tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14672405.post8724822581252380500..comments2023-10-30T13:27:44.690-04:00Comments on Painting My World: Getting Started with Pastels...Choosing a Pastel SetKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17239336384191511625noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14672405.post-21522412075116319552012-03-20T13:56:01.308-04:002012-03-20T13:56:01.308-04:00Great suggestion! I bought both the Greens pastel ...Great suggestion! I bought both the Greens pastel sampler - I do a lot of landscapes and never seem to have enough greens, and the Paper Sampler. Never regretted either. <br /><br />A big set of hard pastels is a joy. They're less expensive than the softer pastels so it's easier to get a 72 or 96 color set for the price of a smaller set in pricier brands.<br /><br />Another thing that's personal is how many pastels you need for your style, both how many colors and how many different textures. Trying a Dakota Sampler led to my getting small or medium size sets of most of the major brands so that I could use them in combination to get specific effects.<br /><br />I sorted my pastels by texture with some brands combined and others set apart because they give a special effect. I got this idea from Dakota Pastels because they have a listing of all their pastels by firm to soft - the great thing is that when the paper tooth is full, I can switch to a softer pastel and get another layer or two. <br /><br />Townsend Terrages and Soft Form have pumice in the filler, which lets them dig into non sanded paper. They have a lovely texture and that's a special effect I enjoy. <br /><br />Girault are another special effect pastel - the one that can get fine details over heavy applications. I just got some and they became my Cat Whiskers pastels. Anyone who loves painting animals would have much better success on whiskering with at least a white and a black Girault in the box.robertsloan2arthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02598847116529877475noreply@blogger.com