The Best of Pastel (v. 1)
Introduction; Dear Pastel Enthusiasts, Welcome to the Renaissance of Pastels. Before I delve into the little-known history of our medium, let me describe what pastels are and what they are not! Pastels have been misnamed chalks - limestone treated with colored dye - and crayons - those waxy colored sticks our children play with: Real pastels, however, are pure pigment; obtained from the stones in the earth and ground into powered form. The difference between pastels, oil paints, watercolor paints, and gouache or tempera media, is the binder. Methyl cellulose is used, instead of the oil, gum arabic or egg binders used in the others. This liquid is mixed with the powder, to form a paste; thus, the word "pastel" is related to the French word "pastiche". The paste is rolled into short sticks and allowed to dry. The pastels are then applied to any ground with a "tooth"-paper, cardboard, canvas, cloth, or on masonite.