What paper to use for pastels? 31 January 2021 – Posted in: News – Tags: amalfi paper, Pastel, Pastel paper

Many artists new to this intriguing medium wonder about the right paper to use to enhance their paintings and the characteristics of their chosen pastels.

In this short page I will try to list the main requirements that a medium should have for this use.

The prerogative of the “paper” for this use is the grainy texture of the sheet. This characteristic is of fundamental importance and will allow, during the rubbing and the release of pigment, the grip on the surface, allowing to obtain signs richer in color and greater precision.

On a paper with too fine a grain the color will have a temporary hold with the possibility that, after much attention, your work will be stained or even not adhered to the paper. Therefore, it is better to use paper with a more marked grain in order to emphasize the pigment and bring out the underlying color, which will be visible through the choice of your color games.

For this reason, it is generally preferred to use colored papers to paint with pastel so that you can decide the prevalence and set the tone of your works from the beginning: light, dark, warm or cold. As you can see, the tone of the paper will affect 50% of your creation.

In this regard, the colored Amalfi paper for artistic use, lends itself well, ensuring the retention of pigment, the pleasantness of touch and thanks to its characteristics, durability.

Neutral shades of paper (mink, hazelnut, gray, pearl gray) are the most popular choices used by artists in this medium because of their versatility. Others, however, prefer to contrast cool backgrounds (blue, green, yellow, tiffany green, cyclamen) with powders of warmer hues. In all cases, without due study, it’s best to keep in mind that a base that is too bright could disturb the overall look of your work.

These are my recommendations based on my experience in the field, I hope I’ve been helpful and I look forward to seeing you all on our website and social media (IG, FB) to stay up to date on products and the latest from the blog.

See you soon!

This post is also available in: Italian