Draw with bright colours and blend soft transitions with Staedtler 2430 soft pastels. The sticks lay down colour smoothly and blend easily on pastel paper. A paper sleeve around each stick helps keep your hands clean. Choose one cardboard box containing 12 or 24 assorted colours.
Which set suits your drawing?
The 12-colour set gives you a manageable palette for sketches and colour studies. The 24-colour set offers more tones to place side by side or use in transitions. View the colour chart for your chosen option and make a trial chart on your own paper. You receive the selected set, rather than both boxes together. Each stick measures approximately 10 × 10 × 65 mm.
Colour areas, lines and blends
Use an edge for lines and tilt the stick for broader strokes. Start with light pressure and establish the larger shapes first. Leave some strokes visible for texture or blend them for a softer transition. Work gradually from colour areas to details and compare your blends on the same paper. The colours have a high degree of lightfastness.
Paper and finishing
Choose paper for dry pastels and test its texture before building a drawing. Coloured paper can become a visible part of the ground. Fixing the finished work is recommended: choose a fixative for dry pastels, follow its instructions and try it on a test piece first. Store loose drawings flat with a clean protective sheet between them. Choose paper and fixative separately.
Compare drawing and painting paper
