Van Gogh Soft Pastel General Selection Set | 24 Colors: The Versatile Artist’s Essential
The Van Gogh Soft Pastel General Selection is a perfectly balanced 24-piece set designed for artists who need a high-performance, versatile palette. Providing a "student-artist" quality level, these slim, round sticks offer a professional feel and a signature velvety finish. Crafted with high-quality pigments and premium kaolin clay, this set is ideal for those exploring soft pastels for the first time or for experienced artists requiring a reliable, compact collection for a wide variety of subjects, from still lifes to portraits.
Key Features and Design Benefits
- Essential Color Spectrum: A hand-picked selection of 24 hues that covers the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors needed for diverse artistic projects.
- Superior Texture & Laydown: The kaolin clay-based formula ensures an effortless color transfer and a buttery application that is resistant to crumbling.
- Clean & Safe Pigments: All colors are formulated without heavy metals (no lead, cadmium, or cobalt), making them a safer choice for artists of all levels.
- Excellent Archival Ratings: Lightfastness ranges from "good" to "excellent," ensuring your artwork remains vibrant for 25 to over 100 years in museum-quality conditions.
- Dual-Action Shape: The round, slim profile allows for precise linework using the ends and broad, expressive strokes when used on its side.
Included Color Selection
- 24-Piece General Palette: White (100.5), Light Yellow (201.5), Deep Yellow (202.5), Lemon Yellow (205.8), Yellow Ochre (227.5), Gold Ochre (231.3), Light Orange (236.5), Madder Deep (331.3), Permanent Red Deep (371.8), Permanent Red (372.5), Burnt Umber (409.5), Burnt Sienna (411.5), Ultramarine Light (505.9), Ultramarine Deep (506.5), Prussian Blue (508.5), Turquoise Blue (522.5), Red Violet (545.5), Blue Violet (548.5), Phthalo Blue (570.7), Permanent Green Deep (619.5), Olive Green (620.5), Permanent Yellow Green (633.5), Black (700.5), and Grey (704.7).
Application and Usage Guidelines
- Selecting the Right Ground: Soft pastels require a surface with "tooth" (texture) to hold the pigment. Best results are achieved on pastel paper, cardboard, wood, or textured stone.
- Layering and Blending: Start with your harder lines and use your fingers, a blending stump, or a soft brush to merge colors into smooth gradients. Because these pastels transfer easily, a little pigment goes a long way.
- Highlights and Accents: Use the White (100.5) or Lemon Yellow (205.8) at the very end of your process to add brilliant highlights over darker layers.
- Maintenance and Protection: Soft pastel work is delicate and prone to smudging. Once your masterpiece is finished, it is highly recommended to apply a professional fixative spray to bond the particles to the surface.
- Detailed Precision: If a sharp edge is required for fine details, you can gently rub the tip of the pastel against a scrap piece of paper or fine sandpaper to create a point.
Technical Specifications
- Product Identification: Van Gogh Soft Pastel General Selection Set
- Quantity: 24 Slim Round Sticks
- Material: High-quality Pigment + Kaolin Clay (Heavy Metal-Free)
- Lightfastness: 25 to 100+ Years (Museum Conditions)
- Format: Soft Dry Pastel
- Recommended For: General drawing, sketching, and art education
