Jason, once I accidentally clicked on the thumbs down on a video because I thought you could see the profile of the jerk who would think it was bad. I didn't realize by doing that I was actually adding to the thumbs down count!
People are just plain jealous or just incapable of appreciating talent n efforts. But hats off to u :) you n Lisa r my top favourites 😍 thank u so much for all the efforts
Excellent!! This is so helpful. I mostly do watercolour so reserving lights comes sort of naturally to me but I LOVE the intensity I’m seeing with the pastelmat and inverting that. Thank you!
This is the best video on pastel paper I have seen. It is exactly the comparison I needed. Other videos say in the title that they will give you the pros and cons of pastelmat but then you click on the video and it is not actually saying any pros and cons. This video here is great. Thank you.
Make your own paper! Mix 1 part pumice powder with 4 parts gesso then paint it onto watercolour paper with a soft wide brush. 425 g Bockingford works well. Bit messy but saves a fortune.
If somebody has bought an Ingres pad and doesn't like it, I have found that using the smoother reverse side is quite useful. I would only use it for practice though as it tends to have a areas of uneven texture (even though it's smooth). It's better than throwing it away.
Jason you are so correct in the papers, don't understand how people can give a thumbs down, but the unsanded papers CAN be used, but they take so so much more effort & continually spraying with workable fixative on to get more layers on the paper & to use with the lights, I know I spent a few months ( not full time !) doing a painting of a wave on a Canson non sanded paper, it worked, but it is so much harder. I am using pastlemat for the first time & you sure have to be careful with those soft pastels ....filled the tooth so I will have to spray some fixative to try get some more detail in. Thanks for all your time in your very informative videos. I have the full set of pan pastels, but never really use them, but after watching you use them the way you did, I will give them another try. I have found that the soft tools & sponges just break up so fast, I think they must have been old stock, because I am not pressing hard but they sure didn't last .....put me off using them. I like the idea scraping some off into a jar & adding the medium to make them like an ink too !!! Thank you !
Thanks for the info Jason , I have just bought a pad of pastelmat pallet, and judging by your video I think I made the right choice, I had the exact problem you talk about with laying light on dark with my first pastel drawing on meitens paper. thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us.
NIce demo,i have seen a lot of praise online for pastelmat, this proves it IMO. Just got a set of PItt Pastel pencils at my door today, cant wait to dry this medium out.
I always hated the texture of Ingres Paper and didn't use my pastels for years. Till I discoverd these sanded papers, that opend a whole new world for me. Thanks for showing the difference :O)
Brown paper bags or lighter weight brown craft paper can't be beat. They have the tooth to hold multiple layers and are strong enough so that blending doesn't tear or even lose its tooth.
Thanks Jason. That was the most helpful video ever. Most people want to know what pastels the artist is using but the paper is much more crucial. I've been experimenting using Stabillo pencils and getting disappointing results because I am using paper not meant for pastels. You've just showed with quick scribbles how much fine detail and layering you can get with good paper. If I hadn't known this I would most likely have given up. Thanks again!
Hi Jason Thank you so much for all of your advice now and always. I've been watching your videos for a long time and have learned so much. I'm painting a horse and have the same problem. I'm so far into it that I don't want to waste it.. I'm using it as a learning experience
Hi Jason, you have just answered a question for me perfectly with this excellent video. I have painted mainly in Gouache for over 20 years but have been trying pastels recently. I bought Daler Rowney Murano pastel paper and have used Derwent pastel pencils and Conte sticks to draw a couple of horses. They have turned out okay but I am not completely happy. I found that I could not put bright highlights were I wanted them and I was getting exactly the results you have just demonstrated. I will definitely be using Pastelmat for my next drawing. Thank you very much for sharing your superb videos. Very helpful !!
Naming thanks for your demo Jason. Lots to learn from. Very useful and informative. I love pastels and have invested in a box of creta pencils I doing them very good.
I used UART 500 sanded paper and just was so unhappy with the feel and the end result. So much so that I sold my 60 set of CarbOthello pencils. Now,, having seen how good the pastelmat is, I'm so sorry I sold them. Thinking about giving it another shot now.
Thank you so much for this Jason! I'm awaiting my pastel mat and look forward to using it. Your videos are so very informative and I am enjoying your patreon so much! You've taught me so much and I am loving your oil painting demo's too! You are amazing! Appreciate this tremendously!
Brilliant video Colin!!! I have used the Ingres for years & always had trouble with the Light Over Dark technique & had the same trouble. Know that i have seen this video i will try the Pastelmat. Thanks Colin!!!
Watching your video helped me make better decisions on what to by as I'm a newbie, thank you for the time you spent on the research for out benefit thank you, thank you
Apparently there is no Pastelmat in A4 on the market, anything larger doesn't fit in my scanner, and anything smaller is really small like postcard sized Think I'll get the smaller size just for trying it out otherwise just keep using fixative, like I said it works fine for adding more layers, you just have to wait a minute to let it dry, but that's nothing compared to painting in acrylics and even less than nothing compared to painting in oil paints where you have to wait a week or so for a layer to dry
If you work dark to light on pastel paper you can do this by fixing the dark layers with a fixative spray of choice before adding the lighter details...this stops the mixing of colours and allows you to get many layers and detail.
I have a pastel pencil drawing about 75% finished on the Ingres paper, and I really don’t like those horizontal lines. I’m so close, I’ll battle through, but I see Pastel Mat in my future! Very, very helpful. I’ve been struggling through all of the disadvantages of Ingres you’ve highlighted. You’ll save others a lot of frustration by sharing your experience.
Thanks Jason. I had exactly the same experience with these two papers. I started a picture with Ingres and gave up. It wouldn't hold multiple layers and I was literally choking on the dust.
I've been driving myself mad trying different papers only to be frustrated and disappointed. This video is extremely helpful , you're a bloody star! Thank you very much. 👍
Thank you for this! I have recently retired due to redundancy and haven't picked up a pastel for more than 30 years! I have just invested in some pastel pencils, they weren't invented in the old days. 😂I bought some cotton paper but was disappointed so decided to push the boat out and purchased a pastelmat pad. It was only delivered today so hadn't had a chance to use it. Although I have a little scribble and was amazed! No dust!! Can't wait. 👍🏻😁
I bought Pan Pastels a few years ago and wasn't thrilled. Then I bought some good pastel pencils (I'm attracted too almost everything!). It's my paper, I'm betting. By the way, I'm a colored pencil artist, and I know it's not for everyone. But I like it, and I'm pretty good. I've never wanted to do oils, just because of the chemicals, clean up, etc. I've done some acrylic, and it's okay. But I see so many beautiful pastel paintings! You've got me thinking!
100% agree. I had always used ingres paper but recently tried pastlematt following your demos, what a difference. if you want pastels like Degas used ingres paper if you want realism don't
Ok you convinced me I will try it. I tried regular pastels years ago and I hated it. It was nothing but a powdery mess. I seen other good work as well so I guess I can try it. I do have colored pencils but may sell them to get a set of these.
YES! This is exactly what wasa happening to me yesterday and I was losing my mind. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working and why I wasn't getting smooth blends and bright highlights on top of darks. I was using Canson Mi Teintes Pastel pad paper, and I know a lot of people like it, but it doesn't work for me. I want smooth, buttery looking darks and bright whites with sharp details. And I absolutely HATE seeing the texture of the paper through my drawing, even when I'm putting layer on top of layer and blending to high heaven.
I have only just found your UA-cam channel, recommended by Lachri Fine Art. I'd like to thank you, Jason Morgan. This is a wonderfully helpful review... I'm a real beginner and have just been using 800 - 1000 grit sandpaper sheets. Sounds really crude, but they work. I wondered how sandpaper would stack up against the Pastelmat and Ingress. Ingress obviously doesn't work for this type of dark to light detail work but Pastelmat looks fantastic. Unfortunately Pastelmat in Australia is wildly expensive. So interestingly I quickly tried to do an example of your markings on the sandpaper using Carbothello pencils..... and amazingly it worked wonderfully! This is really encouraging, and means I can try to learn from your techniques of wildlife art. I'll let you know how I go.... in 15 years. Perhaps I'll be getting closer to your standard by then, but probably not! LOL. Your work is absolutely amazing.
You actually can put light on dark with coloured pencils if you're using Pastelmat. You still have to plan a lot more carefully because it will only work if there's some tooth left, but it does work. It works on other sanded papers too. :)
Thanks for the comparison 👍 Jason. It's interesting that Colin Bradley prefers the Fabriano Ingress paper while Pastelmat paper seems to be more popular but too expensive for me and hard to find. I haven't tried any of it yet but I want to learn with the pastel set i just purchased and try out cheaper paper first that are available since I am a beginner.
It is due to style. Pastelmat is great for realism and detail. It holds sharpness and many layers. Ingres papers are just a completely different finished look. It gives off a romantic, soft feel. Think of Rembrandt’s Ballerinas. You just need to know going in that you will not be using them the same way. Similar to Mi Tientes papers. Mi Tientes shines when using slightly harder pastels and just completely failed on you when using the softer brands. Different professional papers generally need different ways of application and different subjects (or at least different expectations of the finished product of said subject). Ingress papers are usually promoted by their ability to portray the powdery-ness of soft pastels along with the muting of colors. I saw a person angry that their Sennelier sanded paper failed when they used an alcohol wash and their anger was because, by their logic, all sanded surfaces should automatically carry the expectation that they can handle wet washes. It really showcased that the artist’s lack of knowledge of how an art supply can be used does not put fault on the product, rather on the artist for putting their expectations onto a product that never claimed to be used a certain way.
@mypandapaints5854 @mypandapaints5854 Great point. I tried watercolour on Stonehenge 100% cotton paper and was disappointed because it pilled and disintegrated after wetting it and over-brushing or erasing my pencil lines. However, the paper didn't warp as other paper did.
Ingres is a style of paper made by a number of manufacturers. Daler Rowney also make a better type of paper called "Murano". Less expensive than sanded papers but gives good results.
OMG I'm so glad I found this video! I usually do pencil drawings and digital art and wanted to try the pastel pencils because I've seen art that looks amazing. I too like to add light on top of dark and the pastel tutorials I've seen do this. I ordered the pastelmat paper but it hasn't arrived yet so I did a bit of practicing on the cheap-as-you-like paper which came free with something or other. The results were diabolical. The blending was awful and the paper texture showed up horribly. And then none of the rendering would show up. At all. I was so worried I'd wasted a tonne of money on all my new pastel supplies until I saw this video. So THANK YOU!!!!!! I have renewed hope my bluejay will look halfway decent now.
I am so glad you showed us that Jason,,,I was wondering if it was me but I found this as well,,I used to use ingress paper but I did not like the lines showing as I too do detailed work. Your videos do seem to tick all the boxes and answer all our thoughts...Thank you so much for posting this video,,,I know you did one on pan pastels and I have purchased a few but could you give us advice of say 12 of the best colours to buy for wildlife so we can mix together,,So many to choose from and do not know which colours to buy for YOUR wildlife,,any suggestions please ? A tutorial on them perhaps? BUT thank you again for THIS Pastelmat-Ingress,,so pleased I have been re-assured that pastel mat is the best for detail,,,sorry to waffle on ,
for the pan pastels, the way I would use them would be for a tonal underdrawing (so for standard wildlife look for dark browns / grays etc) and also for soft backgrounds so I would be thinking mostly, yellows, greens and blues :) remember they can be used alongside other pastels too :)
Thank you for this video. Tried the other papers. Did not turn out well for me. Still waiting on the Pastelmat to arrive. Can't wait to try them out. BTW...big fan of yours! Thanks!😊
I'm sorry but you can't even compare the two. Colin's work is very nice but it's not even close to Jason's. Jason's work is photo realistic and Colin's looks like a pastel drawing.
Hi. Not sure if youv been made aware as iv only just come across this but if you check out an amazing artist named COLIN BRADLEY you will see his style of pastel on ingress, his level of detail is second to none no matter how small, he like yourself is truely a master and is well worth observing. Hope this helps.
Nothing against Colin but you need to check out Cuong Nguyen. His portraits seem to emit their own light they are so vibrant. The Ingress paper has that annoying waffle texture and it shows in Colin's work. Personally I find that it detracts from the realism and makes it appear sketchy. Choose any pencils you want - it's the paper that makes all the difference.
Have you tried Canson Mi Tientes? I think you had that in your review,but can't remember. Most people swear by it, but I'm having heck with portraits, you can do multiple layers, light to dark and easy blending, but it really makes you work for a realistic rendering, the colors seem to fade together instead of layer immediately. Back to my beginning question, if you've tried it, and had luck with realism, what gives?
I have only tried the Canson Mi Tientes paper and have had a hard time as well. I loved this video! It makes me want to buy some pastelmat asap! It looks so much nicer. I struggle with adding too many layers because it just won't take anymore after a few layers. The dark pastel rubs off on the pencil like in this video and then if I move the pencil from dark to light I end up with darks I didn't want on my lights because it stuck to the pencil. Thank you for this video!
Megg S. I have the same problem with canson Mi-Teints , I really struggled with it on a raven painting . I could get no layers or the lights over the darks . I used some workable fixativ then I was able to get more layers ,but the fixativ at self made everything darker no win situation :(
This is an eye opener for me. I'm still quite the beginner, and never considered all the different papers out there. I just went with what I could afford and thought was good. But it really does matter what paper to use with the media you choose. So I will definitely be trying the thicker pastel paper, so the details can blend better. I've experimented with soft pastels when I was a kid, and now I want to get more serious into using them. Thank you.
Thank you. I was losing my mind over this Ingres paper. I have come from Bristol smooth using graphite and charcoal. I wanted to do some color portraits but couldn’t get the smooth effect and detail I was looking for. I began questioning every art piece I have ever done 😂😂😰 this made me sigh with relief and think perhaps I can still play with color without totally losing my mind yet! Though color theory may be beyond me better paper will give me a fighting chance.
Hello Jason would you think other brands of pastel mat would work the same? I live in u.s.a. And that brand isn’t available here ? Thanks hope to hear back 👍🏻
Great video Jason! 😆 Pastels seems to be the media where paper makes all of the difference. I do like using the sanded paper/board. Right now I only have some sample sheets, but I will be getting more in the future. Have you tried the different grits & if so, which grit did you find works the best for you?
Jason Morgan - Wildlife Art Great! I look forward to hearing what you think. From the small samples I got (not uart) I have used the 300 grit to play. I still have 400 & 600 to try. I've been happy with the 300, so I am sure the others will be great too. I didn't make a video for this though because my channel is realism in Pyrography, though I will be using pastels with my media. I hope they get back to you! 😃
I am new to pastels and I bought ingres, I am struggling, my pastels dosnt seem to stay on the paper! I am adding layers and colours and I feel like I have to blend to cover the paper. such a shame, I am sure my techniques are ok but I am fighting with paper. Pastalmat is expensive is there a paper very similar, thats very similar? thank youx
I’d love someone explain to me why someone would enjoy Ingres paper.. someone must be buying it all. It is sold everywhere. The strange grid quality texture is counter-naturalistic & seems to be something to overcome. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be appreciating about it. It feels like artificial papyrus. UART is soooo expensive in Austria, I can’t imagine using it. Washing it of to reuse it seems unsatisfying.
Hi Jason, thank you for your review. I have a question, and I hope you would be happy to help me out. At 17:13, is the colour of the Pastelmat paper Buttercup? Your reply will be highly appreciated, thank you!
my wildlife art tutorial website - www.jasonmorgan.co.uk/
I am bewildered about Ingres paper
Why would a grid texture be desirable for nature ?
Excellent help, Jason. You know exactly what other artists will be looking for.
wow, thank you for doing this video, i didn't realize what a difference the paper makes in the project. Thank you for this video.
so I get 2 thumbs down in 2 hours - for giving out free, unbiased information - there are some strange characters on UA-cam.
Jason, once I accidentally clicked on the thumbs down on a video because I thought you could see the profile of the jerk who would think it was bad. I didn't realize by doing that I was actually adding to the thumbs down count!
Probably employees of the paper you don't prefer lol
People are just plain jealous or just incapable of appreciating talent n efforts. But hats off to u :) you n Lisa r my top favourites 😍 thank u so much for all the efforts
bots.
+TJ Duprey ...good one..lol
Excellent!! This is so helpful. I mostly do watercolour so reserving lights comes sort of naturally to me but I LOVE the intensity I’m seeing with the pastelmat and inverting that. Thank you!
This is the best video on pastel paper I have seen. It is exactly the comparison I needed. Other videos say in the title that they will give you the pros and cons of pastelmat but then you click on the video and it is not actually saying any pros and cons. This video here is great. Thank you.
Thank you for saving me $$$... I almost purchased a block of Ingres paper..... I would had been SO disappointed!!... Thank you again for sharing!
Make your own paper! Mix 1 part pumice powder with 4 parts gesso then paint it onto watercolour paper with a soft wide brush. 425 g Bockingford works well. Bit messy but saves a fortune.
Is it archival then? Acid free?
I was taught to prepare board for oils with powdered chalk in gesso - would that not work for pastels too?
Wow, that sounds amazing. I can't wait to try that too. 😊
If somebody has bought an Ingres pad and doesn't like it, I have found that using the smoother reverse side is quite useful. I would only use it for practice though as it tends to have a areas of uneven texture (even though it's smooth). It's better than throwing it away.
Thank you - first attempt with Pastelmat and now I know how to build the layers
Jason you are so correct in the papers, don't understand how people can give a thumbs down, but the unsanded papers CAN be used, but they take so so much more effort & continually spraying with workable fixative on to get more layers on the paper & to use with the lights, I know I spent a few months ( not full time !) doing a painting of a wave on a Canson non sanded paper, it worked, but it is so much harder. I am using pastlemat for the first time & you sure have to be careful with those soft pastels ....filled the tooth so I will have to spray some fixative to try get some more detail in. Thanks for all your time in your very informative videos. I have the full set of pan pastels, but never really use them, but after watching you use them the way you did, I will give them another try. I have found that the soft tools & sponges just break up so fast, I think they must have been old stock, because I am not pressing hard but they sure didn't last .....put me off using them. I like the idea scraping some off into a jar & adding the medium to make them like an ink too !!! Thank you !
Thanks for the info Jason , I have just bought a pad of pastelmat pallet, and judging by your video I think I made the right choice, I had the exact problem you talk about with laying light on dark with my first pastel drawing on meitens paper. thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us.
Thank you very much Jason, helped me decide which paper to get, really appreciate your efforts on UA-cam. x
I’m so excited about this video. I was so discouraged when I bought my pencils (Carbothello) and couldn’t layer them at all.
NIce demo,i have seen a lot of praise online for pastelmat, this proves it IMO. Just got a set of PItt Pastel pencils at my door today, cant wait to dry this medium out.
Thank you for all you do for us. Your own opinion is your own experience . Some people just like being mean because it's anonymous. Their loss
I always hated the texture of Ingres Paper and didn't use my pastels for years. Till I discoverd these sanded papers, that opend a whole new world for me. Thanks for showing the difference :O)
Brown paper bags or lighter weight brown craft paper can't be beat. They have the tooth to hold multiple layers and are strong enough so that blending doesn't tear or even lose its tooth.
Thanks Jason. That was the most helpful video ever. Most people want to know what pastels the artist is using but the paper is much more crucial. I've been experimenting using Stabillo pencils and getting disappointing results because I am using paper not meant for pastels. You've just showed with quick scribbles how much fine detail and layering you can get with good paper. If I hadn't known this I would most likely have given up. Thanks again!
Hi Jason Thank you so much for all of your advice now and always. I've been watching your videos for a long time and have learned so much. I'm painting a horse and have the same problem. I'm so far into it that I don't want to waste it.. I'm using it as a learning experience
Hi Jason, you have just answered a question for me perfectly with this excellent video. I have painted mainly in Gouache for over 20 years but have been trying pastels recently. I bought Daler Rowney Murano pastel paper and have used Derwent pastel pencils and Conte sticks to draw a couple of horses. They have turned out okay but I am not completely happy. I found that I could not put bright highlights were I wanted them and I was getting exactly the results you have just demonstrated. I will definitely be using Pastelmat for my next drawing. Thank you very much for sharing your superb videos. Very helpful !!
It is Pastelmat for me.Thankyou,Jason
Naming thanks for your demo Jason. Lots to learn from. Very useful and informative. I love pastels and have invested in a box of creta pencils I doing them very good.
I used UART 500 sanded paper and just was so unhappy with the feel and the end result. So much so that I sold my 60 set of CarbOthello pencils. Now,, having seen how good the pastelmat is, I'm so sorry I sold them. Thinking about giving it another shot now.
Thank you so much for this Jason! I'm awaiting my pastel mat and look forward to using it. Your videos are so very informative and I am enjoying your patreon so much! You've taught me so much and I am loving your oil painting demo's too! You are amazing! Appreciate this tremendously!
Brilliant video Colin!!! I have used the Ingres for years & always had trouble with the Light Over Dark technique & had the same trouble. Know that i have seen this video i will try the Pastelmat. Thanks Colin!!!
ha you mean Jason lol
Sorry!!! I mean Jason!!!
I was thinking about getting into pastels...This video is very informative...Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for this helpful demo. I keep wanting to try pastels, but was quickly discouraged in the past because of the paper (I now realize).
Thankyou!You are a brilliant teacher!
Thanks so much Jason , very helpful videos and as a beginner I learn a lot from you , 🙏🏻
Watching your video helped me make better decisions on what to by as I'm a newbie, thank you for the time you spent on the research for out benefit thank you, thank you
hmm I should try pastelmat for sure, using ingress now and if i want to add another layer I simply spray on some fixative, works great.
Apparently there is no Pastelmat in A4 on the market, anything larger doesn't fit in my scanner, and anything smaller is really small like postcard sized Think I'll get the smaller size just for trying it out otherwise just keep using fixative, like I said it works fine for adding more layers, you just have to wait a minute to let it dry, but that's nothing compared to painting in acrylics and even less than nothing compared to painting in oil paints where you have to wait a week or so for a layer to dry
Try the Pastelmat sample pack. It is about A4 size. At least mine was.
If you work dark to light on pastel paper you can do this by fixing the dark layers with a fixative spray of choice before adding the lighter details...this stops the mixing of colours and allows you to get many layers and detail.
I have a pastel pencil drawing about 75% finished on the Ingres paper, and I really don’t like those horizontal lines. I’m so close, I’ll battle through, but I see Pastel Mat in my future! Very, very helpful. I’ve been struggling through all of the disadvantages of Ingres you’ve highlighted. You’ll save others a lot of frustration by sharing your experience.
Just try mi teinte touch paper…if you want deep colours,and want layering!!! Pastel mat is terrible paper
Watch Colin Bradley's tutorials, he's a master of using pastel pencils on ingres paper
Thanks Jason. I had exactly the same experience with these two papers. I started a picture with Ingres and gave up. It wouldn't hold multiple layers and I was literally choking on the dust.
yep :o)
It is great to see what works and what doesn't.
Thank you!!!! You answered all my questions about the differences. Thanks again.
I've been driving myself mad trying different papers only to be frustrated and disappointed. This video is extremely helpful , you're a bloody star! Thank you very much. 👍
Thank you Mr Jason
Thank you for this! I have recently retired due to redundancy and haven't picked up a pastel for more than 30 years! I have just invested in some pastel pencils, they weren't invented in the old days. 😂I bought some cotton paper but was disappointed so decided to push the boat out and purchased a pastelmat pad. It was only delivered today so hadn't had a chance to use it. Although I have a little scribble and was amazed! No dust!! Can't wait. 👍🏻😁
I bought Pan Pastels a few years ago and wasn't thrilled. Then I bought some good pastel pencils (I'm attracted too almost everything!). It's my paper, I'm betting. By the way, I'm a colored pencil artist, and I know it's not for everyone. But I like it, and I'm pretty good. I've never wanted to do oils, just because of the chemicals, clean up, etc. I've done some acrylic, and it's okay. But I see so many beautiful pastel paintings! You've got me thinking!
Thanks Jason very enjoyable and informative
100% agree. I had always used ingres paper but recently tried pastlematt following your demos, what a difference. if you want pastels like Degas used ingres paper if you want realism don't
Ok you convinced me I will try it. I tried regular pastels years ago and I hated it. It was nothing but a powdery mess. I seen other good work as well so I guess I can try it. I do have colored pencils but may sell them to get a set of these.
So glad I watched this, I could of made an expensive mistake as I draw like you. Great video!
Thanks as always for your informative videos.
YES! This is exactly what wasa happening to me yesterday and I was losing my mind. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working and why I wasn't getting smooth blends and bright highlights on top of darks. I was using Canson Mi Teintes Pastel pad paper, and I know a lot of people like it, but it doesn't work for me. I want smooth, buttery looking darks and bright whites with sharp details. And I absolutely HATE seeing the texture of the paper through my drawing, even when I'm putting layer on top of layer and blending to high heaven.
I have only just found your UA-cam channel, recommended by Lachri Fine Art. I'd like to thank you, Jason Morgan. This is a wonderfully helpful review... I'm a real beginner and have just been using 800 - 1000 grit sandpaper sheets. Sounds really crude, but they work. I wondered how sandpaper would stack up against the Pastelmat and Ingress. Ingress obviously doesn't work for this type of dark to light detail work but Pastelmat looks fantastic. Unfortunately Pastelmat in Australia is wildly expensive. So interestingly I quickly tried to do an example of your markings on the sandpaper using Carbothello pencils..... and amazingly it worked wonderfully! This is really encouraging, and means I can try to learn from your techniques of wildlife art. I'll let you know how I go.... in 15 years. Perhaps I'll be getting closer to your standard by then, but probably not! LOL. Your work is absolutely amazing.
Hi
Yes any of the sanded papers out there will work.uart etc 😉👍
I had this same problem and thought it was me. I will buy this now, Thanks.!
You actually can put light on dark with coloured pencils if you're using Pastelmat. You still have to plan a lot more carefully because it will only work if there's some tooth left, but it does work. It works on other sanded papers too. :)
PS. I know you know this, Jason. I added the comment for anybody watching who might worry about not being able to do it on Pastelmat..
Thanks so very much Jason... love your accent!
Thanks for the comparison 👍 Jason. It's interesting that Colin Bradley prefers the Fabriano Ingress paper while Pastelmat paper seems to be more popular but too expensive for me and hard to find. I haven't tried any of it yet but I want to learn with the pastel set i just purchased and try out cheaper paper first that are available since I am a beginner.
It is due to style. Pastelmat is great for realism and detail. It holds sharpness and many layers. Ingres papers are just a completely different finished look. It gives off a romantic, soft feel. Think of Rembrandt’s Ballerinas. You just need to know going in that you will not be using them the same way. Similar to Mi Tientes papers. Mi Tientes shines when using slightly harder pastels and just completely failed on you when using the softer brands. Different professional papers generally need different ways of application and different subjects (or at least different expectations of the finished product of said subject). Ingress papers are usually promoted by their ability to portray the powdery-ness of soft pastels along with the muting of colors.
I saw a person angry that their Sennelier sanded paper failed when they used an alcohol wash and their anger was because, by their logic, all sanded surfaces should automatically carry the expectation that they can handle wet washes. It really showcased that the artist’s lack of knowledge of how an art supply can be used does not put fault on the product, rather on the artist for putting their expectations onto a product that never claimed to be used a certain way.
@mypandapaints5854 @mypandapaints5854 Great point. I tried watercolour on Stonehenge 100% cotton paper and was disappointed because it pilled and disintegrated after wetting it and over-brushing or erasing my pencil lines. However, the paper didn't warp as other paper did.
Ingres is a style of paper made by a number of manufacturers. Daler Rowney also make a better type of paper called "Murano". Less expensive than sanded papers but gives good results.
very useful demonstration ! thank you
OMG I'm so glad I found this video! I usually do pencil drawings and digital art and wanted to try the pastel pencils because I've seen art that looks amazing. I too like to add light on top of dark and the pastel tutorials I've seen do this. I ordered the pastelmat paper but it hasn't arrived yet so I did a bit of practicing on the cheap-as-you-like paper which came free with something or other. The results were diabolical. The blending was awful and the paper texture showed up horribly. And then none of the rendering would show up. At all. I was so worried I'd wasted a tonne of money on all my new pastel supplies until I saw this video. So THANK YOU!!!!!! I have renewed hope my bluejay will look halfway decent now.
This is amazing, would pastel at work well for landscapes as well how would that work x
I am so glad you showed us that Jason,,,I was wondering if it was me but I found this as well,,I used to use ingress paper but I did not like the lines showing as I too do detailed work. Your videos do seem to tick all the boxes and answer all our thoughts...Thank you so much for posting this video,,,I know you did one on pan pastels and I have purchased a few but could you give us advice of say 12 of the best colours to buy for wildlife so we can mix together,,So many to choose from and do not know which colours to buy for YOUR wildlife,,any suggestions please ? A tutorial on them perhaps? BUT thank you again for THIS Pastelmat-Ingress,,so pleased I have been re-assured that pastel mat is the best for detail,,,sorry to waffle on ,
for the pan pastels, the way I would use them would be for a tonal underdrawing (so for standard wildlife look for dark browns / grays etc) and also for soft backgrounds so I would be thinking mostly, yellows, greens and blues :) remember they can be used alongside other pastels too :)
The cool thing is, when you start with cheaper, unsanded papers, it feels lovely -- almost like cheating -- when you move on to sanded paper!
Just starting thank you extreamly helpful
you save my Future.. thank you so much. You helping me to much..
Coloured pencils work very well on pastelmat also
This is exactly what I needed to know! Thank you!
That’s proof. Thank you.
Good information. Thank you!!!
Thank you for doing this, so interesting. I will be trying this out.
Thank you Jason
Thank you for this video. Tried the other papers. Did not turn out well for me. Still waiting on the Pastelmat to arrive. Can't wait to try them out. BTW...big fan of yours! Thanks!😊
Thanks for showing this is very informative have you tried the velour paper I'd like to watch how you would use it
HI yes - didn't like it at all - I have a review of it and other papers on my UA-cam channel here - ua-cam.com/users/wildlifeartjm
I'm sorry but you can't even compare the two. Colin's work is very nice but it's not even close to Jason's. Jason's work is photo realistic and Colin's looks like a pastel drawing.
Hi. Not sure if youv been made aware as iv only just come across this but if you check out an amazing artist named COLIN BRADLEY you will see his style of pastel on ingress, his level of detail is second to none no matter how small, he like yourself is truely a master and is well worth observing. Hope this helps.
Nothing against Colin but you need to check out Cuong Nguyen. His portraits seem to emit their own light they are so vibrant. The Ingress paper has that annoying waffle texture and it shows in Colin's work. Personally I find that it detracts from the realism and makes it appear sketchy. Choose any pencils you want - it's the paper that makes all the difference.
Coloured pencil works very well on pastelmat also.... use polychromos first then softer pencils after that. 😃😃
Have you tried Canson Mi Tientes? I think you had that in your review,but can't remember. Most people swear by it, but I'm having heck with portraits, you can do multiple layers, light to dark and easy blending, but it really makes you work for a realistic rendering, the colors seem to fade together instead of layer immediately. Back to my beginning question, if you've tried it, and had luck with realism, what gives?
I have it tested on my channel - the TOUCH type - Canson do many types, so make sure you have the right one ;)
Jason Morgan - Wildlife Art it was Touch as that's what most people recommended from Canson, but still.......not liking it so far.
I have only tried the Canson Mi Tientes paper and have had a hard time as well. I loved this video! It makes me want to buy some pastelmat asap! It looks so much nicer. I struggle with adding too many layers because it just won't take anymore after a few layers. The dark pastel rubs off on the pencil like in this video and then if I move the pencil from dark to light I end up with darks I didn't want on my lights because it stuck to the pencil. Thank you for this video!
Megg S. I have the same problem with canson Mi-Teints , I really struggled with it on a raven painting . I could get no layers or the lights over the darks . I used some workable fixativ then I was able to get more layers ,but the fixativ at self made everything darker no win situation :(
can you please do a review on strathmore 400 pastel paper..and kohinoor pastel pencils..(y)
This is an eye opener for me. I'm still quite the beginner, and never considered all the different papers out there. I just went with what I could afford and thought was good. But it really does matter what paper to use with the media you choose. So I will definitely be trying the thicker pastel paper, so the details can blend better. I've experimented with soft pastels when I was a kid, and now I want to get more serious into using them. Thank you.
How do you store pastel drawings without them smudging?
Thank you. I was losing my mind over this Ingres paper. I have come from Bristol smooth using graphite and charcoal. I wanted to do some color portraits but couldn’t get the smooth effect and detail I was looking for. I began questioning every art piece I have ever done 😂😂😰 this made me sigh with relief and think perhaps I can still play with color without totally losing my mind yet! Though color theory may be beyond me better paper will give me a fighting chance.
How do you choose the color paper for animals?
Are there any paper companies that would allow you to buy a collection of scrap pieces to experiment on?
This was really helpful!
I AGREE I GAVE UP TO BUT RECENTLY I STARTED BUYING SUPPLIES. The paper is foundational. THANK YOU QUESTION HAVE U MADE YOUR OWN SURFACE
Thanks for that video.
Thank you so much for this!
Very helpful...Thank you
Hello Jason would you think other brands of pastel mat would work the same? I live in u.s.a. And that brand isn’t available here ? Thanks hope to hear back 👍🏻
Thanks. Not sure if you posted the name if you didn't please do.
Thanks for the great info Jason! How is this paper for erasing? Is there a recommended method to lift off colour mistakes? Thanks, Renee.
you can erase - but its better not to :o)
Great tutorial. ‘This is why I gave up - it wouldn’t work’. Thank you for showing how it works.
Cheers, brilliant
I can see pastelmat for final works but what do you use to do value studies and practice different techniques
Great video Jason! 😆 Pastels seems to be the media where paper makes all of the difference. I do like using the sanded paper/board. Right now I only have some sample sheets, but I will be getting more in the future. Have you tried the different grits & if so, which grit did you find works the best for you?
not tried yet - but I just contacted Uart to see if they will send me some to test for you guys - I heard 600 is close to pastelmat
Jason Morgan - Wildlife Art Great! I look forward to hearing what you think. From the small samples I got (not uart) I have used the 300 grit to play. I still have 400 & 600 to try. I've been happy with the 300, so I am sure the others will be great too. I didn't make a video for this though because my channel is realism in Pyrography, though I will be using pastels with my media. I hope they get back to you! 😃
This is a great help!!!
are pastel sticks dust free?
Wow, thanks for this. Those cheaper papers are so annoying. This makes me excited to give pastels more of a go.
Thanks Jason, for reply, did not realise this was an old video, liked it though
The first illustration paper has white lines running through it.
Where do you purchase sanded paper ?
I live in Australia and they don't ship here and it's all out of stock :(
I am new to pastels and I bought ingres, I am struggling, my pastels dosnt seem to stay on the paper! I am adding layers and colours and I feel like I have to blend to cover the paper. such a shame, I am sure my techniques are ok but I am fighting with paper. Pastalmat is expensive is there a paper very similar, thats very similar? thank youx
why not use a tone ,Black contention paper then go over it with light color? .
? not sure what you mean
I’d love someone explain to me why someone would enjoy Ingres paper.. someone must be buying it all. It is sold everywhere. The strange grid quality texture is counter-naturalistic & seems to be something to overcome.
I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be appreciating about it. It feels like artificial papyrus. UART is soooo expensive in Austria, I can’t imagine using it. Washing it of to reuse it seems unsatisfying.
Hi Jason, thank you for your review. I have a question, and I hope you would be happy to help me out. At 17:13, is the colour of the Pastelmat paper Buttercup? Your reply will be highly appreciated, thank you!
Thanks for this! Are you a Swansea lad? Recognise that accent anywhere!