View source for Pastel

==Techniques==
[[File:Frottage 02.jpg|thumb|A pastel frottage created by rubbing pastel on paper laid over stone]]
[[File:Brooklyn Museum - On the Cliff - Theodore Robinson.jpg|thumb|''On the Cliff'' by [[Theodore Robinson]], 1887. A warm beige paper is used as a colored ground to enhance the pink colors. The rough textured ground provided by the paper also enhances the impressionistic style of the pastel work.]]

Pastel techniques can be challenging since the medium is mixed and blended directly on the working surface, and unlike paint, colors cannot be tested on a palette before applying to the surface. Pastel errors cannot be covered the way a paint error can be painted out. Experimentation with the pastel medium on a small scale in order to learn various techniques gives the user a better command over a larger composition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Martin|first=Judy|title=The Encyclopedia of Pastel Techniques|year=1992|publisher=Running Press|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|isbn=1-56138-087-3|pages=10–11}}</ref>

Pastels have some techniques in common with painting, such as blending, [[masking (art)|masking]], building up layers of color, adding accents and highlighting, and [[shading]]. Some techniques are characteristic of both pastels and sketching mediums such as charcoal and lead, for example, [[hatching]] and [[crosshatching]], and [[gradation (art)|gradation]]. Other techniques are particular to the pastel medium.

* Colored grounds: the use of a colored working surface to produce an effect such as a softening of the pastel hues, or a contrast
* Dry wash: coverage of a large area using the broad side of the pastel stick. A cotton ball, paper towel, or brush may be used to spread the pigment more thinly and evenly.
* Erasure: lifting of pigment from an area using a [[kneaded eraser]] or other tool
* [[Feathering]]
* [[Frottage (art)|Frottage]]
* [[Impasto]]: pastel applied thickly enough to produce a discernible texture or relief
* [[Pouncing]]
* [[Resist techniques (art)|Resist techniques]]
* Scraping out
* [[Scumbling]]
* [[Sfumato]]
* [[Sgraffito]]
* [[Stippling]]
* Textured grounds: the use of coarse or smooth paper texture to create an effect, a technique also often used in watercolor painting
* Wet brushing