Caran d'Ache – Potato Art Studios

Back to Basics Portraiture: Week 1 (Limited Color Palette)

Lauren — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 23:47:00 +0000

After reviewing my task list from my previous post, I did some thinking, and I identified that my biggest insecurity is color theory (aka mixing the ‘perfect’ skin tone).

If you’ve ever purchased a standard 12, 24, or even 36 color set of colored pencils or markers, chances are there will be one standard-issue brown (and maybe one light tan color if you’re lucky). I always found myself struggling to find the right amount of white, yellow, orange, blue, and black to add to the brown to create a realistic skin tone.

But taking a close look at any person, there are dozens of colors present in every person’s face due to their pigmentation, lighting, and anatomy.

Not knowing where to start, I decided to leave the task of picking a traditional ‘portrait’ set up to the experts. I purchased a 20-color portrait set from the brand Caran d’Ache. Although this specific set is no longer sold, I’ve labeled the color numbers if you wish to purchase individual colors. More information about lightfastness is listed in the second table.

A quick overview of the range is that it leans towards the conventional light and medium skin tones. I was disappointed to see that the medium-deep and deep colors were limited. Trying to put a positive spin on things, I felt that the limited range of darker values would encourage me to explore color blending. Overall, confining my color choices to a mere 20 would help me through the ‘decision fatigue’ of trying to find the ‘perfect’ color and push me to quickly reach for a color that would do the job.

For the first week’s portrait homework, I decided to keep things simple and aim to draw just one facial feature with a time limit of 30 minutes. I also had my notebook to do quick self-critique sessions after each study was completed.

Week 1: Limited Color Palette

Main Tasks:

Encourage color blending
Prioritize value over hue

Rules:

Less than 1 hour per study (aim for 30 minutes or less)
Focus on one facial feature at a time
Limit of 20 colors

Study 1: Male Nose

Time: 30 minutes

Study Notes:

With a toned grey paper, it takes a lot of pastel to build up the light areas with only pastel pencils.
The light blue (Silver Grey 011) was helpful to tone down the warmth from the light peach colors in the cheeks.
The mid-value warm color (047 Bistre) was the predominant shadow color. I wanted to reach for a less-yellow transition color between the highlights and shadows.

Study 2: Male Eye

Time: 30 minutes

Study Notes:

A medium brown color (mentioned in previous nose study) would have been ideal to use for the base of the skin tone. I combined Cassel Earth (046) & Bistre (047) to achieve a similar value, but the result leaned on the green/sallow range.
Black (009) worked well when used sparingly (in the densest part of the center of the eyebrows, pupil, and upper eyelid).
The sclera (white of the eye) was colored with the pastel blended from the shadow skin areas and some black and white added.

Study 3: Female Mouth + Teeth

Time: 50 minutes

Study Notes:

This study ran significantly over the time limit due to issues with finding the teeth color (desaturated light yellow).
- Available colors in similar value (white, light yellow, and peach) were too bright to use for teeth. I used Black (009) + Cassel Earth (046) to desaturate the teeth.
The subtle transitions of color between the left and right halves of the upper lip could be cleaned up with more time.
Adding warm colors (Pale Yellow 011 & Light Flesh 10% 542) in the early stage was a mistake. The overall skin tone is pink (cool-toned).

Study 4: Female Eye

Time: 30 minutes

Study Notes:

Once again, the lack of darker colors was very challenging. I leaned into the red and purple colors to set up the drawing – starting with blocking in the shadows with Plum (105).
Working from dark to light was very efficient when building the second and third layers. Learning from Study 3, I restricted the amount of yellow used in the mid-value areas.
The highlighted areas (cheek and center forehead) looked dull. Will need to troubleshoot how to brighten darker skin tones without losing the ‘glow.’
With light pressure, Dark Phthalocyanine Green (719) can be added to Cassel Earth (046) to darken areas without ill effects.

Week 1: Take Away Lessons

Drawing facial features 1:1 scale or slightly larger makes drawing and coloring much easier.
Have a “scratch” sheet of paper to experiment with color mixing to make the color matching process less stressful.
After identifying the ‘missing’ colors from the 20-color portrait set, it may be helpful to grab 3-5 additional colors after the portrait is 50% or more developed.
Blending with a sponge (SOFFT tool or similar tool) saves time to develop an even layer of pastel when there are uneven gaps left by hatching color in with pencils.
Use the guides in the photo editor to simulate plumb lines on the digital reference photo. Use a ruler to check the alignment of features on the physical drawing.
Drawing teeth is hard!

Stay tuned for week two’s portrait studies! If you’ve found this series interesting, let me know by leaving a comment below. If you have portrait drill-style exercises that you found helpful, leave a description of those as well!

-Lauren

$1000 Pastel Wish List

Lauren — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 04:11:00 +0000

What would you do with $1000 to spend on art supplies? In my previous post I put together a list of pastel recommendations for different budgets ($35/$75/$150+ USD). The items I selected were based on my experience using different pastel brands over the years.

Pastel Gift Guide

In this blog, I’ll be highlighting my personal wish list. Now if you’ve been using pastels for a while, you likely have the basic assortment of pastels in the standard rainbow. Once you start exploring the world of pastels (although let’s be honest, it’s basically pastel collecting after a certain point), you will inevitably stumble upon the small “indie” manufacturers and established European companies with fairly pricey pastels. Here are the 7 sets I would buy with ten Benjamin’s.

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Terry Ludwig | Intense Darks II

Since the start of my pastel journey, I’ve heard nothing but good things from Terry Ludwig. This small business makes their products in Colorado, USA. They are known for being exceptionally soft with highly pigmented colors in the pastel community. Their dark purple called “Eggplant” (color number V100) has a cult following all on its own. I’ve eyed several of their sets, but the Intense Darks II is the first set I would throw in my basket.

Terry Ludwig Intense Darks II (30 color set). A beautiful range of deep cool toned reds, blues, and violets.

Where to buy:

Terry Ludwig Official Site (Price $200 USD)

Girault | Parietal and Skin Tones Sets

I first learned about Girault from reading Ellen Eagle’s book Pastel Painting Atelier earlier this year. Ellen almost exclusively uses Giraults on her homemade sanded boards. After looking into their color range, I can easily see why. They have the largest range of neutrals I’ve ever seen from a brand. But at nearly $5 USD for a very slim stick of pastel, I haven’t found the resolve to buy a set for myself. At this high price, not many retailers carry Girault. I believe in the U.S., Dakota Pastels in Washington and Fine Art Store in New York are currently the only stockists of this French brand.

I had a very difficult time choosing which set I would pick. Their greens and blues are stunning. If I had an unlimited budget, I would easily add the entire 300 color set (which costs a whopping $1,300 USD). But for my wish list, I’ve chosen two 25 count neutral sets called Parietal and Skin Tones. Each set is $125 USD from Dakota Pastels.

Girault 25 Skin Tone set

Girault 25 Parietal set

Where to buy:

Dakota Pastels ($125 USD each)

PanPastel | Extra Dark Shades

Okay, okay I know I’ve been critical of PanPastel in my very first blog covering this brand, but if I had some extra cash, I would grab their set of “Extra Dark Shades” without any hesitation. The shape of PanPastels can be misleading, but you do get a fair amount of product for the price. If you want to read more about my cost analysis, I have more info linked below:

What are PanPastels?

Recently, I’ve been interested in doing larger pastel drawings and PanPastels can be a great addition to any pastel artists’ set – even if you already own similar colors in stick or pencil form. For under $100, you get a reasonable selection of colors with a few sponge tools that are actually useful.

Where to buy:

Amazon ($78.42 USD)

Mount Vision | Thunderstorm set

Mount Vision gives me the impression of a smaller batch pastel company compared to Terry Ludwig. Based in New York, USA, the Mount Vision website does look like it was made as a high school web design project in 2000. But it has all the information about colors and pigments that you need to build your own set or choose from their 17 curated sets.

I bought a small set of purples and pinks in the last year and I can say wholeheartedly that you get a lot of pastel for your money. They are easily the biggest pastel sticks I own and the consistency is in between the medium and soft brands. The Thunderstorm 25 color set has a beautiful range of desaturated blues, pinks, and purples.

Where to buy:

Amazon ($99.02 USD)

Art Spectrum | Darks 30 color set

If I ever travelled to Australia, you bet I would bring an empty suitcase just to fill up on Art Spectrum products. I’m still tickled at the thought of Art Spectrum making their own line of colorful pastel papers, pastel grounds, AND a line of pastels that match spot-on with each other. Why don’t all pastel manufacturers do this?!

Going back to the topic of pastels, their curated sets are very punchy and beautiful. I’m still kicking myself or not picking up several sets when they popped up on Ebay earlier this year. The U.S. unfortunately does not carry all of the sets available in Australia. But the “Dark” 30 color set is in stock through Dakota Pastels.

Where to buy:

Dakota Pastels ($125.95 USD)

Caran d’Ache Pastel Cubes

Through correspondence with a customer service representative on the Caran d’Ache official site, they will be discontinuing their pastel stick line. I love the pastel pencils from Caran d’Ache very much, so I’m sad to see this product line disappear. There are 84 colors available for individual purchase, but many art suppliers have a limited stock. There are no sets available. If you’re thinking about trying this product, I would recommend purchasing a few colors before it’s too late.

In order to stay under the $1000 budget, I’ll remove the standard rainbow colors I already own and add the remaining 60 colors to my cart.

Caran d’Ache color chart provided by Jackson’s Art Supply. I removed 13 common colors and would hypothetically add the remaining 60 to my wish list cart.

Similar to Girault, these sticks are pricey for how small they are. But hey, if we’re spending money, I’d grab this quality brand without hesitation.

Close-up of a Caran d’Ache hard pastel cube

Caran d’Ache pastel cubes are available in the U.S., but the lowest price I found was through Jackson’s Art Supply located in the U.K. for $3.44 USD per stick at the time of this post.

Where to buy:

Jackson’s Art Supply ($3.44 USD per stick [total of $206.40 USD for 60 colors])

Final Thoughts

So what did $1000 USD buy with my items? The seven pastel sets included 215 colors for a total of $960 USD (excluding sales taxes and shipping fees). This breaks down to $4.47 USD per stick. For many established pastel brands, $5-$8 is fairly standard pricing.

What do you think of my picks? Have I persuaded you to check out a few different brands? If you’re interested in learning more about my pastel reviews and recommendations, check out my previous blog posts.

Pastel Pencil Comparison Guide

3 Underrated Pastel Brands

Reviewing Koh-I-Noor Gioconda Pastel Pencils

Share your own list of pastels that you would enjoy trying in the comments below! -Lauren

Pastel Gift Guide

Lauren — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 23:56:47 +0000

We’re back with another holiday recommendation guide! I previously posted 3 underrated pastel brands if you’re looking to explore your pastel collection.

Underrated Pastel Brands

In 2019 I made a holiday guide with general gift recommendations for artists of all ages and skill levels. I still stand by all of my recommendations if you have an artist on your gift list.

Gift Ideas for Artists

But in this post, I’ll be giving my personal favorites for each type of pastel (stick and pencil) with different price ranges ($40/$75/$150+). I live in California, US and the prices I provided will be in US dollars (USD) from Amazon.com. When purchasing any item online, you can always shop around among different sellers to find the best price. Sites such as camelcamelcamel.com will allow you to see the price history of Amazon products if you want to be an extra savvy shopper.

December 2022 Update: Amazon prices have been updated for the 2022 holiday season. As with all shopping decisions, compare prices across multiple sites to get the best deal. I’ve provided Affiliate Amazon links for quick shopping.

$40 and under gifts

You can get a surprising amount of quality artist-grade materials on a budget. I’m always a firm believer that a handful of high-quality supplies will have far more use to an artist than a large box of low-quality supplies.

Pastel Pencil Pick: Stabilo CarbOthello 24 pencil set

Stabilo CarbOthello is my favorite budget-friendly pastel pencil brand. It’s the first brand I recommend to artists interested in trying pastels. Stablio makes several assorted sets from 12 colors to their full 60 color range. I feel that the smallest 12-color set can be limiting for most artists. The 24 set is a great budget option and is my pastel pencil recommendation

Where to buy:

STABILO CarbOthello Pastel Pencil Set, 24-Color (Amazon price $38.99 USD)

Pastel Pick: PanPastel Zorn Set

PanPastel offers a variety of curated sets. For those unfamiliar with PanPastels, they are similar to the stick form of pastels, but molded into a plastic compact. For the figure artist or charcoal artist interested in learning more about colors, the Zorn palette is a great option. The 4 colors and colorless blender is a wonderful introduction to pastels in an approachable way.

This set comes with 4 small sponges, but I recommend also picking up some cosmetic foam sponges in various sizes. Your local pharmacy or beauty supply store will often carry cosmetic sponges next to cosmetic brushes and applicators. They are wonderful and affordable tools to transfer the pastel in the pans onto your drawing surface.

Where to buy:

PanPastel Zorn set 5 colors + 4 sponges (Amazon price $32.23)

$75 and under gifts

Pastel Pencil Pick: Derwent 36 pencil set

Derwent is slightly more expensive than Stabilo pastel pencils, hence why it’s grouped in the higher priced tier. I purchased the 36 set as a gift to myself and it’s worth it! Derwent in general has a larger range of neutral brown and grey colors. Both the 24 and 36 color sets fall in the $35-$75 category so I’ve chosen the 36 count option due to the increased variety of colors.

Where to buy:

Derwent Pastel Pencils 36 Count (Amazon price $75.23)

Pastel Pick #1: Sennelier 40 half-stick portrait set

I’ll come right out and confess that I absolutely love my portrait set from Senneleir. Out of all the sets I’ve purchased over the years, I make the most use out of the colors from the Sennelier portrait 40 half-stick set. I also recommend this set to many artists looking to purchase soft pastels. Sennelier does offer larger curated half and full stick sets. But for under $75, you can’t beat this assortment.

Where to buy:

Sennelier portrait 40 half-stick (Amazon price $59.01)

Pastel Pick #2: PanPastel Drawing 10 color set

The colors in the drawing set by PanPastel are very neutral and applicable for both animal and human portrait drawings. I don’t own this specific set, but I have purchased half of the colors in this set individually and I enjoy the warm and cool colors included. Keep in mind that the Black and Titanium White included in the Drawing Set are the same in the Zorn Set. I would not recommend purchasing both sets due to the 2 overlapping colors.

Where to buy:

PanPastel Artists’ Painting Pastels Set – Drawing Colors, Set of 10 (Amazon price $47.25)

$150 and under gifts

For around $100, you’ll be able to pick up complete sets of most pastel pencil brands. However I do want to point out that for gifting purposes, you will likely want to confirm with your gift recipient that they actually like the particular brand before you invest in a full color set. Art supplies typically have a stricter return policy than items such as clothing.

Pastel Pencil Picks #1 & 2: Derwent and Stabilo complete sets

Stabilo and Derwent are both on the softer range of pastel pencils. If your recipient likes one brand, they will likely enjoy the other brand on the list.

Where to buy:

Luxury gifts ($150 and up)

If you are fortunate to have a larger budget, your pastel options are endless. Complete sets of pastels can cost thousands of dollars. It would be pointless to give a recommendation to buy something expensive, just because it’s expensive.

Many established pastel brands have wooden presentation boxes for their larger sets. While pretty and very giftable, some artists have their preferred method of storage. The expensive box (which may add $30 or more to the price of the set) may end up in a closet collecting dust. I feel that slim lightweight boxes have a more practical use over bulky and heavy boxes.

Pastel Pencil Pick: Caran d’Ache 76 complete pencil set

Caran d’Ache makes brilliant colors that you just can’t find in Stabilo and Derwent. I did not recommend Caran d’Ache in our lower price options because many of the standard rainbow colors in Caran d’Ache are very similar to what you can find from most brands. When you take a closer look at the larger 40 set and complete 76 color set from Caran d’Ache, the range of browns and pinks are really special.

Where to buy:

Caran d ‘Ache 76 pastel pencil complete set (currently unavailable on Amazon as of Dec. 22)

Pastel Pick: Unison 63 assorted half stick set

Unison in the last few years has begun releasing half stick sets similar to Sennelier. Unison is slightly firmer than Sennelier, but in the same soft pastel category. I personally enjoy their 18 Dark Jewel set in my own work. For a general assortment, the Unison 63 half-stick set is a great standard rainbow assortment covering a wide range of hues and tones.

The entire range from Unison is a whopping 380 colors. If you or your artist giftee enjoys this introductory set to Unison, they’ll have a great time exploring the additional curated sets available in the half-stick and full-stick format.

Where to buy:

Unison half stick 63 count (Amazon price $175.02)

Bonus Recommendation

And I have to throw in my favorite pastel and colored pencil sharpener – the Mobius and Ruppert brass sharpener. I’ve converted many artists to this sharpener over the years. Even if you or the recipient of your gift already have a favorite sharpener, consider adding this item along with any pastel pencil set. I’ll guarantee that they’ll thank you. If you’ve watched any of my drawing videos, you’ll see this sharpener pop in at least once while I work.

The Mobius and Ruppert model 602 sharpens all of the pastel pencils I own (Caran d’Ache, Conte, Derwent, Faber-Castell PITT, and Stabilo CarbOthello)

Occasionally, this sharpener may be out of stock on Amazon. If you see this item at your local art supply store, I highly recommend picking it up. Replacement blades and the small Phillips screwdriver used to remove the screw holding the blade in place are also linked below.

Where to buy:

Last words

I take product recommendations very seriously. All of the brands I’ve included in this post are supplies I’ve regularly incorporated in my own work from a minimum of 6 months to as long as 3 years when I first picked up pastels. If you are interested in comprehensive brand reviews, I have additional information in my dedicated product review posts:

The Best Pastel Pencils

Underrated Pastel Brands

I do want to mention that I mainly work with animals – which means my preferences will favor brands that have a broad neutral range and colors that are easy to blend to create soft fur effects. So while I may rave about one product, it may not work as well for an artist who prefers to draw flowers or landscapes with different application techniques.

If you decide to purchase one of these items I listed, let me know how you like them (or how your giftee received them) after the holidays! And if you didn’t see a product you enjoy, leave your recommendations in the comments to add on to the list! -Lauren

The BEST Pencil Sharpener for Pastel Pencils

Lauren — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 21:44:23 +0000

Let’s just cut to the part you want to know. The pastel pencil sharpener that I have used the longest and recommended to all pastel artists is…

There are several different versions. The model I use is the grenade double-hole brass sharpener. Just to prove that this sharpener can actually give a fine tip, I’ve sharpened the five pastel pencil brands I regularly use in my own work.

This article has been edited on February 27, 2023 with additional notes for the replacement blades.

The grenade double-hole sharpener next to the pencils it sharpens. From top to bottom: Derwent, Faber-Castell PITT, Caran d’Ache, Stabilo CarbOthello, and Conte a Paris pastel pencils.

Where to buy:

I’ve tried A LOT of sharpeners and I’ve unfortunately broken A LOT of fragile pastel pencils over the years. Pastel and charcoal pencils are difficult to sharpen because the core is fragile.

I think the key to sharpening a charcoal or pastel pencil is a well-made sharpener body with replaceable blades. Since purchasing my Mobius and Ruppert sharpener in 2018, I’ve tried a handful of brands, but I always come back to my little brass buddy.

To see the sharpener in action, watch my YouTube review below

Why the Mobius and Ruppert sharpener is the best option out there

1. Blades are easily replaced and available to purchase online

Delicate pencils need a sharp blade. Even the highest quality blade will dull over time with use. Without a sharp blade, most pastel pencil cores will shatter. When we’re talking about pencils that may cost up to $4 USD each, frequently breaking pencils quickly adds up to a lot of waste and an unproductive use of valuable time.

Mobius and Ruppert is one of the few brands that sells replacement blades in packs of 3 and 10. I purchase my replacement blades online through Amazon below.

UPDATE (Febraury 27, 2023)
The Grenade Single Hole Sharpener requires a different replacement blade that is thinner than the other 3 sharpeners. Refer to the table below for sharpener compatibility.

Mobius and Ruppert Brass Pencil Sharpener Blade Information

Sharpener Description	Sharpener Model No.	Replacement Blade Size
Wedge Single Hole	0600	24 mm x 7 mm
Grenade Double Hole	0602	24 mm x 7 mm
Wedge Double Hole	0603	24 mm x 7 mm
Grenade Single Hole	0604	24 mm x 6 mm

Where to buy:

Mobius and Ruppert Replacement Blades (10 pack) [MSRP $10 USD] Compatible with grenade double hole, wedge single hole, and wedge double hole sharpeners.
Mobius and Ruppert Replacement Blades (10 pack) [MSRP $7 USD] Compatible with grenade single hole sharpener only. Available at Joann online (U.S.).
Husky 8-in-1 Double Ended Precision Screwdriver Set [MSRP $15 USD] This set comes with several sizes. The #1 Phillips head (also called “PH1”) fits the best with the Mobius and Ruppert sharpener.

I personally like the double-hole model because I can sharpen my standard diameter pastel pencils (Caran d’Ache, Derwent, Faber-Castell PITT, and Stabilo CarbOthello). And the larger hole can sharpen my fragile Conte pastel pencils (but note that the tip is not as thin and tapered as the smaller hole).

If you own other brands and are worried about compatibility, the diameters of the two-hole models are 8.2 mm and 11.2 mm. If you purchase the single hole model, the opening is 8.2 mm.

2. Cost Effective

The vast majority of brands do not sell replacement cutters or blades. This eventually translates to more waste and you (the artist) having to purchase a new sharpener anywhere from several times a year to once every few years (depending on your use).

I use my pencils daily and I find that I need to replace my Mobius and Ruppert blade every 20-40 days. Over the course of one year, the cost of blades averages to $10 USD.

Compare this amount to a hand-crank or electric (battery or wall plug-in) model. Prices vary wildly by brand. I’ve seen prices range from $15 to $40 USD for hand crank models. Electric sharpeners are even more expensive from $20 to more than $100 for industrial classroom versions.

The Downsides

1. Pencil Shavings

Because the Mobius and Ruppert sharpeners are very utilitarian, there is no built-in shavings holder like some other brands. This does make my favorite sharpener less than travel-friendly. I personally sharpen my pencils over an plastic container with a screw top lid. The lid prevents any spills and reduces mess.

2. Ease of Use

If you are an artist with mobility limitations (reduced grip strength due to conditions such as arthritis), my recommendation in this article may not be the best option for you.

I’ll be writing up a guide in the future which focuses on how to identify elements of a good hand crank sharpener. Keep an eye out for it in the next month!

-Lauren