pastels

Pastels are an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all coloured art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation. The color effect of pastels is closer to the natural dry pigments than that of any other process.

Soft pastels: This is the most widely used form of pastel. The sticks have a higher portion of pigment and less binder, resulting in brighter colours. The drawing can be readily smudged and blended. Finished drawings made with soft pastels require protecting, either framing under glass or spraying with a fixative to prevent smudging.

Oil pastels: These have a soft, buttery consistency and intense colours. They are dense and fill the grain of paper and are slightly more difficult to blend than soft pastels, but do not require a fixative. They may be spread across the work surface by thinning with turpentine.

Refer to the subheading “Pastels” and “Pastel Pencils” for a list of what we stock.

pencils

Pencils are writing implements or art mediums usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use.

Most pencil cores are made of graphite mixed with a clay binder, leaving grey or black marks that can be easily erased. Graphite pencils are used for both writing and drawing, and the result is durable.

Coloured pencils can vary greatly in terms of quality and usability; concentration of pigments in the wax core, lightfastness of the pigments, durability of the coloured pencil, softness of the lead, and range of colours are indicators of a brand’s quality and, consequently, its market price.

Aquarelles or watercolour pencils are great to use and you can mix them with water to create interesting colour flows. Of course, you can use them dry and because they have such a soft texture you will find them easy to blend & layer. Watercolour is not permanent, so once the colour is dry you can re-wet it and move it about again.

Visit the following links to see our most popular pencil brands
Coloured Pencils
Drawing and Sketching
Pastel Pencils
Watercolour Pencils

The kneaded eraser, also known as putty rubber, is a tool for artists. It’s usually made of a grey or white pliable material and resembles putty or gum. It functions by adsorbing and “picking up” graphite and charcoal particles. It does not wear away and leave behind eraser residue, thus it lasts much longer than other erasers.

They can be shaped by hand for precision erasing, creating highlights, or performing detailing work. They are commonly used to remove light charcoal or graphite marks and in subtractive drawing techniques.

The Paper torchon is a tool used for blending and shading drawings in pencils, charcoal and pastels .You can even use it for coloured pencils.

An eraser shield is a simple metal or plastic plate, about2 ¼ “ x 3 ½” with different sizes and shapes of openings. These different shapes and sizes allow precise masking of small areas. This allows you to erase without smearing or the accidental erasure of surrounding areas of a drawing. An eraser shield is useful when correcting and editing a drawing.

The electric eraser has a knob in a short thin rod attached to a motor. The eraser knob turns at a uniform speed, achieving a smooth erasure with a minimum of paper trauma. Electric erasers work quickly and completely.

Soft vinyl erasers have a plastic-like texture and erases cleaner than standard erasers. They are softer and non-abrasive, making them less likely to damage canvas or paper. They are prone to cause smearing when erasing large areas or dark marks, so these erasers are used to erase light marks and for precision erasing.
drawing-accessories
Derwent Burnisher & Blender set provides you with the tools needed to make colors shine in your artwork.

The burnisher is a hard, colourless pencil that creates a polished finish on top of existing layers of colours. The blender is a soft, colourless pencil used to blend colors together to create rich tones. Use them individually or together.

Visit the following links to see our most popular drawing accessories
Art Erasers
Drawing Accessories
Sharpeners

coateswillowcharcoal30shortsticks

Charcoal is used in art for drawing, making rough sketches well as in painting It must usually be preserved by the application of a fixative.

Vine charcoal is created by burning sticks of wood (usually willow or linden/Tilia) into soft, medium, and hard consistencies.

Compressed charcoal charcoal powder mixed with gum binder compressed into round or square sticks. The amount of binder determines the hardness of the stick. Compressed charcoal is used in charcoal pencils.

Refer to the subheading “Drawing and Sketching” for a list of what we stock.