Clairefontaine Pastelmat pad 360 gsm, 12 sheets

Pastel on a soft surface with grip

This Clairefontaine Pastelmat pad contains 12 sheets of 360 gsm paper, glued on one edge, with a protective glassine sheet between the drawing sheets. You receive one pad in the selected colour assortment and size. Its soft cellulose surface holds dry pastel pigment and suits pastel sticks, pastel pencils and coloured pencils. The acid-free, pH-neutral paper supports soft transitions and fine lines.

Choose size and paper colour

Choose 18 × 24 cm for compact studies, 24 × 30 cm for more room or 30 × 40 cm for a larger composition. The numbers identify paper colours, rather than surface hardness. Mixed-colour pads contain three sheets of each colour; no. 3 and no. 6 have twelve sheets of a single colour.

• No. 1: maize, buttercup, dark grey and light grey
• No. 2: white, sienna, brown and anthracite
• No. 3: white
• No. 4: dark blue, light blue, burgundy and sand
• No. 5: dark green, light green, dark blue and white
• No. 6: anthracite
• No. 7: beige, sand, dark grey and sanguine

Build layers and details

Make the paper colour part of the drawing. A middle tone can remain visible between light and dark marks; on anthracite you can begin with the lightest shapes. First make a small trial area: a thin pastel layer, a second colour over it, then a few crisp pastel-pencil lines. Compare gently blended colour with an untouched stroke.

Establish broad tonal areas before adding detail. The grip supports multiple pigment layers without fixing between every layer. Capacity is still finite: build with light pressure and stop when new marks muddy the image. Note paper colour, pastels, pressure and layer count beside your trial so you can repeat a useful approach.

A water-based underpainting

The surface tolerates a water-based underpainting. Try a small watercolour wash on a test piece and let it dry completely before adding pastel. Check colour, adhesion and distortion after drying. A wet underpainting behaves differently from dry layering; test the paper-and-paint combination before starting the finished work.

Protecting and storing work

Keep interleaves clean and return them carefully between dry drawings. Avoid rubbing the work when closing the pad. Strong pigment grip does not make a drawing resistant to touch or abrasion. Store loose work flat and dry; when framing, keep pastel away from direct contact with glass. Follow your drawing materials’ instructions too.

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