d'Ache	High pigment, reliable quality, "perfect colors."	Precise lines, intricate details, initial sketching.
Pastel Pencil	Faber-Castell PITT	Firmest, excellent control for fine work, suitable for colored pencil artists.	Sharp details, linear drawing, controlled layering.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pastels for Fine Artists

What is the main difference between soft pastels and oil pastels?

Soft pastels have a high pigment concentration with minimal binder, resulting in a powdery, easily blendable texture ideal for expressive work. Oil pastels use a wax and non-drying oil binder, giving them a creamy, paint-like consistency that is less dusty and suitable for layering and impasto effects.

Are expensive pastels truly better for fine artists?

Generally, yes. Professional-grade or "artist-grade" pastels, which tend to be more expensive, contain higher quality and concentration of pigments, leading to more vibrant colors, better lightfastness (resistance to fading), and superior working properties like smoothness and blendability. While beginners can start with student-grade, professionals often invest in higher-quality pastels for archival integrity and richer artistic expression.

Can I mix different brands of pastels in one artwork?

Absolutely. Many fine artists combine different brands and types of pastels within a single piece to leverage the unique qualities of each. For example, a harder pastel might be used for initial sketches, followed by softer pastels for building up layers and color, and pastel pencils for fine details. Understanding the working properties of each brand allows for a versatile approach.

Do pastels require special paper or surfaces?

Yes, pastels perform best on surfaces with a "tooth" or texture, which helps to grab and hold the pigment. Common surfaces include sanded papers (like UArt or Pastelmat), textured pastel papers, or even certain watercolor papers. Using paper specifically designed for pastels prevents the pigment from simply sliding off and allows for multiple layers.

How do artists protect pastel artwork from smudging?

Pastel artworks, especially those made with soft pastels, are susceptible to smudging due to their powdery nature. Artists typically use a fixative spray, applied in light coats, to bind the pigment to the surface. Additionally, framing pastel art behind glass, often with a mat board to prevent the glass from touching the artwork, is crucial for long-term protection.