First Look at Jack Richeson Handmade Soft Pastels

'On a Gray Day'        5x7        pastel        ©Karen Margulis

 I love hidden treasure. That's what happens when you get busy and things get hidden under piles of stuff. Today I was looking for something when I found a stash of Jack Richeson pastels that I had purchased at the IAPS convention in June. They were giving away samples but the colors were so luscious that I bought about 20 more. I chose some greens that I thought I could use as well as some bright 'spice' colors.

This post isn't a complete review of these pastels since I didn't do a full test. I only pulled out this collection of greens because I knew they would be perfect for the little study I was working on.

Jack Richeson Handmade Soft Pastels

My intention was to use these pastels as spices....that is the final marks on a painting. After my brief use today I think they will be great in this role.

• The size is perfect. They are round and about 1 1/2 inches long. This is the perfect 'brush' size. Not to big and not too small.

• They are firm and not at all crumbly. I pressed hard and the pastel stayed intact and didn't break.

• They go on soft. Even though they aren't crumbly they are soft enough to leave a nice amount of pigment. My first impression is that they are on the 'buttery' side which means they feel soft and a bit creamy. I will test them some more to see if this first impression is accurate.

• The colors are wonderful. At the convention they were all on display like a wonderful candy store. Between this booth and Terry Ludwig's booth we were all in trouble! I couldn't resist choosing a bunch of them. I also loved the little plastic cases that the pastels came in. These will come in handy for traveling with a few extra spices!

These hand rolled pastels are available at Dakota Art Pastels and they are on sale this week. I plan to do a more thorough review but it is a good time to buy some to try for yourself!

http://dakotapastels.com/pages/softpastels-richeson.aspx