Mixed-Media Supplies Spotlight: PanPastels

For years, my artist husband has worked in graphite. Black-and-white all over…and over, and over. I admire his work, but I’m a color kind of gal.
how to use pan pastels mixed media art supples jane davenport
Jane Davenport demonstrates how to use
PanPastels for mixed-media art.

So I was pleased when he recently turned to pastels. I just love the rich pigments and texture. I have whole set of high-quality pastel sticks I gave him to use. That was part generosity, part an excuse for me to get a new set of PanPastels®.

PanPastels are a relatively new art product for mixed-media supplies: pastel in pan form–like eye shadow. They are best applied with spongy applicators called Sofft Tools (though you could also use make-up sponges).

Mixed-media artists love them because they are compatible with just about all other mixed-media supplies: pencils, markers, inks, encaustic, watercolors, and acrylics. You can use them on most craft surfaces, from smooth to toothy. Plus, once you apply them to your surface, you can activate them with wet media and they act like paint.

Some of the other cool properties of PanPastels include:

  • Erasable with any artist eraser.
  • Highly pigmented.
  • Blendable-use them like paint to create new colors.
  • A high degree of lightfastness.
  • Less mess than pastel sticks (no breaking, crumbling, or dust).
panpastels mixed media art supplies
My favorite new
mixed-media supplies?
PanPastels and Sofft tools.

The best way to discover the possibilities of PanPastels is to get a few colors and start playing in your sketchbook.

Need some guidance? Jane Davenport demonstrates several techniques for using PanPastels with other mixed-media supplies in Art Lessons 2014 Vol. 2: PanPastels. You can also get nine PanPastel colors in the Cloth Paper Scissors Shop.

I’m looking forward to playing with my PanPastels. (Just don’t tell my husband!)

 

P.S. What’s your favorite art supply? Leave your comment below.

Categories

Blog, Mixed-Media Painting Techniques, Mixed-Media Supplies, Mixed-Media Techniques

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