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Caring for Pastel Artwork

Pastel paintings typically have more vibrant colors and crispness of image than acrylic, oil, or watercolor paintings. Many people prefer pastel artwork for this reason. Many famous master artists such as Edgar Degas employed the medium in their signature work. At every show of my pet portraits, the pastel pieces get the most viewer response.

Creating a piece of pastel artwork is more like painting than drawing, even though the medium is applied as a dry stick onto paper. There is some variety in the types of pastel and the paper used. I use a fairly soft pastel for most of my work with hard pastels for details and some types of blending.

Ultimately the pastel process applies pigment to a surface in the form of almost pure pigment crystals or dust that adheres densely to the paper. Some artist use a fixative spray (like lacquer) or alcohol to bind the pastel dust to the paper. I don't use these techniques because they dull the vibrant colors that are the trademark of quality pastel work.

I create my pastel works on a surface developed specifically for pastel. This surface feels similar to very fine sand paper and may be bonded to either hardboard (like Masonite) or foamcore board, which is much lighter. The sand-paper like quality (called a hard "tooth") allows heavy layering of pastel pigment and holds the pastel dust without requiring fixative. Because it uses very little binder (such as the oil in oil paint) this pastel coloring can be extremely permanent. While the sanded surface is waterproof, most pastel pigments are water soluble so direct contact with moisture will damage pastel artwork. Frequently, I can repair such damage.

Because of its nature, the surface of a pastel painting cannot stand physical contact which would brush the dust off the paper. For this reason, pastel artwork must be protected under glass. In order to keep the protective glass from touching the pastel surface the glass needs to be offset with spacers between the pastel painting and the glass sheet. Usually this is done by placing strip type spacers made of foamcore or other material around the artwork under the mat which surrounds the image space. Foamcore is a rigid sheet like material that is much lighter and more rigid than cardboard and more archival.

I deliver pastel works with a neutral colored mat with attached offsets. When I ship a pastel piece, I include a protective foamcore panel that also has offsets. I do not ship pastel paintings in frames or with glass because of the weight and the increased risk of broken glass. When you frame your pastel piece, you should choose a frame that is deep enough to contain and restrain the painting with its board backing, the mat, the foamcore offsets and the glass sheet. Do not use Plexiglas or acrylic because it will build up a static charge when cleaned that will draw some of the particles of pastel off the paper and create a fine mist of dust inside the frame.

Pastel artwork should also be protected from jarring and never be laid or carried in a face-down position because both of these actions can cause some pastel dust to dislodge from the surface. If such dust is noticed, it will not harm the image because there is so much pigment on the paper, however, you may want to remove the painting from the frame and vacuum the dust out of the glass and mat area (don't try to clean the painting itself!). I have transported some framed pastel works repeatedly between dog and art shows and have never had a problem with dust but it is a possibility.

If you have questions about caring for pastel work or the pros and cons of pastel versus acrylic, please contact me by e-mail at dave@k9portraits.com