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Home » Blog » Chalk Pastels: What is the difference?

in Art for All Ages· HomeSchooling

Chalk Pastels: What is the difference?

A reader asked: Can you, or Nana, explain the difference between chalk, soft, and hard pastels to me? Chalk pastels: what is the difference?

Chalk Pastels - What is the Difference?

I’m wanting to buy some more to expand our collection but I want to make sure that I’m buying the correct thing. Thanks!

Chalk pastels: what is the difference?

And Nana explains:

The Type of Chalk Pastels We Love

Keep in mind that you should purchase the lowest cost pastels in any form.  Do this to see if you like this medium of art (Pastel painting) and then gradually expand your collection.  These are SUGGESTIONS! You can also browse all of our favorites at YouAREanArtist.com.

This post contains affiliate links to art supplies we adore. Please see our disclosure policy. Thanks for that!

There are actually four main types of pastels: soft, hard, pastel pencils and oil pastels:

The soft pastels are the most traditional and the most used. They have a high concentration of pigment that is held together with the least amount of binder. (These are the ones we recommend! Easiest to use because of the blending quality and intense colors of the pure pigment!)

Hard pastels are more for drawing and outlining.  They are cylindrical or slender, square sticks and can be used for fine details like drawing maps and others in Nana’s I Drew It Then I Knew It series.  They have a lot of gum binder to make them so hard. The Nupastels are the very best and are very affordable in hard pastels.  I have had my same set for years!

Pastel pencils are used for the best control in painting by a lot of artists.  They are enclosed in wood, just like a pencil, and have a touch on paper between hard and soft pastels.

Oil pastels are pigment with a binder of oil instead of gum.  They will not crumble or smudge and do not have to have a fixative sprayed on a finished painting.  But…they do not blend at all and there is not a lot of color choices for oil pastels.

Pan Pastels are a medium we’ve shared about before too! The little pans of color! They stack and interlock making for easy storage – and easy for on the go. We love the little sponge tools and the ones that look like eye shadow applicators. We love the variation and freshness pan pastels offer us. Pan pastels are a new-found freedom of expression in art.

Using Pan Pastels: How to Draw a Sky and Beach

I’m wanting to buy some more to expand our collection but I want to make sure that I’m buying the correct thing. Thanks!

More Chalk Pastel Art Resources

  • Our Favorite Chalk Pastels
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • The Very Few Must Have Chalk Pastel Supplies (hint – just add chalk pastels and paper!)
  • How to Keep Chalk Pastel Colors Bright
  • Chalk Pastel Nature Journaling
  • Chalk Pastel Cleaning and Storage
  • How to Plan Simple Afternoon Art Projects
  • How to Do Art in 5-10 Minutes
  • How to Start Art with Young Children
  • How to Deal with the Chalk Pastel Mess

Do you and your artists learn best with video art lessons? Join the You ARE an Artist Clubhouse with an annual, quarterly or monthly membership for over 590 art lessons from Nana!

Join the You ARE an Artist group on Facebook and follow ChalkPastelArt on Instagram for more discussion!

What questions do you have about chalk pastel art?

-originally published August 2015

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Filed Under: Art for All Ages, HomeSchooling Tagged With: FAQ, FAQs, how to

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