Kinds of Pastels

The pigments used in making pastels are the same as the ones used in watercolour, acrylic or oil paints. What is different is the binder used in each case.
Oil pastels contain an oil based binder that makes them dense and greasy. The marks you make with oil pastels can be softened with turpentine. They come in strong colours of limited tone range, and they can be combined with dry pastel to create some interesting effects.

Wax pastels are similar to oil pastels but less moist, as the binder is waxy instead of oily. They can be dissolved with water to create washes for subtle colour mixes.

"Chalk" pastels are not really made of chalk but most often gum tragacanth, a binder used to thicken natural dyes for painting, printing and more. They come in different hardness (a pigment to binder relation) from hard (in sticks and pencil form) to soft (in stick and "pan" form).

There are several manufacturers of pastels and each has its own characteristics.
As an example: NuPastels are hard, Rembrandt are medium, Schminckes are soft and PanPastels ultra soft. You can purchase them in individual sticks and / or boxed sets. There are many brands to choose from, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming.

If you are just starting out, I would suggest you get 2 sets - 1 of hard pastels and 1 of soft ones. You can buy individual sticks as you see the need.

This piece, titled "Fall Colours" was painted on sandpaper using PanPastels and hard pastels. Private collection.

A bit about Pastels

Why do I love pastels?

I find pastels gratifying because of the immediacy of the results.
They are both a drawing and a painting medium and have most of the qualities of both; I can paint quickly and spontaneously, or take my time for more deliberate, detailed work.
No stretching / preparing papers or canvases, no waiting for paint to dry, no varnishing of the finished product to bring out the true colours.
They are economical to use, never dry out, they are easy to store and transport. They come in a great variety of colours and hardness, and they can be combined on the paper itself - no mixing necessary. As they are opaque, you can overpaint and rectify mistakes easily.

You can leave your work and come back to it when you are ready to continue, it will be exactly as you left it - no drying time or colour changes, no need to put things away when you have to take a break.

Although they are generally assumed to be safe and non-toxic - it is best not to breathe too much dust (use a paper face mask) and to wear latex gloves (or Artguard Barrier Cream) to prevent it from getting into your lungs or bloodstream through your hands.

This piece titled "Light House" was painted on 11" x 15" Canson watercolour paper using PanPastels, hard and soft pastels.