Am I the only one who would buy and paint on Kleenex if he recommended it? What a voice! Thanks Alain for this info!

Thank you so much, Alain. I knew nothing about pastel papers and now after this short video I have a good understanding of what I need. I'm so grateful for this knowledge. I was about to use watercolor paper I have on hand but now i know better. I'm new at pastels being an oil painter all my life. I'm tired of waiting for paint to dry and love the intense colors of pastels. I'm so excited, now I need some nice coated sanded mounted paper to work on!! Thanks again, Love, Joan Williamson

Your videos about supplies both pastels and paper have been wonderful! I appreciate your approach of thorough and helpful information plus the free links as well. Grateful. Thank you. I have been using pastels for years and have slowly used up my supplies including my last sheet of Wallis paper full sheet. I have been teaching and raising my children and so it takes me a long time to finish a piece. That said, a friend commissioned a work from me and it was time to update and learn and grow with the current supplies and options.

Hi Alain: About two years ago, I wrote a short note to you, thank you for your excellent tutorials and I wanted to thank you once again. Pastel painting is now the air that I breathe and keeps me always wanting more. It's been 3 years now that Pastels have kept me alive. Sometimes my instructor has to 'be my hands' as my peripheral neuropathy can be depilating. I now have 9 Paintings under my belt and about 5 on a waiting. It's taken longer as my cancer can keep me weeks to get back up and running. I purchased the 3M glue and watched your mounting video. I plan on mounting about 10 boards today. I just wanted to say thank you once again

Hullo Alain, I was thinking about purchasing some new papers and I believe I have watched this video before, yet no comment! Thank you for having this video available for references and information for those of us who are new/newer to pastels. Even after 4 years it is still relevant! Thank You! I have been practicing on my watercolor sheets and even using some homemade surface preparations to increase the tooth to hold more pastel layers. Wonderful video and excellent information!

Thank you so much for this valuable video on the variety of papers available for pastels. Love this information; it saves time and money for beginning pastel artists. Nothing wrong with hit and miss experience but this information was so helpful to me. And thank you for responding so quickly to questions regarding pastels, pastel papers, techniques and your wonderful pastel lessons.

I recently purchased a sanded paper and I am amazed at the difference! Thank you for your demonstrations and product reviews. Always helpful.

Just found you...have been using pastel for 10 years ..you are breath of fresh air...letting me know that I am on the right road.THANK YOU

I'm teaching myself soft pastels, with the help of you and other artists who are generous with KZfaq content. Wanted to say Thank you for that! This video is so helpful, especially in regard to what solvents the various papers can stand up to for underpaintings (I've not yet tried a wet underpainting, only hard pastel drawings). I've tried several papers, and find sanded papers (Pastelmat, Pastel Premier, UArt) are my favorites, although I do really enjoy the Strathmore toned sketchbooks and Canson Mi-Teintes. I love to watch the pictures 'emerge' from the toned backgrounds in the Strathmore sketchbooks.

Super super useful and interesting video. Exactly what I wanted to know as a total beginner in pastels wondering which papers to get. Great video, thank you

Great advice. Clear explanation of the differences. Thank you.

This was incredibly helpful. The many choices are overwhelming and not inexpensive - you really made the choices so clear. Thank you.

Thanks for another great video, Mr. Picard! In addition to the great products that you listed, another surface that I enjoy is Ampersand Pastelbord. It’s a coated board that comes in a variety of colors and sizes with a fine tooth. In my opinion, it’s quality and very affordable. It’s a very rigid board similar to MDF. It takes all manner of washes and can even be run under a faucet to completely clean it off for “do overs”.

Thanks so much Alain! I always enjoy your formative pastel posts. I think you are so selfless with your coaching and support of the greater pastel community. God Bless you Sir.

Very helpful information. I wish this video had been available many years ago when I first tried pastel and gave up due to disappointing results painting on what felt to me like sugar paper. Three years ago I attended a workshop and discovered PastelMatt which is just fabulous. Your video has inspired me to try a few of the other papers too. Thank you.

Hi Alain. I'm new to pastel painting and come from using watercolours for the last few years. I found this video very helpful. I have a steep learning curve in this new medium. I am really enjoying it.

Thanks for valuable opinion Alan. I tried few of the papers you had mentioned but now I'm in real love with Uart and Pastelmat. Superb. As you had very well mentioned....difficult to blend pastelmat...UART 400 grit , dark...is my favourite . Meteintes touch....does not take much layers....but blends beautifully with colorshapers... I had love hate relation with pastels because of lack of knowledge about papers and pastel brands...after watching Jason Morgan...i learnt a lot...many beginners will bless you Alan. Thanks again🙏🙏

Thank you for the great video. Really enjoy your teaching style. Please keep the beginner pastel lessons coming. Love the helpful info sheets and have started a notebook for them. Would like to see video on techniques.

I am just getting more absorbed into pastels and really understanding that the paper makes the biggest difference I just bought some lux archival sheets and they are so amazing; The paper is a teacher in itself because it allows you to experiment more with layering and blending

Thank you so much for this information! I've never tried pastel painting before. I have started to learn painting with acrylics and enjoy it. I have done many paintings with acrylics and sold a few but thought I would enjoy painting with pastels even more since I have watched several different painting tutorials. One of my doctor's wives painted with pastels and she did beautiful pastel paintings usually of kittens, dogs, and other animals. Many were displayed in the hospital where her husband worked! I look forward to getting the right supplies so I can get started. I really enjoyed watching one of your tutorials with trees and landscape. It looked like so much fun. Thanks again for your advice and expertise.

Thank you so much for the info/ I am a beginner with pastels and love them🥰

Best explanation of paper for pastels I have ever heard. Pastels are so new to me…. I really appreciate it! Thank you so much! 10:31

Thanks for this information! I am a beginner with pastels and overwhelmed with the paper choices. I've learned a little along the way, and your information has also helped. I have been enjoying practicing on regular old hardware sand paper 400 and 600 grit (I learned not to get the "no clog" sand paper) and now am wanting to find an artist grade sanded paper than mimics that texture. I have tried to use other papers with adding my own clear gesso, but have not been as happy with that result. It sounds like UART may be the choice for me. Thanks again!

Thank you! I am completely new to soft pastels, like they’re still shipping to me new. I just want to get into them so bad. I don’t paint with pastels or paint landscapes, and I’m feeling the pull in this direction. I have to change things up all the time. It’s party because I’m an art teacher, but this I just NEED! Thank you for the info❤️

i like ur video very much.. i am new to chalk pastel colours and this helps me a lot. also i download ur supply list. thanks for sharing ur precious knowledge with us😊

Wow thanks. I watched two videos. Paper and pastel types. Been working with artists that have told me all this info and shared supplies with me but now listening to you it all came together. There is so much to learn and I’ve worked with only two lessons. They make me so nervous. I worked alongside your video on portraits and I liked my work. Just thank you and if I ever find time from being a caregiver I’ll e back to work. I love pastels. J

Great tutorial Alain. Learned quite a bit about paper.

Thank you for getting a you tube channel and making videos regularly now. I've learned so much from you since I started pastel painting. Would love a video on your style of painting. I noticed you make straight marks many times. Love the way you teach slowly. Easy to follow you.. Thx for taking the time to make these great video's 🤗 Btw.. it would be great if you came to Miami, Fl. and had a workshop and maybe u can even make a vacation out of it!

I've found the new Lux Archival paper from Brush and Pencil is VERY NICE (takes solvent and multiple layers with ease). I'm a pencil artist mainly but dabbling in pastel. Wanted to get a less expensive paper as the Lux is a little pricey for learning on. very helpful review: Thanks!

Still learning before starting to make pastels my major hobby. Thanks for the tips for the best products.

So helpful to a relative newbie still trying new surfaces......thank you so much!

Thanks for another great video. I use a lot of Pastelmat, La Carte, and velour for my wildlife works. Another super sanded paper: Fisher 400. Now I will have to give Uart a whirl. If it's your numero uno, then it must be pretty darn good. Thanks again

I love the colorfix and use the primers on watercolour paper to make my own

Thanks Alain, have not tried the LeCarte paper will try!! UART is my favorite and I love the LeFontaine did not like using alcohol underpainting. Because, the alcohol seemed to compromise the grit of the paper. I have filled about 3-4 of these booklets. My paintings seemed to improve once I started using UART 400 grit. Colofix is OK, but I love my UART. The Dakota sanded board has a great surface as well with a beautiful terra cotta colorway. I think these boards are exclusively produced by Dakota art store. So much fun in checking out new products!! thank you

I appreciate your video so much Alain. Since I have been painting mostly on gessoed masonite over the years, this information is priceless now that I want to migrate to pastel on paper.

You can blend on pastelmat paper once you have a number of coats of pastel on. I love how this paper grabs the pastel and there is no dust to contend with. It takes awhile to get used to but then you are going to love it.

Thank you for this video! I watched your other video about the different pastels, now your answering my next question- blessings from NYC! 💗🌷 (I already subscribed to you! 😄)

Handsome and calming voice. Very nice! Thank you!

What a wonderful video. I'm new to oil pastel and boy is this a fun medium! My frustration with most of these specialty papers is that it's a nightmare to find anything bigger than 50 cm x 70 cm. I like doing very large works in alcohol markers. It took me a long time to find very large (larger than A1 size) bristol board that is both archival and acid free. I eventually found some from an industry printing paper supplier and it is better than anything available in art stores for use with markers. Also because it's not an "art supply" it's wonderfully cheap (about $4 AUD in 420 gsm). I'm in Australia and I had no idea that art spectrum made that pastel gesso. This is fantastic news as it means I can use the large boards that I use my for marker works and get a top quality pastel paper in whatever colour I choose in whatever size I choose. Thanks so much.

Wonderful information, especially for the enthusiastic beginners who want to develop.

Awesome video! Thank you for making this video! I agree with everything you said!

Wonderful info Alain! Thank you

Excellent presentation! Thank you.

Hi there...great video...well organized and I concur with all your comments 🙂 The only couple of minor points I would have added is that Sennelier Lacarte (the first sanded paper I encountered) shouldn’t be used for plein air work. Sometimes it rains and bitter experience has shown me that a great piece can rapidly descend into a mess of white blobs if it does. You talk about washes and that is all true. Sometimes Mother Nature gives you an unintended wash. Also, I find that Uart paper can sometimes accept pastel unevenly, especially if you are using a light touch. An underpainting helps but if you like to use the gold colour as a toned surface and hence want to build up light layers I find that it can be resistant to an even application. I very much enjoy your presentations. Your calm delivery makes it easy to follow and retain the information.

Another Great Video Alain! I've used Pastelmat and Art spectrums paper a lot , I do have a sample pack of Uart paper, which I will try now,, Looking for that painterly look! Thank you again

I learn sooo much from you! Thank you for these excellent videos!

Love your videos! Great teacher!

Hi Alain, another very useful video! I normally use Canson Mi-Teintes, it's because I have some low grade pastels. I will upgrade both soon. I will probably buy either Sennelier paper or the high quality Canson sand paper. Thank you for sharing. Take care 😊

Thank you Alain for a very inspiring video. I have used pastelmat, Carson mi tainted and sennelier papers absolutely brilliant ! And have just started a painting on the velour paper. Very challenging ! I noted it is not easy to blend colours on it, but managed t do so using a pastel stick and layering colour again. The effect was nice. UART paper is not available in the UK.

Hi thank you for the info. I work on Fabriano 220 GSM paper. It's amazing.

I love UART, although was a bit overzealous first time and added some interesting blood red hues when I blended with my finger! Bit gentler now, though I am not sure if i have actual fingerprints anymore!

I have used Pastel Premier, Uart, Colourfix and Wallis. Pastel Premier and Colourfix are my favorites at this point. My Wallis supply is limited and they are 9x12 only. I do find Uart and Wallis close in the ability to take pastel application well. Never tried Pastel Card - sort of concerned about water getting on it and ruining it before getting it finished. Might have to give it a try though. I have used the Canson Mi-Tientes (not Touch) for a couple of projects - very blended ones - which allow a little more layering. I don't blend much on the other papers though. Really appreciate your videos and comments. Love your art as well. Dick Blick, Jerry's and Cheap Joes are my goto sources!

Thank you. I needed a good explanation of many of the papers.

Alan. Great tips for different papers. However, I need to find out where and how do I get som of the oversized, extra large charcoal or pastel drawing papers without spending a fortune. Your helpful thoughts and ideas are highly appreciated.

I recently did a dog portrait and used many layers. On a Canson Mi-Teint I believe. Then at the end I added a mark using a hard pastel and a ¾' of paper peeled off!!! It was smooth underneath like plastic. I had to paint it with Liquitex Clear Gesso (silo to Golden's pastel medium) then re-pastel it. Phew. Next time I will try some of the other choices you recommend. All helpful. Thank you.

Wow! I just watched three of your videos. I love working in pastels and your tips are great, thank you for going into detail on product, soft vs hard pastels and their uses. The paper sequence was so helpful...I'm a fan!

Wow. Really, really complete. Thanks so much.

Great Voice !!Great Explanation!!👍👏👏👏THANK YOU

You look lovely...You speak lovely...This is very informative what you just said....Thank you dear....The pictures on the wall behind you are beautiful ... You are a great Artist ....

Thanks so much for this info! I really appreciate your videos.

Thanks great video. I've tried most of the ones you showed. And just recently some one gave me paper they didn't like but I did like it. Richeson's Unison Premium Pastel Surface and does accept wet washes.

Thank you so much Alain .. very very helpful for me to decide which brand great for pastel.. meanwhile i use my 300 not watercolour paper but first i have to gesso it a bit to have a kind of sanded texture .. it works only for 2 or 3 layers though 😊 of course i sometimes use fixative on certain spots .. once again thank you 🙏

Oops, I was speaking of the “Touch” paper which I am unable to work with. Amber I should use it for sketching?

Great info! I have just started with pastels and am using 400/600 grit waterproof sandpaper from the hardware store - have you used it and how does it compare to these more expensive papers? I am really enjoying your tutorials!

Thank you for sharing you great knowledge about Pastel papers…

received a sample of Fisher 400, and fell in love... have ordered on boards, and will see if am still enamored.

I have never been patient enough to wait a couple weeks for an order of Patelmat to arrive. UArt gives me a headache because it often curls and does not lay flat, but otherwise a good paper. Pastel Premier is the one I usually order because it's heavy, good quality and not overly expensive. I have noticed a lot of sheets aren't perfectly flat. Like they are stored poorly or stacked too high, which causes some subtle warping. However, by the time I cover a sheet with pastel, it's not noticeable. With UArt, the page curling is very noticeable after a work is completed. I even live in the desert southwest, so the rumors about it being caused by humidity seem suspect. Clear gesso is a good way to convert any surface to a pastel friendly surface. Though you have to go easy with your brushstrokes or you will get a lot of that texture in your final painting. The gesso method doesn't quite grab the pastel as well as paper, but you can get about the same results. Good if you want to convert a "bord" to a pastel surface. Then you don't have any issues with curling or warping.

Thank you for posting. I buy Uart by the roll and have 400, 500, 600 and 800 grit. I like the rolls as they provide a versatile stock, cutting the paper to whatever size I need. You do need to mount to a board though to eliminate any curl. Or alternatively you can cut to size and then let it relax with a wash and then let it dry flat. Have you tried Fabriano's Taziano paper? It has a laid surface on one side and a smoother side. I use that as well as Canson's Mi-Teintes for studies.

Thank you very much for your advice,

You are absolutely right.

Thank you so much for this great discussion of different types of pastel papers. For someone who is just starting and is sure to make a lot of mistakes while learning the techniques, what inexpensive paper, preferably a small pad, would you suggest?

thank you sir that was an interaesting fact video taht youve shared

Very helpful!!! Thank you!

Hi Alain, I am a new beginner in using oil pastel soft as well as using the underpainting techniques of different mediums. I find your ways of applying strokes interesting as it builds up the colors in a unique way. I use the coded paper Tela 300 gms/m2-140lbs from Fabriano, its good also. By the way, after watching your video on watercolor and alcohol underpainting and applying the oil pastels, I didnt see what happen next. Did you blend the colours or left it as is. I want to watch the continuation of those videos if there is. Thank you for sharing your talents.

Thank you! Very informative!

Thank you for this video about different brands of pastel paper. Could you please also make a video about choosing the color of pastel paper for different kinds of work (portrait, landscape, still life, etc.) so that the applied pastel color looks its best?

Thank you ! Love it !

Thanks for the info Alain. I've emailed you for the information on different pastel papers. 😁

Great video. Thank you.

Please, could you discuss how and what to use to make my own sanded surface about grit 4? I would certainly appreciate it.Thank you!

I found this very useful. Do you have a video onhow to protect your final painting? I could not find it in your channel.

Have you ever used Strathmore pastel paper? It doesn't seem like many artists like this paper but it's the only kind I've tried so far. If I use my hand to blend that first layer the initial stronger strokes layer on top. I'd like to just layer and layer but they just muddy together unless I kinda blend that first layer down. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you very much for this video!

I m in love with your voice!

Can you apply Pastel Ground/Gesso on MDF board or a canvas and seal with varnish after finishing your pastel painting? 🤔 Thank you for the informative video! 💙

Thank you for the information. I’m a complete newbie. The definition of an amateur and this has given me a beginning. Also great voice. You should do voice overs. A second career 🤔

U helped me so so much Totally subscribing u deserve that

Thank you very much. I work in oil pastel , mainly Sennelier oil pastels. La Carte is beautiful but devours oil pastel so Sennelier oil pastel card is a great substitute. Colourfix Smooth works reasonably well but I’m eager to try regular regular colourfix. Would you compare the tooth to Clairefontaine or is it closer to LaCarte ? I know I’m using a different medium but we use most of the same papers. Any advice would be appreciated.

Oh, thank GOD I found this video! I've been going out of my mind trying to figure out why I can't get more than 3, if I'm lucky, layers on the uncoated Canson paper. I get so frustrated - I gouge the paper, ball it up, throw it across the room, give up, walk away, come back, try again......And I'm not too awfully bad with pastels. I can't thank you enough for this video and I CANNOT WAIT to order a couple of your recommendations. Thank you, Alain. Thank you!

Thanks for posting this! I like the PastelMat paper. I bought a pad of the Uart sanded paper and it has all curled up so as to be unusable. ☹ I wonder if I could glue it down onto mat board or something?

I fully agree with you. The Uart paper is now available in Germany, which is really good. Pastelmat is nice, but as you said the "sand" paper is the best.

Good Afternoon 🤓✌ I just subscribed to your channel 👍 I haven't played with pastels since my childhood and my children's childhood. Needless to say, I am an "old" beginner lol. I am enjoying this video but it's already over my head. Would you be offering an introduction to pastels aka 101 class? I have been feeling intimidated to even open my pastels up 😊 I see that I might not be ready for your channel yet? Would you recommend a channel for step by step pastel beginners? I don't know where to begin. Also would you recommend a paper for beginners to practice on before starting a project? Sincerely Thank you! Namaste Annie

Very helpful. Thank you!

Hi Alain, I wondered what you thought of using Golden Pastel Ground on matte board? I have used it for mixed media but would love to know your thoughts on this for pure pastels and finished pastel works?

Helpful information, thanks! I like pastelmat and also good quality velour, especially for animal portraits. By the way, the pronunciation of the Canson paper puzzled me for years. I finally looked it up and it is pronounced "Mee-TONT" (as in font or Tonto). French for "mid-tone," I believe. ☺

Clairefontaine Pastelmat is great and I do love using it but their pads has a default with the paper having some lines where the pastel doesn't stay. They are aware of this as they have been contacted (by people from my class), we've been assured that they were looking into it but months later I'm still buying new pads having this default (across colours and sizes). There is a trick to get rid of these which is to lightly apply a wet sponge across the surface, but for the price of the paper, I expect more from them

Very informative, thank you.

Very helpful video on types of paper. I am attempting to learn pasteling and have landscape selection of Rembrandt soft pastels and have Pastel Premier 9x12 Grit Medium 145lb / 310 gsm. Have done a landscape with a light was using alcohol and now doing the layering of colors. I've noticed that my poor finger is now raw from all the rubbing! Is there something I can use to save my finger like small piece of leather or something to get the same effect on the paper? Or do I need to just develop a callus?!

Thanks for the great video! I am wondering if you have tried the Fisher 400 sanded paper and if so what your opinion is of it? Thanks!

Alan...have you used Multimedia Pastel art board? I just purchased and really enjoy....also how about the Ampersand pastel board? Thanks.