To work in pastels you need:
Pastels
Paper
Soft willow or vine charcoal for drawing
Pastel fixative to set your work while you are working
Board and clips or tape to attach your paper to while working
For Plein Air Pastels it is nice to have:
Hat
Sun Screen
Bug Spray
Anti-tick socks from Amazon In this picture, I am wearing anti tick shorts as well as the socks.
Pastels
There are a lot of choices with pastels. Some of these choices are based on money, but like all art supplies, you get what you pay for.
Each photo includes a link except for the individual stick of Prussian Blue. You will have to cut and paste that one.
Faber-Castell Goldfaber Studio Soft Pastel sets are a good deal for the money. They have a lot of nice colors in the set, but you cannot buy individual colors to replace them when they are gone. They will last a long time if you are working on the Canson Paper, but they go pretty quickly if you are working on a sanded paper. The best choice is 72 colors, but 48 would also be ok.
This information is from the Blick Website Dec 29, 2024
I mostly use Rembrandt Pastels. The are soft enough, but not too soft. This allows me to build up complex mutliple layers of color. I have been using Rembrandts since I got my first set at age 16 and they still are my first choice for starting a piece. They are bigger, last longer, and are available in individual colors so you can replace them when you run out instead of buying nother set. If you can afford it, get the set of 60 half sticks as a minimum. This set does not have as good of blues or purples as the Faber Castelli, but now Rembrandt offers small trial sets of individual color families.
Rembrandt 508.3 Prussian Blue is the one color I can not paint without.
Make a Color Chart
Blick's site includes a list of the colors included in each set. I highly recommend making a color chart on grey paper when you get your new set. If you get a set of whole sticks, the numbers will be printed on the label. If you get half sticks you will have to use the list.
The printed color charts are on white and it is hard to tell what the colors really are compared to that little piece you have left in your box that you would like to replace. That way you can replace the colors you use up and making the chart will help you to understand the numbering system.
How Rembrandt's Numbering System Works
The first three numbers are the color. 508 means Prussian Blue. The .3 means that it is a very dark color. Now there is a 508.2 which is an even darker Prussian Blue. 508.9 is the lightest value of the Prussian Blue color. Sometimes when I am buying pastels, I just get the darkest of every color I like. It can be hard to tell on line or in the store, so knowing the numbers helps.
List of Pastels that Dakota Sells Ranked from Softest to Hardest
You can buy a Pastel Sampler that will give you different types of pastels. You do not get to chose the colors and I haven't done it. Even within a brand the colors differ in hardness. In addition to my Rembrandt pastels, I use some Great American, Sennelier, Richeson Handrolled and Mount Vision pastels. I use these, not because the are softer, but because I like the color.
Pastel paper
I used Canson Mi-Tente Paper for years. The advantage is that it is relatively cheap, comes in multiple colors and has two distinct sides: one more and one less textured. Of all the choices, this pad of Gray Tones seems like the most practical one to start with, because all the colors are usable.
Working on darkish paper makes the pastels really pop, but you do have to use a lot of pastels. White is the most difficult color to work on, because the paper shows through and dulls your pastels.
I used to only work on the more textured side of the paper. The textured side is facing toward the front of your pad. Now I prefer the smoother side which faces the back of the pad. I like it because I can make more variety of texture and it doesn't take as long to cover the paper.
I recommend marking all the back sides of the paper with a little X in charcoal so you know the smoother side. It really is the easier side to work on, but you should try both.
My favorite paper is Pastel Premier in either the Terra Cotta or Italian Clay color. This paper has a lot of tooth, but not much texture. That is what I like. You should experiment and find what appeals to you. I paint on the Terra Cotta color in the summer, because the red paper makes the greens pop. Other times I use the Italian Clay. I don't like the White or Slate colors. The white dulls the pastel colors and the slate is a little scratchy.
I like the 9 x 12 size for plein air and the 12 x 16 size for in the studio. I also buy individual sheets so I can vary the size.
If you are new to sanded paper, try the Dakota Sampler Set. Before you use a sheet, write the type of paper it is on the back in pencil. After you have painted on the paper write all the things you liked and didn't like. You can see an example of this in my $4.99 book on Kindle,
A Painter's Diary. I can recommend this because it is so cheap. It is everything I know about using pastels.
Charcoal
I like the Coates Willow Charcoal Medium. I use willow charcoal because it is very soft and it is easy to wipe off with just a tissue or a chamois. I never use an eraser on my pastel paper, because it changes the quality of the suface which makes the pastels look different.
Workable Fixative
Fixative is the biggest probelm with pastels. It is very stinky and it is not good for you. I always spray outside with the wind. If I am spraying a lot of work, I wear a mask and eye protection. I did ruin one pair of very expensive glasses by getting fixative on them. Currently I am using Blair Workable Fixative.
I DO NOT use fixative at the end of my work. I use it usually two times while I am working to set the colors and give me a new surface to work on. An added bonus is that it gets darker. Darks are a problem in pastels, so the fixative extends the range of values you have.
Boards and Clips
Drawing boards are pretty cheap and it is great to have a cut out handle. I have several in different sizes. Otherwise a piece of foam core will work for awhile or a piece of hardboard cut to the size you like.
For 9 x 12 paper you need a board that is
This 18 x 18 size would work for either the 9 x 12 or 12 x 16 inch paper. If you only plan to use smaller paper get a smaller board. Especially for painting outdoors it is nice to not have too much weight.
You will also need some additional clips or tape to hold the other edge of your paper. I use binder clips, bull dog clips and, in a pinch, tape. I always seem to have problems with tape so I prefer clips. I have some Banker's Clips that I bought in a stationary store. They are my favorite because they are a couple of inches long and they don't mark the paper. You cannot use clips that say they are made for sewing. They will not work to hold the paper.
Easel
For painting outdoors I use a Heritage Easel. I found this one on Amazon, but these or easels like them could be available other places. I have bought several easels at yard sales and I always am checking Facebook Marketplace and Ebay.
Important Things to Consider in an Easel
Will it go up high enough for your height
Will it hold the sizes of work you want to do
How stable is it
How heavy is it
At 5 ft 3 in I am almost too tall for this easel, but if I use a bigger board or c-clamps or big aligator clips I can attach my work higher up than the built in tray will go. I push pretty hard on my pastels so I usually have to hold the easel steady with my other hand, but the ease of transport and the light weight make it my first choice for a plein air easel.
I paint outdoors a lot so this cart is really worth it to me. All my stuff fits in it and I mostly use the little seat as a place to put my pastels on while I am working. If I need to sit down to get the correct view, then I can put my pastels on the ground. I put my easel around the chair and sometimes if it is windy I bungee cord it to the cart. It is very stable and I have never thought I was going to blow away.
If you don't paint outside much then a TV tray to put your pastels on is fine. Another good idea is to bring a low beach chair to sit in and put your pastels on the ground. I have a wooden box, but if you have a cardboard box you will want something water proof to set your pastels on if the ground is damp.
Umbrella I keep trying different umbrellas for use outside, but nothing works that great. Some were very expensive. It is important that your umbrella be white or black. If you buy a cheap beach umbrella paint it with exterior latex paint.
I got a beach chair with a shade in a free pile and I am going to try that next summer.
I used to want an umbrella to shade my work, but the sun seems so much hotter now that I need something to keep me in the shade.
