An Introduction to Chalk Pastels
Updated: Aug 4, 2021
Welcome to my blog! Today I’ll be sharing with you the basics of chalk pastels, including different types of pastels, additional tools, surfaces and brands.
Chalk Pastel Sticks
These are sticks that are long rectangular blocks and come in a variety of colours.
Great for beginner to professional artists.
Sticks are great for covering bigger areas such as backgrounds.
Chalk pastels sticks are delicate. However, if they do break, you can still use them.
Pastels come in the categories of hard or soft. The softer the pastel, the more smooth and easy to blend.
They typically come with a wrapper for each stick to protect your hands from getting messy.
I recommend not sharpening them, since they are not the same fit for a pencil sharpener.
Pencil Chalk Pastels
A pencil form of chalk pastels.
Great for beginner to professional artists.
These are excellent for smaller areas and details.
They can be sharpened with a pencil sharpener or an x-acto knife.
They are less messy compared to the sticks.
Pan Pastels
These are very soft, powdered pastels that come in a circular plastic container.
Sponges and sponge-holders can be used to apply pan pastels.
Containers can be stacked together for easy storage.
Pan pastels are extremely vibrant and are an absolute delight to use.
These are some of the most delicate art supplies and I recommend them for intermediate-professional artists.
Colour Shapers/Blenders
These are used to blend your pastels, both sticks and pencils.
They are rubber-tipped ends. The ends are typically round or flat. I prefer the round ones.
Colour shapers come in a variety of sizes. The higher the number, the larger the size. My favourite sizes are 0, 2 and 6.
To clean your colour shapers, use a dry clean cloth or your fingers to wipe away the colour.
They last a long time, I’ve had some for up to 7 years!
You can also use blending sticks with pastels.
Taking Care of Chalk Pastels
For sticks, keep them in the containers they come in when you buy them. There is often foam or plastic inside the container to protect them from breaking and clanking together.
Another option is to store them in containers with uncooked rice. It sounds silly, but the rice protects the pastels, similar to foam. This works great if you have more pastels that you bought individually.
For pastel pencils, also keep them in their original container. Another option is to put them in a box, plastic case, or pencil holder.
Whichever approach you use, just remember to protect your pastels from hitting against each other, as this is how they can break and the colours can get contaminated.