What Is The Difference Between Soft Pastels and Oil Pastels?

If you intend to crate a pastel image, then it is necessary to understand the supplies you are going to use. After all, you cannot expect to create a masterpiece without the right pastels.

There are different types of pastels: Soft pastels, hard, pastels, pastel pencils, and oil pastels. They all differ from each other in terms of their pigment concentration, consistency, binding, and versatility.

Here, we will discuss the difference between soft pastels and oil pastels. These are two extremely popular pastel types, often  used by experienced and amateur pastel artists alike.

What Are Soft Pastels?

Soft pastels are the most common and widely used form of pastels. They are used for their wonderfully intense colours. Pigment concentration in soft pastel is quite high while the binder is generally less. This is why soft pastels they crumble easily. All the same, they are very effective when you want to apply lots of colours in layers and draw edges with fine lines.

Soft pastels come in many colors and sizes, including thick stick and half stick.

What Are Oil Pastels?

Oil pastels are cylindrical pastels that consist of a combination of wax and oil. They differ from other pastels in that they do not include gum to bind the pigments. Oil pastels are popular among experienced artists for their versatility and texture. They have a waxy consistency and will never become completely dry.

What Is The Difference Between Soft Pastels And Oil Pastels?

Soft pastels and oil pastels are two extremely popular pastel types. They are different from each other in terms of their ingredients and usage. One of the most common differences between them is the ability to crumble. Soft pastels crumble easily as they have a small amount of binder in them. On the other hand, oil pastels do not crumble easily. Instead of gum, they contain a wax to bind the pigments.

Oil pastels are more stable than soft pastels, as they do not require a fixative.

When it comes to blending colors, soft pastels are generally regarded as better than oil pastels.

Apart from that, oil pastels never dry completely which makes it difficult for an artist to transport them.

Oil pastels do not release airborne dust.

 

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