I have recently started using Pastelmat with my Pan Pastels and Pastel Pencils.

I must say it took some getting used to, but I am pleased with the results and progress I have made with this so far.

Pastelmat is a sanded paper made by Clairfontaine which is based in France.  The surface is surprisingly smooth considering the material that it is made with, and can even be used with coloured pencils.

Unlike other pastel papers, I experienced very little pastel dust when using this and found no need to fix the drawing at any stage while I was working.

So far I have found that the dark grey and brown papers work well for my style, using the paper as my mid tone and working from dark to light.  Laying down light tones and colours on this paper is considerably easier than other pastel papers that I have tried, and I have been surprised how soft the final picture looks.

The Pan Pastels used in combination with the manufacturers Sofft tools sponge range are superb for the initial under painting, but the sponges do tend to break up on the sanded surface.

I am hoping to produce a video when I create my next pastel piece using these materials so follow my blog or subscribe to myYouTube channel to see the next piece once it is released.