Hi Bearstarfire,

You can work with pastels on an easel or on a flat surface. Either approach is fine. Choose which feels most comfortable to you. I use a drafting brush which consists of soft fibers and minimizes smearing. The Mi-Teintes paper is not cheap, but also not expensive compared to other papers. I often receive questions regarding replacements or alternatives. I wish there were easy answers for this. However, each paper has its own characteristics that are not easily replicated by other papers. You could use Strathmore’s gray sketch paper, but this paper is limited in tooth, meaning less layers can be added. You could also consider using cold press watercolor paper. But this paper is typically too strong with tooth, and mostly comes in white or black. So, if you choose a different paper, some concessions must be made.

Hi Guys,

Sometimes it’s not the pastel but the surface. There is a limit to how many layers you can apply. If your paper is smooth and doesn’t have enough tooth (texture), then your applications may not be as strong.

I have the exact same problem Andrew and i find no answer to this anywhere. i have purchased white pastel from several brands, still no progress. have no idea what’s the problem.

Hi Mariann,

It could be a little of both your pastels and the surface. If the surface of the paper does not have a strong enough tooth to accept many layers of pastels, then your “white” layer may not be accepted by the paper. Master’s Loft pastels are not the most pigmented out there which could be the second half of the problem. You may try another brand that is a little higher quality.