Diane Townsend Artists’ Pastels are hand-made soft pastels for artists. I began making them in 1971 using a 17th century Italian formula from Rosabla Carriera translated for me by a conservationist in fine arts with whom I shared a studio. Artist and partner Judah Catalan and I have dedicated a total of 50 years refining this formula to create a smooth, flowing pastel that is as rich in pigment as possible. Pastels are essentially pigments lightly bound together with a binder and a variety of particles that aid in the application of pigments; as such, pastels are by nature a fragile medium- some are softer than others depending on the amount of chalk, clay, or other supportive materials added to the pigment.
Pumice is part of the structure of all my pastels. Pumice is used to create an even flow to all colors because some pigments are too hard while others too soft. Pumice also helps break open the surface of paper, enabling the pigment to enter the fibers of paper and adhere well. Then layering and mixing your colors can begin as you develop your pastel work.
We shape all of our pastels by hand and prefer not to use molds or any other means of shaping pastels: hand-rolling and compressing distributes the particles randomly in a mix that gives a better flow when drawing. Imagine all the molecules of pigments lined up in a straight line. They might not be as strong as molecules mixed up in different sizes and shapes. The flow will be much better in the mixed pastel.
For about five years now, we have been improving our formulas to create a pastel that produces less dust and is less fragile in handling and more permanent sticking on the paper. Today our pastels are all made with the new formula that essentially coats each particle, making it stickier and heavier so as not to become airborne!
The Soft Form pastel is designed to fit my hand and with easel painting in mind. They are easy to apply, pick up, and put down as you work. Later, we designed the Terrages pastel for a more vigorous approach to drawing. These pastels are larger and more square than the Soft Form pastels. The Terrages pastels, like the Soft Form pastels, have pumice in them to grip the paper; however, like all pastels, they also require some delicacy in application. We worked on this pastel with Wolf Kahn to achieve the desired consistency. The idea was to break the surface of the paper and grind the pastel with pumice stone into it to support and disperse the colors. Terrages pastels are good for larger works on an easel or wall. The Thin Line pastel is a much thinner pastel for those who like a slender stick. Thin Line colors are a limited selection from the Soft Form colors.