 Pastel is made from a powdered, very pure pigment held in a non-greasy binder. Soft pastel is usually sold in a round stick similar to a piece of chalk, comes in over two hundred shades, hard pastel is not used as much and is usually sold in a square stick.
Its origin goes back to the late 16 th century when this medium was taken up by many artists, among them Bassano, and  Barocci. A Venetian artist Rosaba Carriera was among the first to use pastel for all her work.
Later artists exploited the fine detail and subtle shades possible with pastels including Nattier, Delacroix, Manet, Renoir, Degas,  Toulouse-Lautrec and Whistler among many others. To-day many of the worlds greatest artists paint in pastels using the combination of bold colours and subtle tones to enhance their work.
Pastels retain there true colours for many hundreds of years if, like other mediums they are kept out of direct sunlight, and unlike oils do not darken or crack with the passing of time. |
