Pastels and Polymer

One of the coolest things about polymer is that you can use virtually any art material with it in some fashion. On some trips to art and craft stores, I will wander every aisle and think of ways to use what I find.

So it really is no surprise to see someone using pastels on polymer. In a way it’s just a matte version of mica powders but unlike the standard matte powder option I have in my studio–cosmetic grade iron oxides–pastels come in dozens of colors.  Hélène Jeanclaude shows just how to prepare and use pastels on her blog here in order to make items like this beautiful rust and patina look necklace.

Another cool thing about pastels is that they are not created equal … the pigment saturation from one brand to the next can be drastically different but that just means you have more options. If you want lighter more diffused color, the inexpensive kid’s sets should work just fine. The more expensive pastels sold by the stick at fine art supply stores can be so wonderfully saturated that the colors just glow. And there is everything in between. Just more color to play with!