Delving Into the World of Art: Benefits of Working with Pastels

While we may not all be cut out to be artists professionally, it’s not that difficult to comprehend the importance of art as a medium in our lives. The complex and creative beings we are, we need an easy way to express our deepest emotions, fears hopes, views and social statements in a colourful and aesthetic way.

You don’t have to be a modern-day da Vinci to implement art in your day-to-day activities for all this. What’s more, simple doodling and drawing can assist you with handling the daily stress in a better and more pleasant way as they can allow you to let your mind wander – at least for a little while. And, who knows, perhaps this wandering can lead you to create masterpieces that you’d later on proudly display on your walls.

Out of all the different tools, techniques, and supplies you can choose, pastels are a great choice that’s been tried and tested for many centuries. Even if you’re a beginner, you’d still be able to make the most of the selection of pastels for sale as they’re easy to work with, they can help you master a range of techniques, and you can have fun with the vibrant colours and velvety textures. But these aren’t the only benefits you can reap.

Versatile

This refers to the options you can find them in as much as the effects they can help you create. Depending on what you’re aiming to create, and what the end result and finish would be, you’ve got the chance to choose from soft, hard, pencil, and oil pastels all impressive on their own. Each of these can help you achieve stunning results that truly make the image come to life with a pop of colour.

The soft pastels for sale as you might guess provide a soft consistency no matter the fine lines or strokes you choose to do. If you’re after a rich colourful palette, these surely won’t disappoint! The hard alternative is created on the same principle as the soft, the only difference being in the binder and pigment levels; there’s more binder and less pigment in the hard counterparts. One of their benefits is they allow you to create sharp lines without the worry of smudges.

The pencil pastels are kind of like actual pencils that are the perfect balance between both soft and hard pastels. They’re ideal for creating detailed and precise drawings, without the mess of the soft alternative. The oil kind leaves you with lots of flexibility and opportunity as you can use them both dry and wet. Although they’re not that different from the soft, they don’t crumble or smudge.

Easy to Use

As a beginner, it’s normal to be afraid of experimenting and erring on the side of colour mixing or even drawing certain lines and forms. Luckily, art pastels are a forgiving medium that’s easy to work with, and just as easy to correct as they don’t require the use of any chemicals or sealants.

All you need is a specialised eraser you can find at the art supplies stores to remove or fix some of the bits you consider to be mistakes without the fret of damaging some of the surfaces. Once you’re done and happy with the outcome of your drawing and colour mixing and smudging with a blending tool, add a fixative and your artwork is all complete!

Safe

Now that I’ve mentioned chemicals and sealants, or the lack thereof with the pastel techniques, this leads us to another benefit you can expect to reap and that is your safety, specifically that of your health and well-being. Not having to work with anything toxic that leaves off dangerous fumes and odours, kind of like working with charcoals, means you won’t have to use special PPE in the form of a face mask.

You also won’t have to rely on indoor ventilation so you won’t have to go through the trouble of looking to work in a room where there’s a ventilating system. There’s an even safer solution you can resort to which is choosing a fixative that’s made from natural ingredients, such as the art-grade milk casein formulation based on a recipe by the renowned French Impressionist Degas.

Affordable

Cost is usually one of the first considerations of beginner artists and hobbyists who are faced with buying all sorts of supplies. In addition to being safe, easy to work with, durable, and amazing colour-wise, these art supplies are also on the affordable side when you compare them to other mediums like oil paints. The decision to buy pastels will definitely not be a costly one, even initially, and can moreover add a nice pop of colour to your life and abode, making it the perfect option to explore the world of art!

Portable

If you’d also like to use the opportunity to create artwork in the grand outdoors, getting inspiration from Australia’s breathtaking landscapes, this is yet another aspect where pastels prove to be a solid choice. Lightweight and not bulky, they’re easy to store and take along with you on your trips so you can draw and create even on the go. Still, given that they’re rather delicate, it’s best to protect them by carrying them in their own pastel storage box.