Open Invitation

"Open Invitation", another painting from my recent Panama vacation. 
Soft pastel on Pastelmat, 24 x 30 cm

Dandelions

"Dandelions"
Pastel painting on PastelMat, 18 x 24 cm.
Private collection.

Blooms By The Window

Blooms by the window
Pastel on Pastelmat, 24 x 30 cm

Surfaces and supports

Pastels are very versatile and can be applied to almost any surface that has some texture for the pastel to hold on to. Shiny stuff will not work!
There are several makes of pastel paper, pastel board, velour paper, sandpaper, and PastelMat.
Some types of pastels work better on certain kinds of papers, I found.
For instance PanPastels are too soft for Strathmore Pastel paper, it just doesn't stick. But it works great on sandpaper or PastelMat.
Or a type of "velour" paper, very soft, like the one used to paint this flower. This velour paper is very interesting to work with, blending is more difficult - and careful planning is required, as erasing is not easy either.
There is so much available these days that can be confusing at first. If you are just starting out exploring the wonderful world of pastels, start with the Strathmore Pastel paper. It comes in assorted colours and is relatively inexpensive. Canson Mi-teintes and Fabriano (these people have been making paper since 1264!) are favourites with most pastelists for their versatility and range of colours.