Pan Pastel Brand vs "Generic" Pastel Chalks

[richbeau]

Great thread. Let me throw my choices into the mix.

For years I used Charvin Pastels. I still have two trays. One of greys and the other has browns to orange-ish to yellows. Which I still use because they are water soluble and produce some fine effects.

About 15 years ago Karl O. turned me onto Sinopia pigments. Because they came in a large-ish bottle I banded together with some friends and we swapped colors. Which was pretty cost effective. They sometimes need a binder to get the best out of them. I still use them but they are a bit trickier.

Nowadays I mostly use Rembrandt's as they already have a good binder for wood.

I've not use PanPastels as they just seem a bit too expensive for what you get. Since they are so popular, at some point I'll probably try them out.
--Rich

[jerryrbeach]

Steven,


A word of caution regarding pan pastels.  Many (most?) of the sets have one lid.  They stack the colors using the bottom of one color for the lid of the next.  The lids are available separately.  IMO, if you buy the lids, the savings from buying a set are negligible.  Individual colors of course have a lid for each.  Dick Blick is where I bought mine.  I'm still learning how and where to use them so I cannot help you with that. 

[postalkarl]

Hey George:

I have several sets of pastels and also Bragdon Enterprises plastic bottle of colored I suppose artists chalks. Also have Doc O'Brien's Weathering Powders set of 12 colors.

Karl