Back to basics
A soft pastel is a combination of pure pigment powder blended with a binder, which is then shaped into sticks or blocks. The most common mistake is to confuse soft pastels with oil pastels. Soft pastels and oil pastels do not play well together so don’t get the two mixed up. Soft pastel is also not to be confused with chalk (although just to confuse the issue, cheaper pastels may have chalk in them). Chalk is for pavement art, hop scotch and school teachers.
Over the years I have tried many different brands of pastel, but the ones I keep coming back to and now use almost exclusively in my work are by Unison. These fantastic pastels are hand made in Northumberland and provide me with the consistency that I need tor my work, both in terms oi colour and texture. That said, everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to the pastels they use so if you’re new to the medium, I recommend choosing three or four of your favourite colours then buying one of each colour from a selection of
