Middle-toned papers are most popular. Color - On the whole, it's best to avoid the vibrantly colored papers. Texturizing - coat paper with warm size or acrylic medium, then immediately add pumice powder or marble dust evenly over the surface. Erasing should be done early on because excessive working of the surface can deaden the color of a pastel painting. Erasing can also spoil the texture of the paper.
Fingers are perhaps the best tool a pastel artist has.
One can cover the fingers with latex gloves to avoid adding grease to the image. Never rub a kneaded eraser on a pastel painting, as this can make it slick and greasy. Fixatives A pastel fixative is a thinly diluted varnish that binds the particles and holds them to the page. A fixative alters the character of a painting. Particles absorb the varnish and coalesce, resembling thicker and heavier paint more than pastel.