Pastels

Frequently used in drawing, pastel pencils first appeared around the 15th century. At the time, a paste was made out of colored pigments, glue, and gum Arabic, before adding to it milk or honey. The mixture was then given the shape a form of small cylindrical stick and left to dry.

Pastels were then mainly used to add a little color to monochrome portraits. Later, they were employed to draw landscapes and still lifes. Currently, we find on the market several different types of pastels: soft, hard, water-soluble, and oil, as well as in the shape of wooden pencils.