Table of Contents
Mastering Gradients with Pastels
What Are the Different Types of Pastels and How Do They Perform?
What Are the Advantages of Using Soft Pastels for Expressive Work?
What Are the Advantages of Using Soft Pastels for Expressive Work?
Mastering Gradients with Pastels
Whether you're working on a complex landscape or a simple still-life, mastering gradients with pastels can significantly enrich your artistic expression. With our curated collection of pastels, you'll have the perfect tools at your disposal to explore and perfect this technique.
What Are the Different Types of Pastels and How Do They Perform?
Pastels come in several forms—soft, hard, oil, and pencil—and each brings a unique texture and performance quality to artwork. Soft pastels are highly pigmented and ideal for expressive, painterly techniques, blending easily across textured paper or pastel board. Hard pastels offer more control and precision, making them excellent for detailed work or underdrawings. Oil pastels, with their creamy texture, allow for bold strokes and layering similar to painting, while pastel pencils combine pigment with control for intricate compositions. Each type serves different creative purposes, so understanding their characteristics is essential. Artists often mix formats within a single piece, using soft pastels for vibrant colour and pastel pencils for sharp highlights. Choosing the right pastel medium ensures both creative freedom and the ability to achieve your desired visual effect.
What Are the Advantages of Using Soft Pastels for Expressive Work?
Sennelier Oil Pastel Set 24 Assorted Portrait
$118.80
Sennelier Oil Pastels
$5.31
Sennelier Oil Pastel Set 24 Still Life
$118.76
Soft pastels are favoured for their rich pigmentation and ability to create expressive, atmospheric effects. They blend effortlessly, allowing artists to transition smoothly between colours or build contrast through layering. Because they contain minimal binder, soft pastels offer brilliant saturation and a tactile, velvety finish that’s difficult to achieve with other mediums. They’re especially suited for landscapes, portraits, and abstract work, where movement and emotion are central. Artists can smudge, blend, or layer strokes to create anything from dreamy gradients to bold textural marks. While soft pastels are delicate and can smudge easily, proper technique and surface selection make them highly versatile. Their responsiveness to pressure and layering makes them ideal for developing style and spontaneity—key elements in expressive art.
How Does The Sydney Art Store Support Pastel Artists at Every Stage?
The Sydney Art Store goes beyond offering products by providing a creative ecosystem for pastel artists of all levels. From curated starter sets for beginners to specialised tools for professionals, we ensure each artist has access to the right materials at the right stage. Our educational support, including guidance on fixatives, surfaces, and accessory use, helps simplify technical decisions and allows you to focus on your creative process. You can confidently explore new techniques, experiment with brands, or refine your signature style knowing that our inventory meets high standards. We also maintain up-to-date stock of limited-edition colours, seasonal releases, and bundle offers, ensuring you always have access to the latest and best. With a reputation for quality and community support, The Sydney Art Store remains a reliable destination for all your pastel needs—whether for studio work, gallery preparation, or creative exploration.
