Pastels
Painting with pastels is the closest thing to painting with pure pigment. Pastel color glides onto the surface and can be blended and modified with your finger or a tool such as a color shaper or pastel brush.
Painting with soft pastel is a very direct and immediate mode of expression in color. Dry color glides onto the surface as if painting with pure pigment.
A cleaner method of pastel painting, soft pastel is contained in pans ready to be applied to a surface with your finger, a brush, or an applicator.
Hard pastels allow for cleaner, crisper lines than soft pastels. They are ideal for quick dynamic drawing, giving bold and dramatic marks.
Pastel pencils are ideal for adding fine detail to pastel paintings. They are cleaner to work with than regular soft pastels.
Oil pastels are made of pigments bound in a non-drying oil and wax binder. Their creamy consistency is ideal for building up layers.
A selection of mediums including blending and liquefying mediums for altering the consistency and texture of pastels.
High quality boards and panels that have been specifically developed for pastel painting. Versatile and easily transportable.
Textured and coated papers for pastel painting. Pastel paper is designed to hold pastel colour’s dry pigment in place.
Pastel ground is an acrylic-based primer that is quick drying and possesses a fine tooth that is suitable for pastel painting.
Fixative is a clear liquid applied to dry media artwork to stabilize the pigment and preserve the finished artwork.
These tools allow you to draw, paint, and blend with pastels and create a variety of marks and effects.
We’ve put together a wide variety of gift ideas for artists of all levels of experience, and catering for all budgets.
We have hundreds of titles to help inspire and motivate your artistic practice.
Pastel brushes come in a variety of sizes to cater for both very fine intricate work and bolder, large scale work.
Keep pastels organized and secure. Pastel Boxes will protect delicate pastels while on the move or in the studio.
What is Pastel Painting?
Pastel is a vibrant and versatile medium made from pure pigment and a binder. Pastels offer rich colors and soft textures perfect for blending and layering. Pastel paintings are known for their immediacy and luminosity, making them ideal for expressive artwork and detailed compositions.
Our pastel department incorporates the many variations of this drawing and painting medium. Working with the best soft pastels feels like drawing with pure pigment. Oil pastels combine pigment with wax binders, creating a versatile medium that offers blendable texture. Pastel pencils allow you to enjoy the expressive qualities of soft pastel in a pencil form - perfect for precise, detailed marks that can be blended and smudged too.
Is pastel a drawing or painting medium? The answer is both! They’re unique in their qualities and fall between the two. The high pigment concentration in pastels rivals what you’d find in the most vibrant oil or acrylic paint. Their versatility allows you to draw chalky lines and also apply flat areas of color that can be blended and layered over one another.
Pastel sets make it quick and easy to acquire a number of colors to get started. There are thousands of colors to choose from by world-renowned brands including Unison Colour, Schmincke, Conte, Sennelier, PanPastel, Caran d’Ache and our own brand Jackson’s Soft Pastels.