Soft Pastels, Hard Choices: My Must-Have Tools for Creating Realistic Art

Lakota (my pup) is rendered mostly in soft pastels with a few harder pencils on Clairefontaine pastelmat.

Seven years ago, in my early 40s, I rekindled my passion for creating art. I started by drawing dogs in graphite, using grids to improve my accuracy, and focusing on enhancing values to achieve realism. But something was missing—my drawings lacked the vibrancy I craved. I wanted to add color, but I also needed a portable medium, so I moved away from oil paints, which I had dabbled with before.

That's when I discovered the magic of colored pencils for creating realistic drawings. Not long after, I dipped my toe into the world of pastels, starting with PanPastels and pastel pencils. Fast forward to this January, and I took the plunge into soft pastels. And let me tell you, that was the game-changer. Soft pastels stole my heart. Not only can I create pieces more quickly, but they’re also much more forgiving than colored pencils.

If you're curious about my thoughts on colored pencils versus pastels, I’ve written several blogs you can check out. Here are five. I have written even more which you can find by typing in a keyword in the search bar on my webpage.

In this article, I want to spotlight my favorite pastel tools that I have found so far—the ones that have become essential to my realism style. I will stick to my absolute favorites to keep this blog from being too lengthy. I will write another blog on my 2nd round draft choices of pastel supplies coming soon.

When I first entered the pastel world, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. I hope to cut through that confusion for you, whether you’re thinking about creating your first piece in pastels, or you are leveling up your skills and don’t know where to start with supplies.

I am a supply pig/hoarder, so even discussing them makes me very excited! I will provide links so you can see the products I’m talking about. If you use an Amazon link to buy something it helps to support my blog in a very small way. Let’s go!

Favorite Paper for Pastels

Clairefontaine Pastelmat

If you have been following my blogs, you know me, and you know I love Clairefontaine pastelmat! I have also written several blogs on this paper surface. I will put the link to one below, but again you can search for anything using the search bar if you are so inclined. This link will provide you with information regarding paper tooth as well, which is helpful if you are a beginner. It also has links to all of the Clairefontaine products, minus their newest paper which I will discuss at a later time.

Clairefontaine Pastelmat- the Pros and Cons

I started using this surface with colored pencils. I can’t say enough about how fantastic it is, however, of course, all things have downsides. But first-

What I love about Clairefontaine Pastelmat:

It holds tons of layers. It takes quite a while to fill the tooth of the paper even when you are using soft pastels that fill it quickly. This means that you can achieve a depth of color and/or have lots of room to experiment and fix mistakes.
I love the colors it comes in. It comes in both pads and sheets and it’s available in many hues. I like to have options on hand so I buy both pads and sheets. The pads are handy for smaller pieces, but the sheets are great for larger works. I cut whatever size I need from the largest sheet (27 1/2 x 39 1/2) and have enough for several works. It is also cheaper to buy the biggest sheet, which comes in at around $32 a sheet on Blick Art (as of September 2024). You can buy pads on Amazon, but the sheets you have to buy elsewhere- I always use Blick Art. Shipping is free above $59 and their customer service is fantastic.
My favorite colors are sienna, dark gray, light gray, maize or buttercup (basically the same IMO), dark brown, and light blue. I will also use white if I want a white background- which is extremely hard to keep clean with soft pastels (but doable).
I select the color based on what I have on hand and what color I imagine I want popping through. It doesn’t actually “pop” through, but that is my thinking. For example, if I am drawing a dog such as a red merle Australian Sheppard, I might choose the sienna color for the reddish undertones.
I say it doesn’t truly matter what color you choose because you will be adding tons of layers. That said, a good color will help you visualize better as you draw before every part of the paper is covered with pastels. I notice that the same hue of pastel will look very different on a sienna-colored piece of pastelmat as opposed to a dark gray piece. So keep that in mind. I think it’s best to choose a mid-tone paper which will help you see your values as you draw.

What I Don’t Love About Clairefontaine Pastelmat:

Cost: This stuff is expensive. $32 (27 1/2” x 39 1/2”) for a sheet or $47 for a pad of 12 sheets (9 1/2” x 12”). Obviously, I am still buying it, so supply and demand are working out for them. So it is what it is…
Defects! Sometimes- a lot of times- I will get a sheet of paper that has defects in it. This is soooo frustrating because- see #1.
When I say defects, I mean there can be indentations in the paper that come from the manufacturing. I had horizontal lines running through my “Two Are Better Than One” piece. I had to keep covering it with Pan Pastels before it wasn’t obvious. I didn’t notice it before I started my piece.
Another situation I have been running into lately is little white specks. I keep forgetting to ask my artist friends on Instagram about this, but I have seen this a lot lately on my Pastelmat. You would think it wouldn’t matter because you can layer on top of the white specks, but the little buggars are very hard to cover for some reason.
The only solution I have to these problems is to carefully inspect a piece of paper before you commit to drawing on it. You may be able to initiate a return before you put 20 hours into a masterpiece that has indentations on it. However, I have run into several issues and kept on drawing despite them, and I think my pieces still turned out fine. So don’t fret if you run into an issue.
Be Careful With Your Line Art: I transfer my line art by tracing the reference photo. No, it’s not cheating. Here’s why: you lose most of your line art when you are working in pastels and you still have to constantly judge shapes and sizes as you go.
Anyway, when you transfer your line art, be careful that you aren’t pressing too hard with your pencil or embossing tool. You can create a groove that is hard to fill. This happens almost for every piece that I create, even though I am using very light pressure. You will be able to fill over the indentations, but just be careful. Especially if you are using colored pencils, because they are more transluscent than pastels, and they may not be able to cover the indentation.

Favorite Brand of Soft Pastels

Unison Soft Pastels

I received a set of Unisons for Christmas- to be specific- Emma Colbert's animal set. Then I learned how to use them by taking some of her tutorials.

When I got the Unisons for Christmas, it was like Heaven opened up and angels were singing on them. I had previously used PanPastels as an underpainting and Faber Castel Pitt pencils and Stabilo Carbothello pencils for my drawings (I will discuss these supplies further in the article). The Unisons were a game changer. Here's why I Iove them so much:

What I love about Unison Soft Pastels:

Saturation/Coverage: Softer pastels such as Unison can have a very intense impact on your drawing. The color is not shy. It is very different if you lay down Panpastel or pastel pencils as compared to Unisons. You may have to lay many layers of either of these down until you are satisfied with the look. I like using the Unisons because it saves time and my colors have more punch.
Hue availability: Unison Colour Soft Pastels come in 380 colors. The colors are designed to reflect the spectrum of nature, with cycles of related hues. There are so many beautiful colors available! You can buy them from the Unison website, from Amazon, or from art stores such as Blick Art Supplies.
Texture: Unisons are very soft and go on smoothly. This point sort of goes with saturation and coverage, but the texture is so fun I thought it deserves its own number:)

What I don't love about Unisons:

Cost: They are expensive. I find a way to buy them anyway. They are worth it! All good art supplies are ridiculously expensive so I will buy what I can. One good thing is that you can buy 1/2 sticks which is a great option. I bought this Starter set from Blick Art which is fantastic. It has 120 1/2 sticks in it, which means more color choices. It takes a while to use each stick, so for me 1/2 stick is fine.
Saturation/Coverage: Yes, this is the same point that I have in the positive section, but hear me out. If you aren't sure of how you want to render something, like a background, you might not want to start your layers with Unisons. This is because Unisons are so soft and creamy, that they fill the tooth of the paper quicker, even if you use a light touch. If I know I might struggle with a portion of my drawing, I might start with PanPastel layers instead. It gives me more room to make mistakes.

Favorite Brand of Underpainting Pastel

PanPastels

My first foray into pastels was using only pastel pencils. I quickly realized that I would spend a lot of money using only pencils to cover large areas of paper. That’s when I discovered PanPastels.

A PanPastel is a type of professional-grade, highly pigmented pastel that comes in a unique pan format, similar to makeup compacts, rather than in traditional stick form. These pastels are soft, smooth, and formulated to be applied with special sponge tools called Sofft tools, which resemble cosmetic sponges.

I think they are fantastic! Here’s why:

What I love about PanPastels

Cheaper cost: That is probably the first time I have said that about an art supply, but it is true! They come in 92 colors, but the great thing is you don’t need to buy them all. I bought the Pure Colors set, which includes 20 hues including white and black. This means that you can mix all of the other colors that you may want with just this set (except for the metallics). Dab some of the pastels onto printer paper using your Sofft tools and mix them on the paper. Then you can apply the pastels to your piece from there.
This set is currently $84.00 in October 2024 at the time I am writing this blog. That is not a bad price when you compare it to other pastels.
Long Lasting: The Pans will last a long time. There is a lot of pastel pigment crammed into each pan, which adds to #1.
More Transcluscent: Because you use a Sofft tool to apply the pastel, the effect is more subdued than if you were to apply Unisons. This can be an advantage if you want to slowly build up layers. It gives you more wiggle room to figure out which hues to use before you fill the tooth of the paper.
Great for Backgrounds: If I want a plain color background or one with a little variation, I will only use PanPastels. If you look at the background of the fox above, I used Pans to create that effect. The tools enable you to drag the pastel into position and create a smooth look.
Great for Underpaintings: I like to block in underpaintings using Pans. You can map out a whole piece using them before applying pencils on top which creates a nice effect. The final look is less saturated than when I use Unisons, but still more vibrant and less time-consuming than if I were to use colored pencils.
Less Mess: You will have less pastel dust falling off if you use PanPastels compared to soft pastels. If pastel dust bothers you, these might be a good option.
Sofft Tools: I like using these tools to smooth out areas. They are great to use with other pastels as well.

What I don’t love about PanPastels

Sofft Tool Durability: I wear through the applicators very quickly on Clariefontain Pastelmat. I can only imagine this would happen even more on a rougher surface. This is a bummer because they are not cheap. However, I still deal with this by buying more Sofft tools. Other folks say they use makeup applicators or other sponges, although that is not something I have tried out.
Lack of Saturation: This can be a pro or a con, depending on what type of effect you are looking for. If I want to create a piece with strong color, I don’t create with Pans and Pencils. I’d go with Unisons. But sometimes I want a less saturated look, and I will use Pans.

Favorite Brand of Pastel Pencils

Here is another piece I drew using PanPastels as an underpainting and mostly Faber-Castell Pitt pencils on top.

Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils

I own two brands of pastel pencils, buts. I like them both, but the Pitts are my favorite.

Why I love Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencils

Cost-effective: These pencils don’t cost a fortune. You can buy 60 hues for $84, which isn’t too bad. They also last a long time. Just make sure you aren’t using them to cover large swaths of paper. Use soft pastels or Pans for that or you will burn through your pencils.
Detail: These pencils can produce a fantastic amount of detail. They are the hardest pastel pencils I own, which means that I can sharpen them the easiest to apply finer lines.
Softer pencils are harder to sharpen because they break more easily. If you have sharpened pastel pencils in a pencil sharpener, you know the feeling when it comes out with a broken tip. I still haven’t perfected a sharpening method, but I can get a decent point using a manual sharpener. I use the Swordfish sharpener, but you have to replace the blades often or it will break off the tips.
Color Selection: They have a great color range! Especially with the grays, browns, and greens.

What I don’t love about Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencils

Saturation: Since they are harder, sometimes it’s difficult to get a line to show on top of layers. If I need a color to pop out more, I’ll use an option below for black or white, or I’ll use a Unison shard to at least put some pigment down. Then I can often drag that pigment into a more detailed shape with a similar pastel pencil.
Black and white pencils: This is related to #1, but I don’t like the black and white pencils of this brand. They don’t show up very well. That is why I will tell you my preferred black and white choices next!

Favorite Choices for Black and White Pastels

As a realism artist, I strive to create contrast in my pieces. Value changes make pieces pop. Over time, I have discovered black and white pencil options that I use for every piece.

Prismacolor NuPastel Black

You can’t beat this guy for a dark, rich black. You can sharpen it if you need more detail or use it on its side to cover larger areas. The only problem is that you can’t buy one stick. When you run out of the black you can buy a small set for $25, which seems extreme. However, I am at the end of my current NuPastel black, and I use it so much that I will probably do that to get a new one.

General Charcoal White 558

I love this pencil. It will sharpen easily and go on nicely on top of many layers. And it’s cheap! Win-win-win!

Conclusion

There are so many options for pastels on the market. I have only begun to explore the different brands, but these are my current favorites. I hope I have helped to narrow down confusing choices for you if you are looking for some specific brands to try.

In a future blog, I will detail some runner-up choices and list their pros and cons. I have some supplies that will come in at a close second that I also use frequently.

Please let me know if I didn’t mention your favorite brand or tool for pastels. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.