Sunday, September 26, 2010

Term for the Day: Pastel

In terms of art media, “pastel” refers to an implement consisting of a stick of pure color pigment bound in a suspension with a neutral hue and low saturation.  The colors of pastel sticks are pure--the closest approximation to their natural pigments.  The use of pastels in artwork provides untainted color.  The hardness of pastels varies from quite soft to a crayon-like hardness.  Pastels can be blended in much the same way oil paints can, but offer a crispness more like that of pencils or charcoal.  Artists since the Sixteenth Century have employed pastels as a medium, treasuring the pureness of color that they provide. 

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