Lisa Mitchell -

What is Soft Pastel?                                       

Soft pastels are dry sticks of pure, compressed pigment mixed with varying amounts of binder. They are definitely not "pastel" in color. Pastels can create some of the purest, most luminous color effects imaginable. The pigment is placed on an archival surface in it's purest form, not dissolved in a wet medium so the pastel particles appear as facets of reflected light and present with a beautiful glowing quality.

When applied to some sanded surfaces pastel works well in combination with under-paintings created in oil, watercolor and gouache.