Hard Pastels

Hard pastels differ from soft pastels in that they have more binder and less pigment. Because of this, they are stronger and do not break as easily as soft pastels, but they also do not have the brilliance of color that soft pastels do (the brightness of the color decreases as the amount of gum or binder increases). They come in a more limited range of colors than soft pastels as well.

These pastels are most often used for sketching or drawing the subject of a pastel painting. You can then overlay them with soft pastels to complete your picture. If you need to create fine lines, you can pick them up again to make these details, as they can be sharpened to a point with a blade or emory board.

Other types include Conte crayons and pastel pencils.

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