Pastelmat Frustration When Using Colored Pencils

I see artists on social media getting frustrated with drawing with colored pencils on Clairefontaine Pastelmat.

This is understandable because when I first used it I was thinking that Pastelmat was a horrible surface because I wasn’t covering the tooth of the paper, and so I wasn’t able to achieve a painterly look.

The graininess is due to the fact that Pastelmat has a deep tooth to it. If you need a refresher on what is paper tooth, check out my previous blog on the Pros and Cons of Clairefontaine Pastelmat.

Graininess is something a lot of colored pencil artists strive to get rid of on typical papers such as Bristol vellum or hot press watercolor paper. If not used correctly, the graininess is accentuated when using Pastelmat.

Once I figured out how to make the colored pencils work on Pastelmat, I was hooked. Due to the ability to hold many layers, Pastelmat allows me to create pieces that have a depth of color that is hard to beat when using other papers.

Here are five tips to using colored pencils on Pastelmat.

5 Tips for Using Pastelmat

1. Pencil Type

   As with most things in life, I have learned this the hard way. If you are not going to use solvent, I find it’s best to start layering with oil-based pencils. (For more on pencil types check out my previous posts on oil-based pencils and wax-based pencils).

   My two favorite types of these pencils are Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran d’Ache Pablos.

   The reason why it is easier to start with oil-based pencils is that the pencils are harder and not as sticky as wax-based pencils, such as Prismacolor Premier pencils or Caran d’Ache Luminance.

   The binding agent in these pencils allows you to be able to move the pigment around easier on the Pastelmat (or any surface). The pigment doesn’t stick to the tooth of the paper as much as the wax-based pencils. As a result, you can manipulate the outcome easier. You can soften the pencil marks and fill in the tooth of the paper with the initial layers, which will get rid of the grain. It’s also easier to erase oil-based pencils, which is always a plus.

   If you want to use wax-based pencils, you can, but I would add them on top of the oil-based pencils.

   I haven’t tried this, but I believe if you used wax-based pencils straight off it would work if you used solvent to get rid of the grain and mix the pigments. Then you draw on top of that layer. That said, you wouldn’t be able to erase it easily. But I think this could be a great method for a painterly-looking background.

   Below is an example of a portrait where I began drawing Opie the dog with Prismacolor pencils (the background was done in pastels). I found it was harder to fix mistakes and add as many layers when using the Prismas.

   In later pieces when I used Polychromos, I was able to add more layers and achieve softer-looking fur.

2. Layers

Pastelmat was created with deep tooth to hold lots of pastel layers. As a result, it can hold lots of colored pencil layers. This is good news! It means that as artists we can achieve a beautiful depth of color in our pieces using this surface.

Some other surfaces won’t allow us to add a lot of layers, and we have to be more intentional. With Pastelmat, you have lots of chances to make your piece look as you want it to. It’s very forgiving. You can keep adding layers if you make a mistake.

Another layering benefit of Pastelmat is that you can draw light colors over dark colors while using it. This is the holy grail for colored pencil artists. Usually, you have to preserve light areas and make sure you don’t fill them with darker colors. But you don’t have to be afraid to draw light over dark with Pastelmat. That said, you still have to be mindful of it. Don’t expect to draw white paws over black fur, for example. But you can expect to get some lighter hairs drawn over darker hairs, which is super helpful.

3. Tools

If you use the oil-based pencils mentioned in tip #1, you can use tools to push the pigment around on the Pastelmat. This is beneficial for a couple of reasons. You can get rid of the grain of the paper by using tools, and you can achieve a soft look.

You can use a dry paintbrush (my favorite), a tortillon or blending stump, a Q-tip, or tissue paper.

This is my method especially when I’m looking to create an animal with soft fur: put down two or three layers of Polychromos and then use a paintbrush to mix the colors and get rid of the grain of the paper. Then I keep layering until I’m happy with the result.

When I drew this portrait of Jackson shown below, I used a few layers of Polychromos and a blending stump to create the background.

4. Tape

I buy Scotch tape in bulk. That’s how helpful it is to me as a colored pencil artist drawing on Pastelmat. I love the stuff!

I use it for two reasons: I can remove pigment and create texture and I can erase mistakes.

When I’m drawing fur on Pastelmat, I like to put down a few layers of my oil-based pencils and then remove some lighter areas of fur with the tape. See the video below for an example of how I remove the pigment using the tape.

This method doesn’t create perfect lines when you lift the pigment, but that’s okay. I just refine what I’ve removed by adding layers. I keep doing this until I’m happy with the look.

5. Blend With Another Pencil

This works well when using oil-based pencils as well. Put a few layers down, and then use another oil-based pencil to blend the layers. If you use a lighter color pencil this works really well. It might lighten your value a bit, but you can easily add darker layers on top.

The reason why this works is that it’s moving the pigment around mixing the colors and covering the tooth of the paper, similar to using tools in #2.

See the video below for an example of how this works.

I apologize for the vertical nature of it. I made the video for Instagram, where I have posted many short reels that show tips like this. If you are interested in seeing them, check out my Quick Tips highlights.

Conclusion

I was thinking of adding “have patience” as a sixth tip, but I thought you might be annoyed by that (I know I would). But I might as well add it here. I think it’s helpful to get into the mindset that creating a lovely drawing on Pastelmat will take time. It’s better to embrace that and try and enjoy the process as much as you can. I say that, knowing full well that I get frustrated at times, so know that it is normal to be impatient (at least it is for me!).

Hopefully, this blog helped you with using colored pencils on Pastelmat. I’d love to know if it did or if you have other tips! Comment below.