Pages

▼

Friday, October 20, 2017

First Look at Jack Richeson Handmade Soft Pastels

'On a Gray Day'        5x7        pastel        ©Karen Margulis
 I love hidden treasure. That's what happens when you get busy and things get hidden under piles of stuff. Today I was looking for something when I found a stash of Jack Richeson pastels that I had purchased at the IAPS convention in June. They were giving away samples but the colors were so luscious that I bought about 20 more. I chose some greens that I thought I could use as well as some bright 'spice' colors.

This post isn't a complete review of these pastels since I didn't do a full test. I only pulled out this collection of greens because I knew they would be perfect for the little study I was working on.

Jack Richeson Handmade Soft Pastels
My intention was to use these pastels as spices....that is the final marks on a painting. After my brief use today I think they will be great in this role.

  • The size is perfect. They are round and about 1 1/2 inches long. This is the perfect 'brush' size. Not to big and not too small.
  • They are firm and not at all crumbly. I pressed hard and the pastel stayed intact and didn't break.
  • They go on soft. Even though they aren't crumbly they are soft enough to leave a nice amount of pigment. My first impression is that they are on the 'buttery' side which means they feel soft and a bit creamy. I will test them some more to see if this first impression is accurate.
  • The colors are wonderful. At the convention they were all on display like a wonderful candy store. Between this booth and Terry Ludwig's booth we were all in trouble! I couldn't resist choosing a bunch of them. I also loved the little plastic cases that the pastels came in. These will come in handy for traveling with a few extra spices!
These hand rolled pastels are available at Dakota Art Pastels and they are on sale this week. I plan to do a more thorough review but it is a good time to buy some to try for yourself!

at

5 comments:

  1. Heather8:57 AM

    Hi Karen. Do you know where these hand rolled pastels are made? I can't find the info on the web,

    ReplyDelete
  2. Karen10:04 AM

    I think China.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gail6:38 PM

    Hi Karen, I love the greens pictured in this blog. Do you know what colors they are so I can order some? You might also have other recommendations for colors or sets. If so, I would love to hear from you. I absolutely love your blogs and have learned more from you than I have from any other artist. Thanks so much for always sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Karen12:58 PM

    Thanks Gail! Unfortunately I picked these out open stock so I don't know what set they might be included in. I haven't tried any of the sets so I don't feel I am able to offer recommendations but you can't go wrong if you choose a set that fills in any gaps you have in your pastel collection!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alejandra Gos3:13 AM

    Wisconsin.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.