Home Forums Explore Media Pastels Soft Pastel Talk Pastel Lightfastness

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  • #478818
    soap
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        Hi dusty folk!
        I am gathering info about the Lightfastness of pastels. If anyone knows of anyone who has done some more serious tests? I bet some have been posted here over the years. Of course I’ll dig in other places as well but I was just wondering if anyone had done any tests of their own.
        Thanks!
        Sophie Ploeg

        #891410
        water girl
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            I think most of your major brands are considered lightfast. There is one simple rule for pastels, watercolors and other mediums….do not hang your artwork in direct sunlight. You could email the manufacturers, but pastels are pure pigment mixed with a binder.

            [FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Karen, IAPS/MC, PSA WC Moderator-Pastels

            web site , Getting started in soft pastels., What you need to know, Critique Guide Lines

            #891403
            soap
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                Thank you Karen

                #891414

                If more manufacturers were willing to tell us what pigments they’ve used in the making of their lovely sticks of color, it might save some of us some concern and possibly the need to do lightfast testing. As it stands, I plan to begin to start making my own, slowly. That way I can be sure of what exactly each stick is made of and make them to my specifications. Guess I’m just demanding. :wave:

                Some time ago, I found the following results of lightfast testing of Nupastels:

                http://rickpetersenspaintingaday.blogspot.com/2013/04/nupastel-light-fast-test.html?m=1

                Good luck with your search, Sophie. I will be happy to see what you might dig up.

                John

                Life is but a Dream

                #891404
                soap
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                    Great, thanks for the link John, that is very helpful!
                    I think we all should be demanding… ;) nothing wrong with that!

                    #891418
                    Tracy2000
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                        Great idea Sophie to gather as much info as possible! Manufacturers of artists’ quality watercolors are very open about this kind of info (pigments, lightfastness) but it is certainly challenging info to find on pastels!

                        ~Tracy
                        "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”. Martin Luther King, Jr.

                        #891405
                        soap
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                            Thanks. Yes, there is little info out there. Time to do my own tests!!

                            #891415
                            Dingo
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                                I know Art Spectrum list the pigments they use on their website, my memory is a bit vague but it may be associated with their colour chart. I have downloaded it in the past. I think AS may be singular in this, most colours are comprised of a mxture of several pigments rather than just the one + white or black for tiints.

                                They also use a star or similar rating system for colour fastness along with rembrandts, schminke and possibly senneliers, which is either on the label (again memory not so great and no sticks immediatly on hand) or definately on their colour charts.

                                I’m sure other brands have similar information, though as a general rule of thumb fugitive pastel colours are very similar to fugitive watercolours so they could be used as a guide. Some of the yellows and pinks are the worst from memory, hope this helps

                                David
                                #891413
                                DBfarmgirl
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                                    Mount vision has the pigments listed, color chart, click on individual color sets. To me, this is a great selling point.

                                    I have some mungyo pastels that faded after a couple months on a window sill, not just reds/purples, but yellow. Only the earth colors fared well. They are now used to mark up drywall, lumber, etc. Or I use them to try out corrections on my dry acrylic paintings. I will never buy them again.

                                    #891416
                                    Misspris
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                                        I’ve just started getting into pastels. While looking for affordable brands I’ve come across Jackson’s house brand of soft pastels. They have the pigments listed and lightfast ratings for each stick. Though I’ve been confused and wonder if there are mistakes in the information they have listed. They’re listed as Excellent, Good or Fair, similar to their watercolor and gouache ratings. I understand what that means at least in the water media, and am not sure if it is the same for pastels, though I would imagine so. I haven’t gone through every color for their pastels, but so many of the pinks, lilac, violets, Carmine’s, magenta’s are considered fair, which at least for watercolors means not lightfast enough I would use it for any serious works. I understand these are always the problem colors in terms of lightfastness.

                                        Some of the deep dark violets are listed as excellent, for Instance Fade Violet Deep, but then the Fade Violet same color lighter value, has the exact same pigments listed but is rated at fair. Then they have others such as Rose Violet rated Excellent, listed with PR169, and PV3- which I know isn’t a very lightfast pigment and all the other sticks listed with PV3 are listed as fair, but then they have lilac pink rated fair, pigments PR169 and PB 15:3, which is a Pthalo pigment which I know is lightfast, and again all other sticks which have PB15:3 have excellent ratings.

                                        So there you go…should we just trust the information they give us? I do commend Jackson’s for making this information easily and readily available for us, as so many other Art supply manufacturers are very non transparent when it comes to this info.

                                        #891411
                                        yellowfinger
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                                            Some of the deep dark violets are listed as excellent, for Instance Fade Violet Deep, but then the Fade Violet same color lighter value, has the exact same pigments listed but is rated at fair.

                                            This could possibly be because some colours lightfastness is not necessarily the same in tints, say… your Fade Violet – excellent lightfastness in mass tone but less so in tints with white, or calcium carbonate, or whatever they add to create a tint.

                                            #891406
                                            soap
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                                                Thanks for all your help folks!
                                                I am aware, of course, of various manufacterers listing their pigments and some have their own lightfastness rating system. Was just seeing if anyone had any tests to show, so I can include it into my own conclusions.

                                                Thanks again! Will publish on my blog in due course! :)

                                                #891417
                                                Misspris
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                                                    Yellowfinger, I thought that may be a reason at first as well, as I know like you said, more white, filler or what not can decrease lightfastness, but the color mentioned I don’t believe is a tint, but I also looked at other tints, and their lightfast ratings where on par with their full chroma and shaded counterparts. I’m no expert but do understand a lot of factors make up a lightfast ratings, but with my limited understanding I can usually make heads or tails of it, but this time I couldn’t with Jackson’s pastels.

                                                    #891412
                                                    Phil Bates
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                                                        Years ago I did a serious test with multiple brands placing them in the sun for months. Although I don’t remember the exact results, most brands were fine. I do remember that Terry Ludwig came out on top. Rock solid, in fact.

                                                        Remember that if you frame your pastels under glass that shields UV light, they should last regardless,

                                                        Phil

                                                        Phil Bates, PSA, PSWC-DP
                                                        Soli Deo Gloria
                                                        http://www.prbates.com

                                                        #891407
                                                        soap
                                                        Default

                                                            Thanks Phil. If you find the results again, do let me know!

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