Pastel can be broadly regarded as "dry paint" and uses the same type of pigments as oil paints or watercolours, formed into a stick with chalk and certain binding agents. However, unlike some other mediums, pastel will not crack, fade or darken with age. Pastel paintings in galleries around the world are as fresh and vivid today as the day they were completed.  Edgar Degas (1834-1917) in particular, painted some astonishing compositions during the 1880's using the vibrant colours of pastel to produce what is now regarded as his finest work.

When properly mounted and framed behind glass, pastel will refract light in a unique way, giving an intensity of colour unmatched by other mediums. I try to exploit this property to the full to add that extra "sparkle" which brings my subjects to life.

 

"that extra sparkle:"

 

There has always been divided opinion amongst pastel artists about the use of fixative.  Whilst fixative will hold all the tiny particles of pastel together on the paper, it does darken some colours, thereby altering their relationship with each other. In addition to this, it has a dulling effect on  the surface of the painting in much the same way as non-reflective glass does. I prefer not to use fixative or to use it sparingly, and only in the early stages of a painting.

Check out the demonstration to learn about pastels in action.

So, is a pastel work a “drawing” or a “painting”?  I prefer to think of it as a painting for no other reason than that the end result looks more like a painting.  

What do you think? Clive Quinn