Review: Unison pastels - Emma Colbert Animal set on Velour paper

This is a drawing I completed today using pastels on Hahnemuhle velour paper.

 

It came about because I was watching artist Emma Colbert on YouTube. She uses soft pastel sticks, something I never intended to try because it's so messy. But her animal portraits and backgrounds look so awesome that I was totally inspired and ordered a set from Jackson's Art. Not just any set, mind you. I ordered the handmade Unison Pastels in what else, but the Emma Colbert Animal 16 half-stick set. (Oh, to be so good that a pastel company will name a colour set after you!)

They're pricey and I was hoping I would like them, otherwise they would be an expensive white elephant. Look how gorgeous they are! Happy sigh.

Going the full Emma Colbert route, I used Hahnemuhle Velour paper - her favourite surface. I had one sheet of it from a sample pack of sanded paper I bought previously and was saving it for a special occasion. It's a very unusual pastel paper. Instead of the gritty surface typical of sanded paper, it's furry! It's like touching suede.

First, I did the usual - do a sketch and use washi tape to tape up the border. Then I laid down a layer of Panpastels as the underpainting for the rocks.

Then I used the Unison pastels to fill in the rocks and sky.

Oh my goodness. I cannot even begin to explain how wonderful those pastels are. Without even putting any pressure at all, they glide on like butter and the colour just jumps out from the paper. I never get this sort of brilliance from pastel pencils. The creamy saturation is simply astounding. I now see what the hype is all about. It's like oil painting without the liquids and mess. (Well ok, a different type of mess. My floor was full of pastel dust from doing this drawing).

And then I moved on to the lion. This was a different kettle of fish. I tried using the Unison pastels but I could only get broad strokes with them. I simply couldn't draw fur with them. I really don't know how Emma Colbert does all the fine details with these fat pastel sticks - she's a genius. 

So I had to revert to using my pastel pencils and there I discovered that while soft pastels go on Velour paper like a dream, it's a different story for pastel pencils. I struggled to get the pencil markings on - it's like trying to draw on a piece of velvet. I ended up having to apply so much pressure that the lead in my Stabilo Carbothellos kept breaking, something that has never happened before.

Finally, added in the lamb (which turned out to be the hardest bit!). And then all that's left to do is remove the washi tape and spray fixative to set the drawing.

In the end, I'm quite pleased with the result, even though my experiment was a bit of a mixed bag. My rating for the two new items I tried? Unison pastels get two thumbs up. They're really everything they seem to be, although there's a learning curve to using them. You have to use very light layers and rub in each layer well, otherwise they're so soft that they fill the tooth of the paper quickly and you won't be able to pile any more pastels on top.

As for Velour paper, the online community seems to either love it or hate it. I'm a little ambivalent. I get why Emma Colbert loves it. If you using primarily soft pastel sticks, it's the perfect complement. It was so enjoyable using the soft pastels on it - how it feels, how the colours present themselves on the paper. You get a very soft effect, which is great for animal portraits.

Other pastel types, however, work less well on Velour. Panpastels went on splotchy and I just couldn't get a smooth blend on it. Pastel pencils, as mentioned, don't go on well too. I felt like I was fighting the paper for the most part. Because I don't foresee myself giving up my pastel pencils anytime soon, I probably won't be buying more of this paper. But if you're using soft pastels sticks, then my verdict is: absolutely yes.

You can buy Velour paper and Unison pastels from Jackson's Art. If you use this referral link, I'll get a few points.

Afternote: I posted a photo of this drawing on Facebook and a friend of mine pinged me almost immediately. "I need that painting!" she said. It was probably the quickest sale I'd ever made. Later, she revealed that she had been searching for a painting of a lion because a few months ago, the image came to her in mid-prayer and she felt safe. "The picture captures that experience for me," she added.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised by how God works any more, but I'm still astonished each time. How amazing God is.