PASTEL PAPERS
The types of substrates on which we can work with pastels are plural: from paper to canvas, wood to concrete, but in this article we will focus on paper. It is worth mentioning that pastels can be successfully used with other media, i.e.: oil and acrylic paints, crayons, charcoal, etc.
The choice of paper, in turn, depends on the chosen drawing technique, since an inappropriate paper can effectively discourage us from further attempts. In the article I will discuss different papers due to their grammage, texture, the specifics of the work in terms of the type of pastels. I will also point out that a particular paper may suit every artist, while for another it will be unacceptable, and explain why this difference.
What should be noted at the outset is the composition of pastels, which determines the choice of surface. I have written about the composition in detail in previous articles on the Quarterly, so I heartily encourage you to read them. However, in a nutshell, pastel, due to its consistency, is a material that requires a substrate that provides adequate adhesion. Hence comes any roughness and texture of the substrate used for this medium. On a smooth surface, unfortunately, the pastel will have little chance to hold in the long term as well as the application of layers would be severely limited on such a surface. Therefore, structured surfaces are suitable for drawing with pastels.
PASTELMAT
I will first discuss paper, which is suitable under pastel both dry in pencil, stick and oil, and for all techniques: both realistic and looser compositions.
Pastelmat, as it is referred to, is the most versatile paper for me, first of all because of its grammage of 360 g - which makes it a rather stiff cardboard, with one side of this top side resembling sandpaper more or less with a gradation of 1000, and the bottom side has a slippery surface. Why is this grammage in the case of pastels so important? Well, because when multiple layers are applied, especially in realistic drawings, the stiffness of the paper and its specific structure minimizes the risk of pastel spilling, which is extremely important for the durability of the work. In addition, this paper allows excellent blending and layering of colors, basically like no other. The great thing is that you can make multiple corrections on it and even erase it (with an eraser, of course). For me personally, it is an absolute number one. The manufacturer offers beautiful colors in various shades of gray, yellow, brown, but not only because there are also more expressive colors on offer, i.e.: burgundy, anthracite or dark blue and many others. The paper in blocks is available in attractively colored colors in 18x24cm, 24×30cm and 30×40cm sizes, or we can purchase single sheets up to 70x100cm size. The sheets are lined with slippery paper, which can be successfully put under the hand while doing the work, as the pastel sticks to it to a minimum extent. Moreover, pastelmat has such good adhesion that it does not require the use of fixative. However, this paper will not immediately appeal to everyone, it takes a little practice, but once you get the knack it will be difficult to switch to another substrate. It is worth mentioning that pastelmat is waterproof, so it will work well for the technique of painting with water pastels, which I wrote about in one of my previous articles, or with oil pastels using turpentine or linseed oil as in the case of oil paints.
PASTEL CARD SENNELIER
Nieco zbliżoną strukturę ma papier Pastel Card Sennelier, aczkolwiek jego gradacja bardziej przypomina papier ścierny co powoduje szybsze zużycie pasteli ale i osypywanie się drobinek papieru, wynikające ze składu tego papieru czyli mieszaniny korka z płatkami roślinnymi i procesu jego produkcji. Za to blendowanie na nim to czysta przyjemność, a dodatkowo uzyskujemy miękki efekt rysunku. Natomiast cena może być dla niektórych niestety zaporowa. W tym przypadku papier można zakupić w bloczku jak i na sztuki, gramatura równie wysoka jak pastelmatu – 360g, dostępny w różnej kolorystyce.
VELOUR OR SUEDE PAPER
Another substrate is velour or suede paper, which resembles a material applied to paper/board dedicated mainly to dry pastels. Characteristics of this paper are the short and quite tightly compacted hairs, as well as the fleshy nature, which results in minimal pastel fallout. Pigment penetrates this structure very well, however blending in this case is somewhat limited compared to other papers, although not impossible. The substrate is ideal for making slightly looser compositions, it causes a delicate blurring effect. It can be slightly problematic to make more realistic work, due to limited layering possibilities. Erasing can also give us difficulty. Color saturation is somewhat softer on this substrate. Certainly the paper requires practice, although it is a very interesting alternative to other substrates and certainly worth trying. Here, too, the use of a fixative is not required. An important note - hard pastel with a lot of fixative or too much pressure with pastel can damage the structure of this paper. As for technical information: this type of paper is available both in blocks and sheets, up to the size of 50×70 cm. The grammage of these papers ranges from 260g to 300g, with the Hahnemuhle velour paper being flexible, although in this case this does not affect the adhesion or the settling of pastels. The color scheme is not as rich as that of pastelmat, but includes, in addition to white and black, probably the most common colors in shades of yellow and gray.
INGRES, CANSON, RENESANS, REMBRANDT
A separate category is made up of papers with a deep, visible texture, e.g. Ingres, Canson, Renaissance, Rembrant, and these are usually papers with a lower grammage of about 160g, in this case the paper is flexible, so the spilling of pastels is significant. Here we also have suggestions of different textures depending on the company: starting with stripes (Ingres), honeycomb (Canson Mi-Teintes), slightly deeper holes (Fabriano Tiziano).
When it comes to dry pastels, layering and blending multiple layers is limited. On the other hand, single color blending is already as smooth as possible, provided you spread the color evenly before blending. When it comes to realistic drawing, the papers can cause a bit of disappointment, especially if you've worked on pastelamta before. They may discourage rather than encourage this type of precise work, while they are great for landscapes and loose compositions, but not only, as for less detailed portraits of people or animals they will also work well. An advantage can certainly be the piercing of the texture, e.g.: striations on Ingres paper, although after rubbing the pastel into the texture, its visibility can be slightly reduced if someone does not like such an effect.
When it comes to oil pastels, these papers really do a great job, even if you operate ordinary non-professional sticks. First of all, these pastels adhere very well to the textured substrate, and the texture certainly gives an interesting effect to the work. The grammage is sufficient, as in this case it does not affect the durability of the drawing.
A variety of colors and sizes are available for this type of paper, both in blocks and single sheets.
SAND PAPER
The cheapest, budget version, such typically for practice, is certainly ordinary sandpaper, the gradation of which about 1000 resembles pastelmat paper. However, it should be remembered that this material is strongly acidic so working on it will not be impermanent, the abrasiveness of pastels is significant on such a surface.
CONCLUSION
In summary, when it comes to realistic drawing, pastelmat is the best and here it is rather difficult to find an alternative. Then there are papers that have textured substrates, great for working with oil pastels but also dry pastels, where the texture of the paper can add to the attractiveness of the work and, finally, it is worth mentioning velour and suede papers, where the drawing is definitely different, a bit fuzzy, nostalgic and giving the work a bit of romance and magic.
We should remember to use acid-free papers, which condition the life of our work.
The last thing worth mentioning is the color of the paper, which can have a very big impact on the final effect of our drawing, especially if you can see the texture of the paper. Here it is worth to be tempted to experiment, as the results can positively surprise us.
TUTORIAL appeared in the pages of the 7th issue of QUARTalnik, a magazine for artists. The magazine can be purchased in hard copy on Amazon or downloaded in a free online version at the link below:
