There is no "hard and soft" rule when it comes to pastels. So why do we misleadingly refer to them all as 'soft' pastels when it's so obvious that some are harder than others?

The one real difference is softer brands use less binder and therefore contain more pigment.

It all dusts down to a matter of preference. While some artists start with a harder brand and finish with extra soft, others may draw with hard, then apply soft, and finish blending with a harder brand.

Then again, maybe the word 'soft' relates to the light feathery touch you'll need when using a pastel - press too hard and you will watch with dismay as soft pastel stick crumbles into dust! To help you out, here are some brands of varying 'softness' available in Canada today:

Nupastel - very hard
Holbein - hard
Gallery - hard
Winsor Newton - semi-hard
Rembrandt - semi-soft
Rowney - soft
Sennelier - soft
Schmincke - extremely soft

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