RECIPE

Ingredients:  earth pigment, water, binder of your choice (limestone powder, wheat paste, honey or white soap (grate and dissolve a small amount in water)).

Prep Time: 5 – 45 minutes, depending on which binder you use.

Process:  

1. Mix pure earth pigment (this can also be from a food) with a small amount of water (with a palette knife) to create a thick, paste-like material. Start with a 1:5 proportion (water to pigment) and adjust as needed. Add binder. (I use a combination of calcium carbonate, honey and Shea butter.) If your pigment is a water based dye such as artichoke water, this is your water so no need for any more.
2. Roll it on an absorbent surface (newspaper or paper towels). Roll it into stick form, and let it dry. If the dry pastel doesn’t hold together or is too crumbly you should add a tiny bit of binder such as Shea butter mixed with calcium, dissolved soap, or a honey/water solution (1:5) - example: 1 Tbsp. pigment: 1 tsp. Calcium carbonate (limestone powder).. Experiment because each pigment has different properties and acts differently. Water should be distilled. Tone and value can be adjusted by the amount of pigment used. 

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Making Your Own

I am sharing with you a natural pastel recipe used by many Renaissance artists for drawings. It dates back to the mid 17th century. I thank the Father of soft pastels, Edgar Degas for this.
Making your own pastels allows you to create them as soft or as hard as you like. Commercial pastels have to be made hard enough to withstand breakage and done with a wheat binder.

The paint quality is so very rich, and the colors considerably much more intense. The colors are lavish and can be textured or blended smooth.  I particularly love them because I prefer working with my hands but with an auto immune disorder, that is sometimes difficult. And since your skin is your largest organ, 
I must be careful of toxins....and gluten.


Paste Recipe:  
Distilled water, honey, Shea butter and calcium carbonate.

Use about 1 part calcium carbonate to 6 parts water. 
Mix  with a small amount of water to make a smooth paste. Then add hot water to make a thin paste.
Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens to an oatmeal-type consistency.
​Use immediately or refrigerate to preserve it for a few days. 

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Preserving

Pastels must always be framed and glazed to best preserve them. Most acrylic sheeting is not satisfactory to glaze pastels because its static charge will attract pastel particles, a problem that is exacerbated when the plastic is rubbed (during cleaning, for example). To protect the surface of these fragile works, I use a poured acrylic product called Chemcast with an Ultraviolet (UV) barrier is recommended. 

My pastels must also be protected from mold and other forms of bio deterioration, problems to which they are vulnerable because of the organic binders in the crayons, the adhesives used in the mounting structure, and their paper supports. Environmental levels must be kept in a range of 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 48 to 52 percent relative humidity. High humidity can provoke staining; low levels can lead to desiccation of the support.

For travel and transport, pastels should be framed and kept in a horizontal, face-up position. One of the greatest hazards to a pastel is vibration. This can be reduced by cushioning crates with ethafoam, or, for short distances, wrapping the composition in bubble wrap with the bubbles facing outward.

Understanding the particular properties of pastel enhances our appreciation for the distinctive light and beautiful richness of color of the medium, qualities underlying its great acclaim in the eighteenth century. It also enables us to take the steps needed to preserve these fragile portraits so that we may continue to enjoy them and ensure their future in good condition.