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Colorful Chalks

Pastel Care

Soft pastel is one of  the most expressive and vivid art mediums that it is possible to work in. The colours are richer and brighter than paint . But extra care needs to be taken with pastel. Read on  to find out more.

My pastel portraits are completed using professional grade artists pastels. Each pastel colour is chosen for its high degree of lightfastness.

 

The surface is 360gsm, archival, pH7 (neutral) pastel paper. It is a highly durable, lightfast surface.

 

 

Protecting and Framing:

 

The pastel medium is a pure pigment. Pastel paintings and their colour brilliance are very resilient over time, as long as the surface is protected. In order to prevent damage, the surface of a pastel painting should never be touched and should be protected from water.

 

A pastel painting is fragile as long as it remains unframed. It is like wet paint – if you touch it, the pastel will come off and you will smudge the painting. A pastel painting or drawing therefore needs to be framed behind glass as soon as possible to protect it. When framing a pastel artwork behind glass please ensure the artwork is placed in a mount (like the one provided) so the glass does not actually touch the pastel surface.

 

I put my pastel artwork in an acid free white mount but please feel free to replace it with a mount of your own choice and colour. The artwork is attached to the backing board of the mount with some framers tape. The tape is acid free, non ageing and will never turn yellow. The artwork can be easily removed and transferred to another mount. For best results, a professional framer will be able to mount and frame the artwork.

 

Please do not hang this pastel artwork in an area that receives direct sunlight. Exposure to intense sunlight will, over years, cause the colour to slowly fade. To ensure the longevity of the artwork please hang it in a part of a room that is shaded from direct sunlight.

Art Supply
Any more questions about pastel care? Email me to find out more.
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