Additional Information about Supplies Class: Soft Pastel Instructor: Laurie Toth Extra Information about the Supply List For Laurie Toth’s Soft Pastel Students Phone- 612.522.9365 E-mail- [email protected] If you have no soft pastels, this might be a great opportunity to get a great set of small sticks at a wonderful price. If there are 2 or more students like you who need pastels, I can set you and the others up with a combination of 2 sets that are split between everyone. Everyone would end up with the same colors, just shorter pieces of each stick in an ideal size to work with at about half the cost of purchasing the sets on your own. If I were to do this I would purchase the Sennelier Paris Collection of 120 half-sticks and a 96-piece set of NuPastels and extra cardboard pastel boxes. If you were to purchase these two sets on your own you could expect to pay at least $196.00 including sales tax, excluding any shipping costs. If 2 students share sets, each would end up with 216 different colors at a cost of about $100.00 each. If 4 students participated, the cost would be reduced to about $80.00 each but the NuPastels would be very small pieces. If you wish to participate in this plan, I need a commitment from you 3 weeks before the workshop begins. Please contact me personally at the above phone number or e-mail address. The Art Colony will not be involved in organizing the order. Soft Pastels and Oil Pastels are two separate mediums and are not intermixable. We will only be talking about Soft Pastels in this class. Soft Pastels are sometimes erroneously referred to as Chalks or Chalk Pastels. Chalk is sometimes included in tinted shades of Soft Pastels, but just as many of the colors, especially the better brands, contain little or no chalk. To confuse beginners even more, Soft Pastels come in various degrees of hardness. Some assume that the harder sticks are of poor quality, but this is not necessarily so. No matter the hardness of the stick, all are part of the medium called Soft Pastel. There are two and sometimes three grades of soft pastels. Some companies only make professional grade, and some make only student grade, others are dedicated to children’s non-toxic product lines and a few companies make more than one grade of pastels. All soft pastels dust to some degree and the dust particles, even in non-toxic colors, are harmful if inhaled. It is never good to blow off excess dust because it will become airborne and be inhaled. If you are sensitive to this issue, wearing a dust mask when working will minimize your exposure to pastel dust. Different instructors recommend different numbers of pastel sticks to start with. I feel that the fewer you have, the more frustrating it is to produce the desired effects in any given artwork. I’d like to see people start with about 100 colors, or more. I have a large set- somewhere around 700, yet I had to give up on a still life painting of autumn leaves, because my range of browns wasn’t at all adequate. Sets of fewer than 50 colors will make it impossible to show much depth or subtleties, since smaller sets generally have little variation in tints or shades of each color nor provide grayed or browned versions of colors. I recommend getting the largest set you can afford if you are just starting (or if you have fewer than 50 sticks) because when you want to add to your collection, if you purchase the same brand, the colors you already have will be duplicated and you may never use up colors that are primarily used as accents, and certainly

not need duplicates. Purchasing another brand may duplicate fewer colors, but not add enough variety to warrant the cost. Purchasing sticks one-at-a-time (open stock) is the most expensive way to build a collection, but offers the best option sometimes, yet adds to storage dilemmas. At one time in my career, in order to set out my pastels, I had to open at least 12 different boxes of pastels, and getting them put away in a sudden rain took far too long. Depending on your finances and attitude toward materials, there are several great, affordable sets to start with and my recommendations and reasoning are included below within the supply checklist. Just because it is on the checklist doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to purchase the item. Many items on the list are optional. If you already have some pastels, bring them, whatever the quality, and add more colors or sets as you can afford them. 

Glassine or Layout Vellum- To protect the painting at the end of the day or until it is framed. This should be taped or clipped or folded around the artwork in such a way to prevent any lateral movement. You will need as many sheets of this as pieces of paper- if you will work on only the paper provided for you, you will need at least one sheet that is larger than 18” x 24”.



Masking Tape or Clips to attach the painting surface to a drawing board and/or to attach the glassine when done for the day.



Drawing Board- slightly larger than the largest paper you plan to use. 1/2” thick Gatorfoam makes a lightweight, sturdy drawing board, as does masonite, or a damaged or unused sheet of Plexiglas.



Watercolor Paints- transparent or opaque- of any quality, including children’s. If you don’t have any and don’t have some to borrow, don’t spend much on these. Prang children’s paints (about $5 for a set of 8 colors) or Nidji tube children’s paints are very cheap and work well. If you are using thin, uncoated papers, you may not want to use watercolors on that type of paper or else bring rubbing alcohol to use instead of water.



1 Brush- about 1” wide flat synthetic student grade brush depending on the size of the painting. Don’t bring an expensive brush or spend much on this brush if you don’t already have one because the sanded surface will wear it out quickly. Stiffness appropriate for acrylics and longer haired, if possible. (Golden Talcon for example) Just be sure it’s not so bad quality that it will drop hairs or leave other debris all over the working surface. (no sponge brushes nor brushes made from natural hairs)



Water Basin such as a cottage cheese container for washing brush and diluting watercolors- with lid if you will work outdoors.



Ideas for Paintings and Resource Materials- Photos, sketches, still life objects, etc.



Notebook or Sketchbook or Copy Paper- Nothing fancy- if you like to take notes, for making thumbnail sketches, or have the instructor explain a point by drawing on something other than your artwork or on something you can save for later.



Pencil &/or Pen- for the above, plus a small pencil sharpener, possibly.



Pastel Set/s- Decide if you can afford student grade or professional quality: Student grade-The best value I’ve ever seen in student grade pastels is Goldfaber by

Faber-Castell- 72 piece half-stick set that costs about $26.00. If this is all you can afford, this is the set to buy. They are dustier than professional grade sticks, but have a very useful range of colors. Please do not waste money on Loew-Cornell or similar student grade pastels. The worst ones come in clear plastic clamshell pouches. These are usually 1/2” square sticks that are either almost florescently bright, or dull with added chalk, extremely dusty and bubble laden- to be avoided because they cost far too much for the lousy quality. Yarka pastels are uneven in quality, and are mostly overly pale tints and are not very desirable. Professional Grade Hard Soft Pastels- Nupastel by Prismacolor- 96 piece set that costs about $60.00- $100.00 or Cretacolor Carre- 72 Piece set costs about $60.00 NuPastel offers better value and replacement sticks are easier to find. If you can afford either of these, they are a great starter set. If you like painting landscapes, you will need to add some paler sky blues to the NuPastel set. Professional Grade (softer) Soft Pastel Set/s. If you can afford both hard and soft, there are many brands to choose from as sets, or mix and match individual sticks of different brands (this is called Open Stock). Generally it is far cheaper to purchase a set than purchasing as many individual sticks. Half-stick sets provide exceptional value. Some brands offering half-stick sets are Sennelier, Great American, Art Spectrum, Schminke, Unison, Richeson, and Rembrandt. Sennelier Paris Collection- 120 half-piece set- about $120.00- 150.00. Great to pair this set with a hard set like NuPastel 96. It is not designed as a beginner set, but is a collection of all the colors offered by Sennelier as half-sticks. The sticks are very soft, are not papercovered but are thicker than the regular sticks, so they are less fragile, and are an exceptional value. The range of colors includes very bright, rich, clean colors and some wonderful darks. Of all the half-stick sets, this one offers the best range of colors at the best price. Sennelier 80 piece half-stick set-about $80.00. This comes two ways- a general color selection, and a landscape selection for slightly more money. This set is a great way to add some bright accents and darks to other sets. Not designed as a starter set. Other professional brands in approximate order of softness -from softest to hardestSchminke, Great American, Sennelier, Blockx, Unison, Terry Ludwig, Dianne Townsend Soft, Richeson Handmade, Daler-Rowney, Girault, Mount Vision, Rembrandt, Richeson Soft Round, Art Spectrum, Windsor and Newton, Holbein, Richeson Semi-hard, NuPastels, Faber-Castell Poychromos, Cretacolor, Caran D’ache. There are more rare brands too. 

Paper or Prepared Boards-Optional- If you think you will want to try another type of surface or brand, or will need more than the one sheet provided, I recommend purchasing paper one sheet at a time, rather than tablets or pads. It tends to cost less this way and if you don’t like the paper, you’re not stuck with the entire tablet. Boards are about as heavy as a sheet of matt board, and make it easier to handle and to frame and might eliminate a need for a drawing board. I am including a great article about pastel surfaces for your education and will include a few words about some information that isn’t covered adequately in the article:

Wallis Professional or Museum Grade Pastel Paper- My favorite sanded paper. Museum grade comes in white, Professional grade comes in white and Belgium Mist Grey. Priced from $18.00- $23.00 per 24” x 30” sheet. Also available in 15” x 24”, assorted sized pads, and in large rolls. The surface on this paper can take many layers of pastel, and if the painting has gone completely wrong, the pastel and under-painting can be washed off, dried and used for another pastel painting. Fabriano Roma- a handmade paper made of 100% cotton with good texture. It comes in 6 – 8 colors and is surprisingly forgiving. I did a portrait on it once and placed an eye wrong. I didn’t realize the mistake until the painting was almost done, but I was able to flick out the eye area and move it and correct the surrounding face without any hint that anything bad had happened. I do not know the price, but it was not a cheap paper. The uncoated paper is not suited to under-painting techniques and would warp or cockle badly. Schminke Sansfix- Watercolor behaves as if the surface was oily on this paper. It is very difficult to use with the techniques taught in this class. Sennelier Pastel le Carte- any moisture (even a sneeze) will destroy the working surfacewashing away both color and texture. The surface is far too fragile, in my opinion. 

Fixatives- No need to bring any! A 2-ounce pump-spray bottle of SpectraFix will be provided to each student to keep. This new product claims to be a formula that Degas invented for himself and until now the formula was unknown. It does not perceptually change any of the colors as other fixatives do. All sprays except for Spectrafix need to be used outdoors or under a working vent hood. Use of fixative is entirely the decision of the artist. It can be useful in separating layers of pastel when any intermixing of colors would not be desired- such as when placing small delicately-colored blossoms on top of a layer of foliage. It can help in minimizing stray dust within the picture frame. Other brands by order of reputation: Lascaux, Sennelier LaTour, Daler-Rowney Perfix, Blair Odorless, Krylon Workable fixative, Grumbacher Tuffilm.



Blending Tools-Optional- such as Clay or Colour Shapers, Chamois Skins, Stumps, Tortillions, Foam Eye-shadow Applicators, Protective Gloves or Finger Cots. I never use any of these things, and seldom do much blending, but you might like them. Fingers work fine if you don’t do a lot of blending. Overdoing the blending is not only a bad thing for the painting, but on sanded paper you can end up sanding your fingers until you draw blood.



Gloves or Finger Cots or Barrier Lotions-Optional- to protect your skin or open wounds from chemical exposure, drying, or staining- or to protect fingers from abrasion when blending.



Toilet/Facial Tissue or Rags or Paper Towels- to clean a dirty stick or absorb excess liquid during the under-painting. If you forget to bring your own, there will be some available near sinks in the studio.



Erasing- Optional- for lifting pastel mistakes, a stiff bristle brush works well. You may use the same brush as you use for applying watercolor. For more precise lifting, Kneadable Eraser- this is a cellophane wrapped grey or colored hunk of stuff you unwrap, stretch, knead and shape as you wish then press it into the part you want

lightened or removed, knead and repeat if necessary. On Wallis paper (and a few other coated papers) you can wash away mistakes or even wash off the whole sheet and start over or try something else. 

Pastel Pencils- Optional- If you like detail -- I haven’t found any that I like very well. They often are too pale, and too hard to stick to softer pastel already on the paper. Faber Castel Pitt pastel pencils are said to be the softest followed by Carb-Othello. If you have the pencils, you will also need a small pencil sharpener, craft knife, or single-edged razor blade to sharpen them. Wall-mounted sharpeners can destroy the pencil quickly and yield no usable point.



Portfolio- to protect clean papers and artwork from rain/accidental damage. Can be a simple homemade folio made from matt boards hinged with tape that are larger than the largest sheet of paper placed in a trash bag for weatherproofing.



Camera- Optional- to help make composition decisions, catch fleeting conditions, provide resource photos when back in the studio, document process/progress. Online Artist Suppliers: (If the index doesn’t show a pastel section, go to the drawing section or use search)

Dakota Art Pastels- very informative and surprisingly inexpensive- devoted just to pastels. Blick Inc, formerly Dick Blick- Online is cheaper than in the retail stores, and has better selection and larger sets. An overall favorite website because they offer both good prices and great selection. Cheap Joes- many items are made for this company alone, be very careful you understand the quality offered. ASW Express (Art Supply Warehouse)- rather poor selection, but some good deals- related to Cheap Joes. Jerry’s Artarama- Poor selection, but some good deals available. The Fine Art Store- No good deals here, but they carry some rare brands that are only available here unless you go to the manufacturer directly. A very informative website. Daniel Smith- poor selection and pricy, but they sell pigments for making pastels, and a terrific Testrite/Stanrite aluminum field easel, the only lightweight field easel I’ve seen suited for pastel use. For Those Who Work Outdoors (Plein Air) (Due to the class being only 3 days, the instructor will not place a huge emphasis on plein air painting. Soft pastel is an ideal medium for plein air painting because there are no issues with drying of the paint surface, it needs few other supporting supplies, it is portable and easily stowed in case of weather, and returned to without problems.- if you are eager to paint outside, you will need to consider the list below) 

Baby Wipes in a travel package if you want to quickly clean hands (esp. before eating), etc.



Travel Easel or combination of easel and supply box. Some artists are happy to just sit down somewhere with their supplies laid out on their dominant hand’s side and prop a small drawing board across their lap. If you have a lot of stuff, a Rolling Cart, Bag, or

Backpack can be helpful since pastels get heavy. The best advice is to keep things as light and simple as possible because it is not fun to haul a lot of gear up and down hills, over boulders, through dense brush, or over any distances. Please leave the site you work as clean/cleaner than you found it. 

3-6’ Length of Thin Rope, a Bungee Cord, &/or a Tent Stake- for wind proofing an easel, hanging paper towels from the easel, etc. There is too little earth along the shoreline for tent stakes to work- better to use rope and a rock as an anchor on a windy day. Avoid direct sunlight shining on your painting; angle the easel so that the wind isn’t turning your drawing board into a sail. If your easel will allow, angle it so that the board leans toward you, allowing dust to fall away from work.



Lid for Water Basin- or a disposable pint/quart-sized bottle of water if under-painting techniques are employed. I’m fond of cube-like quart beverage bottles that are a smaller version of gallon jugs- they aren’t easily tipped over, are too short to lose a brush into, they contain plenty of water, and have a handle. If you use a second small container to actually wash brushes, it can double as your drinking water bottle too.



Large Trash Bags- to throw over drawing board, pastels, and other gear in case of sudden rain.



Composition Tools- Optional- for help in decision making- some tools have grey value scales and/or red filters to help select values. Not necessary, but if they are helpful to you, bring them.



Comfort and Sustenance- lunch, beverage, warm/rain clothes, visor/hat, sunscreen, bug repellant, etc. Cushion/stool, (extra clothing makes an adequate cushion) etc. If you’ve never painted at the shore of Lake Superior, you need to know that it can be extremely chilly even on a sunny day if the wind is blowing across the water. If you are just a few hundred feet further inland, it will be much warmer. You could need a good windbreaker/rain coat and a warm sweater and warm hat even in August. You won’t see many pesky insects close to the shore except for biting flies-especially near sunset, or possibly ants. Avoid sunscreens formulated with glycerin because it will attract these insects to you. Use travel-sized containers to keep everything more portable.