Arts and Calligraphy: GALLERY; DRY PASTEL

What is Pastel?

Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation. The color effect of pastels is closer to the natural dry pigments than that of any other process.^[1]

Pastels have been used by artists since the Renaissance, and gained considerable popularity in the 18th century, when a number of notable artists made pastel their primary medium.

An artwork made using pastels is called a pastel (or a pastel drawing or pastel painting). Pastel used as a verb means to produce an artwork with pastels; as an adjective it means pale in color.

You can find them: http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/dry-pastel.html

Dry pastel are quite different with OIL PASTEL.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRY PASTELS AND OIL PASTELS?

• They are formulated differently: oil pastels consist of pigments with oil and waxes added to give a waxy texture. Dry pastels contain no oil or wax. They get their powdery texture from a mixture of pigments and various binders.
• Oil pastels can be used on their own or diluted, whilst dry pastels are only diluted for washes.
• When layered techniques are used with a combination of mediums the “fat over lean” rule must be observed: oil pastels can be used for highlights (finishing touches) over dry pastels, but not the other way round.