COLOUR MIXING IN PASTEL

Highly finished pastel works are often described as ‘pastel paintings’, a phrase intended to elevate the status of pastel from a time when painting was held in higher esteem. It seems less necessary at a time when drawings are increasingly recognised as valuable outcomes and, in my view, pastel drawings are at their most exciting when their marks admit the draftsmanly manner of their making. Different pastel approaches often hinge on the markmaking methods used for mixing colour and, in all pastel drawing, colour mixing takes place on the page. We’ll delve deeper in future instalments but for now it is worth noting the three main mixing methods that apply to all pastel mixing. The distinctions between the methods of mixing are as blurred as the soft edged marks of the pastels themselves but recognising their different applications can help you to clarify your own pastel-drawing process.