Pastels

Pastels are a dry drawing and painting medium made from pure pigment mixed with a small amount of binder and formed into sticks. Because they contain a high concentration of pigment, pastels produce rich, vibrant colours with a soft, velvety texture.

Artists apply pastel directly to paper, typically on textured surfaces that hold the pigment, allowing colours to be layered, blended, and built gradually. Pastels are valued for their immediacy—there is no drying time, making them ideal for expressive sketches, portraiture, landscapes, and finished artworks.

Pastels come in several forms, including soft pastels, hard pastels, pastel pencils, and oil pastels, each offering different levels of softness, control, and blending ability.