Excellent demonstration 😊

I have several pads of the Canson Mi-Teintes that I bought on sale (didn't realize how different it was from the Strathmore I had been using) and have hated it for both soft pastel and hard pastel. The only thing I've been using it for is oil pastels. The texture of the paper made it impossible to work with but, your demo showed me what I've been doing wrong. First, I didn't realize (dah) that I could use both sides of the paper and assumed the heavily textured side was for the pastels. Second, I've been using the paper blending tortillions and stumps with horrible results. I was working on a pastel piece using Canson paper since I was out of my usual and was so frustrated then decided to check KZfaq to see what other artists were doing that I was missing with that paper. I looked at a couple other videos that didn't tell me anything then I watched yours. Definitely an AHA! moment. Since I already have a couple color shapers that I use for painting, I went back into my pastel work and used the color shaper rather than the paper blending tools with amazing success! YAY! I had no idea I could use the color shapers for pastels and if I hadn't seen this video I doubt I ever would. The art has been salvaged and when I'm finished with it I'll give doing some pastel work on the other side of another sheet of Canson Mi-Teintes paper. THANK YOU! Color Shapers for pastel...amazing.

Thank you for creating this pastel paper comparison video Kate, I have just started with Pastels and you have saved me so much time by showing these examples.

thank you for the info. that clears up a lot for me as im just starting pastels. thanks again

Thank you so much for this! I was using Canson Mi Teintes and was getting frustrated all the time, I put aside pastels for a while. Now I know the culprit was the paper not my techniques! I'm off to pick up some Pastelmat! :)

Muchas muchas gracias!!! 🙏👏😍 Estaba perdiendo la esperanza de trabajar en pastel y ha sido mi solución! Gracias de nuevo.

This is great and super helpful. Time for me to go get some new paper! 🌞

Thank you for this brilliant review, I'm just starting out so you've probably saved me a fortune 😊

This is so helpful, Thank you very much. Subscribed🐾💜

This is an amazing review. Thank you so much! I am just getting into pastels and I have the Canson + Stabilo pencils. I could not layer and now I know why! I just ordered some of each Clairefontaine and velour. I can’t wait to see the difference.

Thank you for sharing this is very informative :)

Very helpful, thank you

Thank you, this has been very informative!

Thank you so much for this very helpful comparison video. I am new to pastels and was trying the Canson Mi Teintes and just hated how my picture looked and wondered whether I am wasting my time and money on pastels. Now I realize it’s that ugly honeycomb pattern that upset me and not every unsanded paper has it. So now I eagerly await delivery of the velour paper I ordered. Thanks again!

Really useful video. Thank you so much! I struggle with which papers to get as I am new to pastel. The UArt sanded paper has been what I have been using and I struggle a little with it. I am REALLY liking that velour and Pastelmat. I am also going to try Lux Archival. Thanks for the great video!

I like to spray workable fixative between layers and build up colors that way. When done you can spray final fixative or not. The final fixative can darken your pastel slightly, but keeps the picture from readily smudging. Some leave the final fixative off; while others like to use final fixative and then touch up highlights with a fresh layer of pastel and not spray any more fixative. Experiment and see what you prefer. A lot of art techniques are trial and error, making mistakes and seeing what works and what doesn't.

Thank you very much for this, it was really useful for me. I have just started with pastels and have some Pastelmat board (that I bought for coloured pencil pieces) and an Ingres pad but I have only used the Pastelmat so far and was wondering about other papers. Now I know! :) FYI because you mentioned pronunciations: Ingres = Ongrey; Mi teintes = Me tant-eh (or tant-uh, the last syllable is very short). Personally I don't think it matters and the way you said these was absolutely fine. I just happen to know this and wanted to share because you seemed interested.

hi, you did not mention what pastelpencil you used for going over the softpastels. Some brands dont go with that, like F.Castell.

Greetings from Ukraine and thank you so much for such useful and informative video! It's my 1st day dealing with pastel, I've watched hours of videos and only today I've received my pencils (by the way, the same that you are using) And my 1st discovery was how important the painting surface can be. I was totally frustrated with Canson Mi-Teintes and other types of cheap paper because it has this ugly texture that glows through the colors. Unfortunately, velour or sanded types of pastel paper are very rare and expensive in Ukraine, but I really want to get some and now I am sure that it worth it! Thank you again )

Hi Kate, thanks for the great video. Have you ever tried Sennelier pastel card? What’s your opinion of it?

Thank you so much! I'm just discovering how much I love shaded drawing and learning pastels/pencils. My teacher had us get Mi-Teintes for use with white Conte, and I have been so frustrated with the texture when trying to get proper coverage for portraits. Glad to know it's the paper, not me!

OMG you just solved my problem with why my pastel pencil highlights weren't showing up! Thank you.

Hi! Wonderful review 😊 Can you specify what type of Rembrandt paper you were using?

Very useful and interesting video! I use the Fabriano paper, and that paper can't hold on layers of pastels, and this is why I don't like it too.

Thank you for this review. I know that the Canson paper is not very thick, I know it can go through a printer. The Pastelmat I’m sure is too thick for that,but can the Velour go through a printer? I don’t have access to the Fabriano Ingres in the US only the Tiziano, if you don’t do much layering can I use that thinner paper? Also the Sthrathmore 400 Pastel paper? It’s not like those higher quality papers,but I would mostly use it for coloring. Thank you. 😊

I just invented a drawing surface that has been fermenting in my subconscious. 08 November 2023 . For drawing ,pastel etc, etc

Do you try paint with Gioconda or Carbothello pencils? I saw a video from Jason Morgan and he said that when you put soft pastel underlayers, you will need to use softer pastels to sit on top of the underlayers ( like a soft pencil as Caran D'Ache, Gioconda...) or use softer sticks on top.

Hi did you use canson graduate natural before? Thanks

Hi do ya have some tips for drawing on the Canson mi teintes paper with honeycomb Structure?😅

Which would you suggest for charcoal? So far I haven't found a great paper for my charcoal drawing. Its all been hard to blend and leaves streaks.

can canson mi teintes work as near as pastelmat ? coz its cheaper hehe

I love using the clairfontain pastelmat with my pencils and i have never tried the velour one but am intregued by the soft velvet look/feel.....I dont really use pastels much but do have a set of koh-i-noor tossendor which i like. Do you know if the velour paper works well for normal coloured pencils rather than patel pencils. "holbiens, lumicolour and pollychromos are the ones i use, mainly the holbiens).?

Hi Kate, you’re calling the paper Canson Mi Teintes “Touch” in the video but the paper you’re using is actually a regular Canson Mi Teintes, not Touch. Touch doesn’t really have the sort of texture and the weight of the paper is a lot heavier :) It’s pretty confusing as the names are almost the same but the texture is completely different and I personally think Mi Teintes Touch is more suitable for detailed pastel artwork than a regular one ;)

Canso Mi- teinte No sirve para esta técnica, Canson Mi-teinte-Touch es el que realmente sirve para esta técnica, también hay otro de la marca Sennelier que también es aterciopelado. Tienes que informarte más para un próximo video. Saludos.

Velour is great but doesn't works pencil that much

yo dibujo directo sin poner tanto blende el canson uso losel paper oscuro a mi favor hacie no tengo que usarlos colores oscuro eso papeles no recojen el pigmento no se puede usar layere

no need some liquid for blender

It would good if you stopped waving the cards around and printed larger

Mi Teintes regular paper is trash, the texture is horrible. No for professional work. The Mi teintes touch is different. Pastelmat the best for me.

This was great information but you CANT go into a test like this as obviously biased as you did. I mean I could tell from the first minute which you were going to deem “the best” Basically what you have said….the impression you leave, is that if you can’t afford exorbitantly priced pastel mat or velour you might as well not bother….only those with spare cash can do pastels or extremely talented and experienced artists. This is sad, because pastel is a lovely medium that people should be able to experiment with, not something only for an elite who can afford expensive papers.

I’m sorry but with all do respect, you are pretty confusing, you are kind of contradicting yourself and stuttering like you don’t know what to say. I’m referring to the pastel pencils (but it could apply to soft pastels) it’s meant to be smudged and blended not necessarily “rubbed” in. I am no expert but it is the purpose to be smudged,and yes I don’t like the stumps. Also, again I’m no expert,but I know many artists who use ClairFontaine with soft pastels not just hard. The information you give here it’s pretty contradictory with what I’ve seen from others.