What is Pastel?
Pastel is pure pigment, the same pigment used in making fine art paints. It is the most permanent of all media when applied to a permanent surface and properly framed. There is no oil to cause darkening or cracking; no other substance or medium to cause fading or blistering. Works in pastel from the 16th century exist today, as fresh and alive as the day they were painted.
The following is a statement from the Pastel Society of America
Pastel does not at all refer to pale colors, as the word is commonly used in cosmetic and fashion terminology. The name "pastel" comes from the French word "pastische" because the pure, powdered pigment is ground into a paste, with a small amount of gum binder, and then rolled into sticks. The infinite variety of colors in the pastel palette range from soft and subtle to bold and brilliant.
An artwork is created by stroking the sticks of dry pigment across an abrasive ground, embedding the color in the tooth of the paper, sandboard or canvas. If the ground is completely covered with pastel, the work is considered a pastel painting. Leaving much of the ground exposed produces a pastel drawing. Techniques vary with individual artists. Pastel can be blended or used with visible strokes. The medium is favored by many artists because it allows a spontaneous approach. There is no drying time, and no allowances to be made for a change in color due to drying.
Historically, pastel can be traced back to the 16th century. Through the years that followed, artists such as Delacroix, Manet, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Whistler, Hassam, and William Merritt Chase used pastels.
Edgar Degas was the most prolific user of pastel, and its champion. His protege, Mary Cassat introduced the pastel to her friends in the United States. In the spring of 1983, Sotheby Parke Bernet sold at auction two Degas pastel paintings for more than $3 million each. They were painted about 1880.
Today, pastel paintings have the stature of oil and watercolor as a major fine art medium. Many of our most renowned living artists have distinguished themselves with the pastel medium, and have enriched the art world with their works.