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Choosing Your First Soft Pastels
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- Опубликовано: 12 авг 2024
- The question I get asked most often is about which pastels to buy as a total beginner. In this Q&A video, I suggest these options:
Unison 16-piece half stick set: amzn.to/2pyv8HD
Sennelier 40-piece half stick set: amzn.to/2plwB99
Mount Vision 50 piece workshop set: amzn.to/2q43S7T
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I am a "newbie". I have completed 4 paintings so far. I purchased the Koh-i-Noor set because it had a fantastic selection of colors and I didn't want to invest too much in a medium I might not like. Not too many people in my small art group are using pastels, but I did try and get some recommendations. Two days ago I went to a local art store and purchased whole sticks of colors that I noticed I was either missing, or shades of colors I am using a lot. I chose about 15 Schmincke, 3 Sennelier, and a handful of the house brand (semi-hard type, but good pigment). While the Schmincke and Sennelier are really soft and luscious, I believe the harder pastels are going to be just fine for underpainting and making marks. I also bought a 24 color pastel pencil set. The Schmincke and Sennelier are pretty inexpensive here in Europe (well, $3.50 a stick does add up, but cheaper for me than the Terry Ludwig brand (that so many artists on RUclips use and love) especially considering the cost of shipping. I am really enjoying this new medium - it's a nice change from watercolor. :)
Thank you for sharing your pastel journey as a newbie Lisa!! Your story is a normal meandering one to getting to the falling in love phase 😁 You are lucky to have access to those awesome brands at a good price!!
Jack Richeson Handrolled pastels are a great place to start too! Great value beautifully soft pastels densely pigmented I still use them years later!
A lot of pastel artists have started out and recommend 1/2 stick sets of mungyo imagine or Rembrandt. The medium hard are better for beginners. I think both are very beautiful
I started long ago with an Alphacolor set of 48 colors by Weber Costello when they were made in the USA. You can usually find this same set on ebay for around $30 to $40 though they are now made in Taiwan instead of the U.S.
I think that if you know you want to pursue pastels as a medium, then you are correct on your selection of starter sets as you can always add more colors and professional quality is definitely better than student grade.
However, if you don't know if you would like pastels, then you should try something that is less expensive but with a similar "feel" to an expensive pastel.
So, if you are really on a tight budget, then you can start with a set from Mungyo. They have a set of 64 colors that are semi-hard that is made up of square-shaped half-sticks for less than $10. These are soft enough for good lay down but hard enough to not crumble easily. It has a good selection of colors for both portrait and landscape and includes 2 sketching sticks that are hard pastels in black and white, also they are non-toxic. But remember: ANY powder (even bread flour) is harmful if inhaled, so, don't blow the dust off when you are painting with pastels! Also, you can save the powder that falls from the painting and then, when there is enough, reform this after moistening into another pastel and then letting it dry.
That said however, after more than 40 years, I now have all 525+ colors from Sennelier and all 225+ colors from Rembrandt and some from other brands you mentioned (the pluses are because I have colors/shades/tints that are no longer made by them (like cadmium, chromium and cobalt colors) for well over 1,000 sticks). Can you have too many? ;-)
LOL regarding your last statement KaBluey!
I know where you're coming from regarding money especially for someone who is unsure whether they will like pastels but would still like to try them. But I would rather a student spend their $40 on a few single sticks of quality (expensive) pastels to get the true feeling of pastels. Cheaper versions cannot give you the lusciousness or saturated colour of a Sennelier or a Unison. Mount Vision are a bit less expensive and are a superb pastel. That said, I have never tried Mungyo so cannot comment on them. I would like to give them a try when I can get my hands on some.
I appreciate you sharing the reminder about not inhaling the dust and not blowing. That's a rule I lay down in all my classes!! And thanks for telling everyone to keep the dust and reshape into new (if greyer!) pastels.
Thanks for commenting!!
I got a bunch of small empty lip balm sampler containers (sort of like small pan pastel containers) to keep the powder in, in various colors until there is enough for a stick.
I got the set of Mungyo 64 for a gift to one of my nieces and wanted to be sure they were good enough for young people. They are remarkably of good quality considering the price. They are on Amazon for only 7 or 8 dollars now. They also make professional grade hand made pastels at $4 EACH.
Greetings from Ukraine!
I've started from "A to Z" and my first pastels and pencils were Koh-I-Noor and Mungyo, then I wanted to switch to Rembrandt, but I think I would go for Sennelier because of their great color sets and availability.
Also, it's good to have soft and semi-hard pastels for my style.
Greetings!! Thanks for sharing your pastel brand journey. We all come to soft pastels in different ways and I hope to help answer the perennial question from someone just starting out: what soft pastels do I buy? My belief is if you start with a small set of quality pastels, you'll be less frustrated by the outcome. Make sense?
@ilive4god2007 Thank you for your feedback....by semi-hard do you mean chalk pastels? as i could not find something called semi-hard or even hard.....is hard pastels same as chalk pastels? i am new to soft pastel medium and always so confused with soft pastels. I have been waiting 3 months for my set of 72 or 120 pieces of Kohe Noor soft pastels but the store keeps saying no arrivals yet, i guess due to this covid issue and flight conditions also. Any help would be appreciated.
@@starmazaheri7448 well, the difficult part is that the "softness" or "hardness" of different brands may be different. I used Mungyo soft, but actually they ARE hard, Sennelier soft are EXTRA soft, and Kooh-I-Noor soft is somewhere in between I would say, it it makes sense. )
@@ilive4god2007 yes thanks for your feedback....I guess kohe noor would be a good in-between option.....the problem is the wait.....i keep waiting for at least the 72 set to arrive.
LOL
It’s really a lot of fun to just start somewhere in the beginning.
I started with a $4.99 set for twenty dollars that I found in Michaels craft store lol
I wouldn’t suggest you start with those pastels.
Later I used Art Spectrum, very good pastels , started with a small set maybe 12 pastels. Also, I had a few sets that were very small like six pastels but had a color theme , like white to black or fiery reds.
My first big set was Rembrandt about 75 pastels and then later a set of 90 , if I recall correctly , Sennelier pastels.
The two brands are completely different and I have found you need to get used to a new brand. At first it will feel like you can’t paint right with the new brand. So, give it time.
Pastel pencils are also very useful.
In time a set would get a bit old but far from used up and I would buy another set and before you know it there are pastels everywhere lol
Just get something and do it !
My personal taste is to use water color paper and I like to combine the more sticky Rembrandt pastels with the very soft pastels.
I like to use solvents to wash in my initial pastel pigments.
On my channel is a short video showing a new Sennelier set.
Winks
Lisa
Thanks Lisa! I think many of us have followed a similar pastel journey!!
Yes I am another artist who LOVES pastels. I teach pastels and travel the world doing this. Gail I so much enjoy your videos. This video on where to start is so helpful. I totally agree with all your suggestions with their very clear explanations. Thank you.
Gary Smith Toronto, Canada
Gary that's wonderful to get your confirmation on my choices. Thank you!
I really push students to get good quality pastels. It's far better to start with a small and limited palette of QUALITY pastels and add slowly than to buy a whole heap of cheaper won't-work-as-well pastels. That just leads to frustration as I'm sure you would agree!
Yes I DO agree.
@@GailSibleyArtist The same thing applies to watercolor paints. It's better to buy a handful of primary colors of ARTIST quality paints and learn to MIX what you need than to have a giant set of STUDENT grade colors. I CRINGE when I see beginning wc artists use black or green straight from a cheap tube (Lol!) I took several workshops on color theory and they were so beneficial.
Yes! This helps so much. I was drowning in a sea of confusion over what to buy but you've given me some direction. Thank you!
Yay!! It's a start SM and sometimes having to make decisions at the start is the most difficult time. Begin and then build from there. If you get addicted to pastels, it's gonna happen!
I love Richerson and love them. They are soft so I use some pencils also
I just ordered my first set of sennelier 120 half sticks. It’s my second set but I just had a cheep set of sergeant art artist pastels. They’re very messy and produce a lot of dust and seem to have some type of coating that you have to use them a bit to get them working well but they are so much fun. I truly think I have found my favorite medium for my artwork and I am no longer interested in anything else aside from the occasional watercolor underpainting 😂 not sure if that counts. I appreciate your videos and your knowledge and time. Happy Easter
Yay!!! Good quality soft pastels make all the difference!! I’m delighted that this medium is your chosen one. Be sure to ask questions. I may even do a video in answer!
Do you follow my blog at www.howtopastel.com ? Lots and lots of info there!!
@@GailSibleyArtist i actually just signed up to follow your blog this morning and have read through a few articles. Loving it so far! Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing your talent and knowledge 🥰
I got a set at local craft store , gallery set. Just starting out. Advice is so needed
April, ask away!
My first pastels were bought on amazon..they were about 30 bucks and had a great rating and was perfect for me at the time...I cant remember what it was though..Prisma I think..I loved them
Great video! Thank you. I wish I had seen this sooner. Anyway, started out with Rembrandt, which I still like, but found Sennelier a few years ago and find using them a joy. I bought one Unison and love the blues to choose from. Currently on the search for some better pencils with less wax factor.
Thanks!!! I know, so many of us start out with Rembrandt pastels. I did! But as soon as I discovered first Sennelier then Unison I was in heaven! And then came Mount Vision which I adore also. Of course there are some fabulous super soft pastels but these are my favs for starting out.
Been using pastels for about 8 months, Also started with Koh-i-noor (for sticks). I also bought Carbathello (pencils) as I started with Pet portraits and Wildlife. Both as a suggestion for beginners of a Patreon teacher who was I signed up with last Nov 2019 (Jason Morgan). He said it was a way to get good pigment at a really economical cost...and he was right! I have enjoyed working with both. I did branch out last month and started doing landscapes, sea scapes, etc. I found I needed more 'light' lights and 'dark' darks and purchased an 80 set of Sennelier 1/2 sticks and a 20 box of Shades by Pan Pastel. I love them both. I would love to try Terry Ludwig and Unison (heard great things) but they are still out of my price range.
That's awesome Becky! I've never tried Koh-i-noor, never come across them but it's time I tried them to at least be able to compare.
Glad you dove into Sennelier half sticks and that you like them!! You can't go wrong with their half sticks. And you can work up to the others over time. By the way, have you looked into Mount Vision. They are good value!!
Thanks for sharing your own experience with pastels!!
Like Josie, I'm on a tight budget, I have bought some (what I thought) "soft pastels" which turned out to be oil pastels. However, I am enjoying using them, the pigment goes a long way, and as I'm a "newbie" I didn't want to invest in expensive pastels such as Terry Ludwig or Sennelier, so I bought Koh-i-Noor, Faber-Castell and Mungyo. I don't pretend I'm an artist by any stretch of the imagination, but I love art and how the colours just flow. Thank you for your video and your expertise.
Hi Chris, glad the video was helpful. I know that spending money on art supplies can be hard but if you start using soft pastels like the ones you mention and really love to use them, I encourage you to get a small set or even some individual sticks of the pastels I mention. If you are in the US, Mt Vision are a really good option -big sticks if pastel at a reasonable price!!
@@GailSibleyArtist Hi Gail, I'm in the UK, so I buy my supplies online as we have a very limited amount of art and craft shops where I live (1). Yes, one day I will "splash out" and buy the pastels you've recommended. thank you.
Wondering if you use Jackson's? Fabulous company. I look forward to one day trying their pastels.
@@GailSibleyArtist No, never heard of Jackson's before. However, after reading your post, I looked for them on Amazon, they're selling their 24 1/2 sticks for £5.60 and I hope to buy some shortly. So, thank you for the recommendation.
I started with Koh-i-noor which are decent enough but sometimes a bit too hard. Moved onto Faber Castell (the student range) which is ok but the lightest colors literally disappear when you spray them with fixative. Now playing with Schmincke. Definitely my fave so far. Will try Unison at some point.
Schmincke. Sigh. They are the ultimate soft pastel!! I don't mention them in this video because I find they are sooooo soft that newbies to pastels can get frustrated with them. Enjoy!!
@@GailSibleyArtist See, I would've been happier if I had had them from the get go. Harder pastels just don't make sense to me.
🤣 me neither!
Hei, this video help a lot. I buy Union 18 landscape and the Sennelier 40 as you recommend . Now I have to use them!
Awesome! And yes, use them. Use them so much that you use them up and need to get more!!!
I just started, and I purchased 3 types of pastels, they are all on the firmer side, which I am sure is helping me a lot, but I am dying next month to buy a budget set of Hand Rolled Full Sticks from the S Korean brand, Mungyo. I have their inexpensive 64 1/3 stick Artist set, I then bought 60 Stabilo Carbothellos, and 96 Prismacolor NU Pastels. All have that sort of crystalline glow about them when they are freshly applied, though perhaps not as luminous as luxury brands, and boy I cannot wait to find out. I am going to try just 30 of the Mungyo handmade for 50.00-isnt that sweet>? They are on Amazon, and if you know anyone who has seen them please let me know your thoughts, because I would rather buy a set of 20 half sticks of Selenier than make a mistake, though I suppose I could return them, I dont want the hassle with Amazon returns. I am loving Pastel after studying watercolor for 6 months. I will always love watercolor, but she has to make room, and even move over for pastel painting. Thank you very much.
I bought two 30 half sticks from sennelier and I am in LOVE! Thank you for the brand recommendation!
Gosh Marcia, you are soooooo welcome. I'm glad you're in love!!!
I have been using pastels for many years. I started with Rembrandt but lately I like to use pan pastels for my base layer and then a softer pastel for vibrancy of color, and detail with pastel pencils. I just purchased the Unison animal set and I want to get a human skin portrait set of soft pastels, so I am debating whether to go with Sennelier or another brand.
You can't go wrong with either brand. With Sennelier I do prefer their half sticks!
@@GailSibleyArtist Yes, that's what I ended up buying, in the portrait colors.
Thank you, useful information!
That’s wonderful to hear Karen!
That halfsies idea is brilliant! Thank you!!
Gosh you're sooo welcome! It gives opportunity to have more colours all at once (and you don't have the bother of taking paper wrapping off!).
I am in the same place as Josie and your video opinion is just what I needed to choose. So glad to hear of only 3 cause there are so many choices. Thx so much😊
I recently ordered the Sennelier 40 set from Amazon on special, so I feel good about your recommendations. I'll probably order their greens set extra at some point. I'm also looking at the Mungyo Gallery hand rolled 30 set, it has some colors the Sennelier set doesn't have, and are reasonably priced.
Yes, very new at pastels, and your video was very helpful!
Excellent Ann Marie!!
I wish you would have demonstrated just a few marks. Thank you for the introduction of selected brands.
Thanks Rosa. I can't believe I didn't do that!! Argh
Ever used Gondola from Kyoto, Japan? You have to try them, please 🙏🏻
I've just odered the Rembrandt 60 landscape set as a starter. After much research I've discovered that these work well with Uart pastel paper 400... so this is where I'm going to start. I've used pastel pencils before and many other mediums but I'm sure these will enable me to create the impressionistic style I'm looking for 😊
+April Palmer that's great April! When you get your pastels you may some feel a bit waxy. Try rubbing them with a bit of sandpaper. Have fun with them!!
Gail Sibley
Thanks for you reply Gail, but that order was cancelled due to a misrepresentation in their delivery times. Far too long for this eager creative. So I've ended up with a whole bunch of gorgeous Senneliers... half sticks and wholes plus a big box of Conte's. Much fun happening here 😉
+April Palmer April I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that!!
Gail Sibley
Thanks Gail, Yes, me too. I believe the situation saved me from heading in the wrong direction 😉
Oh yeah ---BLOOPERS!
And great installment!
Well done,Thank you for doing these.
Hah hah! You must have watched all the way to the end! And you're welcome!
Carbathelo pastel pencils are my favourite. I like soft so I will give smikie a try thanks for that.
There are so many excellent soft pastel brands out there. Do give them a try. A whole new world!!
Good info for beginners, Gail .. (love the outtakes at the end) TravelingArtista
Superb tips ...Thank you
+sujanith tottempudi glad this was helpful!
Really appreciate the to the point explanation of brand of pastels, just wanted an idea how much it costs.
So good to hear! The best way to check costs is to do a search on each brand. So much depends on where you live (is the brand local to your country) and the retail outlets available to you either physically or online.
i seen in your blog you mentioned terry ludwig was softer than senneilier but ive read that TLs are harder than Senneilier. i recent got the paris set of SEN and love them but im looking for a harder set for underpainting whats your thoughts on rembrandts?
Hello. How do I sharpen my charcoal pencils? The tip keeps breaking off in the sharpener. It’s frustrating. I got the basic FaberCastell simple 12 half pc set from Michaels.
Often the best way to sharpen pastel and charcoal pencils is with a very sharp small knife.
Do you ever use harder pastels?
When I first started in pastels back in the 90s. That was the way everyone seemed to teach at the time - move from hard to soft through apiece. I always found I didn't much like the hard pastel phase. So over time, I started skipping the hard pastels and now I only use soft pastels. 😁
Great advise. Thank you!
+Angelica Rox Glad it is helpful!
Very helpful!
So great to hear Joane!!
Thanks so much for this video. As a corollary, what papers would you suggest a beginner buy?
You are welcome James! To answer your question, Canson Mi-Teintes is a good place to start, to practice mark-making and pressure. Many artists love using this paper as their main paper so for sure, try it out. It comes in many colours (not colour-fast so keep the paper away from the sunlight) and is fairly inexpensive and available pretty much everywhere.
I LOVE sanded paper and would recommend that as well as the Canson Mi_teintes. The thing is, it's expensive and used up waaaay more quickly than the pastels which will last for some time (unless dropped on the floor - eek!). I would say buy a sheet of sanded paper and cut it into small pieces say 6 x 8 in. Many papers are washable (NOT Sennelier LaCarte!) and even though you won't get down to pristine original colour, they are totally usable.
If you are in the US, Dakota Pastels has a sampler package which gives you a chance to try out a number of different kinds of sanded papers.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for the paper recommendations! I definitely want to try the Dakota Sampler!
Gail Sibley what about UArt paper. Any suggestions @ UArt paper???
Hello Gail , I came across your video on "Choosing Your First Soft Pastels" and I was wondering if you have ever used the Jack Richeson medium soft and hand rolled soft pastels.How do they compare with Rembrandt's or other fairly inexpensive sets?
Hi Anthony, thanks for also asking this on my blog HowToPastelMembers.com. Short answer is I haven't really used them but I did try their newer handrolled pastels and like them. Way softer than Rembrandts. If they are available to you, why not pick up a small set and experiment!?
Hello Gail thanks for the reply, I have picked up a set of the hand rolled pastels but I have the older sets. I plan on buying a set of the new sticks soon..
Is there s differnt between their older and newer set?
wao ok, you show more spencer pastel, for start buy mungyo is a cheap good pastel hand made work great and used
Thanks Luis. I'm all about quality over quantity of pastels. And it's true, these pastels aren't cheap but the reason for that is that they are packed with pigment (rather than filler). When my students go from cheap pastels to good quality, they can hardly believe the difference in their work!
I have to say I have never tried Mungo and welcome the opportunity to do so!
Hey Gail ..that one was really helpful can u guide if Mungyo pastels are upto the mark to be bought..?
Siddharth I've never used Mungyo so I can't answer your question. Sorry about that...
Really good advice Gail and wish I would have it prior to purchasing my first pastels. My first box was Schmincke and my second was Terry Ludwig. Both very soft and why I find that I do much better with an underpainting to save the tooth of the paper. I've learned to use a much lighter touch but it's quite easy to make mud. I think I would have done much better with a harder pastel and soft over it. Would you consider the pastels that you have recommended to be medium hard?
Thanks Carol. Actually the pastels I recommended are soft. Just not as ultra soft as Schmincke and Great American. After many years of working soft over hard, I decided I liked the soft pastel part so dropped the whole hard pastel bit. As you say, it's a LOT to do with the pressure of the pastel application. It's especially relevant when working with soft pastels!
Hi and thanks for your help. I am new to soft pastels and also confused. My teacher advices that the more the number of pieces the better. like minimum 120 pieces, or worse comes to worse,....72 pieces.....it is hard to find those numbers where i live. I found 48 pieces of soft pastels, mini for Faber Castell, and full for Koh e Noor.....i am not sure now if I should get chalk pastels or soft pastels......my teacher sent me a link which said.....Soft Pastel Chalks?!?!.....so i am confused.....as i know chalk pastels are cheaper than soft pastels.....I don't know what to do really. Flights are also not operating so I can't order from outside. Appreciate any help.
Hi Star! I can see why you are confused!! First, often people use the term 'chslks' of 'chslk pastels' synonymously with 'soft pastels' (and to confuse things further, they are also called 'dry pastels'). I personally don't like the term 'chalk' as generally it makes people think of school board chalk which pretty much have NO pigment. The more expensive the pastel, generally the more pigment it has (rather than binder).
A lot of pastels is certainly fun to have but even more important is to have pastels that cover a good range of values from dark to light and warms and cools.
And I understand your shipping predicament! It's hard for many right now with borders closed and less flights. Faber Castell is an excellent product. I find their pastels too hard but it's a good place to start. They are nice for sketching. I have never used Koh-i-noor but heard positive things about them. (See Becky's comment above or perhaps below..) the thing to do is get started and try them out. You can always eventually add other brands.
Hope that helps a bit!! 😀
Hey, this video is very helpful! but do you have any international soft pastel brand suggestions because the brands you show in the video aren't available in my country also my budget is low sooo. thanks!!
Thanks for responding and for your question! I'm not sure where in the world you are. Definitely Sennelier are pretty much available worldwide as are Unison Colour. I know that Rembrandt pastels are widely available and a bit less pricey. I started with them and they are fine to begin with although they are not my favourites. If these pastels are available where you live, I suggest you start with a small box of these. And I would move on to the Unison or Sennelier as soon as you can! Even a few pastels of a good soft pastel brand will make all the difference in your work!
How do you feel about koh i noor? I want to begin using pastels and I am thinking about buying them
I'm sorry but I haven't used them so can't answer your question. I have a feeling they are harder than these pastels but I don't actually know.
What about Daine Townsend for Wolf Kahn favorite...
I haven't used Diane Townsend pastels so I can't really comment Rajnish. Remember too that this video is about pastels for beginners. I adore Schminke and Great American for instance but I wouldn't recommend them for beginners. BTW, I didn't know that Diane Townsends were Wolf Kahn's favourites! Thanks for sharing that tidbit!
Gail Sibley even Diane Townsend sell few of their set of pastel as Wolf Kahn' favourite pastel. I heard that wolf also used Terry Ludwig soft pastel. Right now I travelled from India to UK for my office work . I found Terry Ludwig finally. But Mount Vision and Diane Townsend is still not available here . I bought unison half pastel in uk which is fantastic . Already I have 30 set of Schmincke soft pastel and sennelier as well . But you didn't mention @ Schmincke, I thought Schmincke is not a good pastel(it's bit dusty ) but quality of colour is just awesome. I am using all three bands enjoying my pastel work. And thanks for your valuable video. I learnt a lot from you. Also 'Not to Blend ' soft pastel helps me. For your information , Wolf Kahn also against the 'blend of pastel' concept .
Rajnish Sasmal Diane Townsend pastels are the cream of the crop.. King of kings.. You are the first person on here that I've seen mention wolf Kahn... I know his work very well.. I had a teacher who studied under him. What is blend of pastel concept? Rembrandt's, a great range, sennilier, even better range.. Schmincke, awful range.. Diane townsends terrages, best pastel I have ever used.. Soft form, good range of darks, but I prefer terrages.. Terrages great to get something down.. Soft form good for getting in small areas..
Rajnish Sasmal n8
Super mam.itz very useful.thankyou.im from india
So good to hear!!! And hello to you in India 👋
Ç
I am going to thought my drewet pastels in the bin. They are so rubbish.
Why not keep them and use them for colour sketches? Are the Derwent?
Use them for underpainting