My latest pastel from a photo by Paula Ford. On the new Pastelmat paper, size 12" x 15.5". Pastelmat has been getting a lot of positive comments on WetCanvas.com and this is my first attempt using it. The paper has a very fine grain - and feels almost smooth to the touch. but boy does it grip that initial layer of pastel. For those who like to finger blend to cover the paper with their first layer (like me) - it's not happening! That fine grain grips the pastel and it barely can be moved. Yet, after the first couple layers are put down, the grain is filled and blending is possible. But, at least to me, it seemed like the grain was filled fairly quickly and not that many layers are possible. More layers, of course, than the textured (but essentially smooth) papers like Canson, but not as many as velour or the sanded papers. How many layers depends, of course, on the softness of the pastel and the heaviness of application.
Still, the results were favorable and I will experiment some more with this paper. This particular sheet was a color named buttercup (a bright ochre color). The pad I bought has 3 other colors - maize (a lighter cream color) and dark and light gray. It seems like the pads have either these 4 colors or a different combination of 4. Pastelmat is made by Clairefontaine.
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