An Introduction to Pastel Types

 Pastels come in many forms from buttery soft chalk pastel to harder conte pastel and even more precise pastel pencils. Almost an entirely different art form is bright, thick oil pastels. Each of these pastel types give a different appearance and feel when applied to paper. Knowing the differences and how to interchange the use of these pastels makes for a more effective artist.

 Click on the following link to an article introducing pastels. http://www.artinstructionblog.com/an-introduction-to-drawing-and-painting-with-pastels

 Following is an excellent video of Daniel E. Greene picking pastels for portraiture. He describes and shows many different types and brands of pastels and explains how they differ from each other. He explains how pastels are made and the difference from using pastels compared to oil painting.
http://www.jerrysartarama.com//videoApplication/videoLesson.html?title=Daniel E. Greene - "Pastel Portrait: Picking Pastels"&id=425&res=lowRes&catTitle=Medium&subTitle=Pastels&cat=3&sub=9

As you have learned from the video pastels come in a range of types and tints. It can take time to acquire a nice range of colours and strength. Pastels being pure pigment allows an artist to choose a stick and immediately begin to paint in the exact hue they desire. This can be very liberating to an artist and is one of the great advantages of the pastel medium.