What are Soft Pastels?
Soft pastels are colored drawing sticks, sometimes resembling a crayon, that contain a pigment and a binding agent to keep the pastel together. With soft pastels, the binding agent is minimal so they can be blended or smeared on a drawing. Drawings made with soft pastels do not keep well unless the drawing is then covering with a fixing agent or fixative.
Soft pastels are colored drawing sticks, sometimes resembling a crayon, that contain a pigment and a binding agent to keep the pastel together. With soft pastels, the binding agent is minimal so they can be blended or smeared on a drawing. Drawings made with soft pastels do not keep well unless the drawing is then covering with a fixing agent or fixative. A few forms of pastels exist. Hard pastels contain a higher amount of binding agent that does not blend as well. They are often used in combination with soft pastels when the artist wants to render fine details. Oil pastels are soft, with a slightly waxy feel. These are commonly used in children’s artwork, since you don’t have to apply a fixative to the finished product. Children often love them because they can smear or blend colors easily, and come in a wide assortment of colors. You do have to make sure to wash the hands thoroughly after using oil pastels since you can end up getting the oil on wall or furniture surfaces.
