Editing Pastel (section)

==Manufacture==
In order to create hard and soft pastels, pigments are ground into a paste with water and a gum binder and then rolled, pressed or extruded into sticks. The name ''pastel'' is derived from [[Medieval Latin]] {{Lang|la-x-medieval|pastellum}} "[[woad]] paste," from [[Late Latin]] {{Lang|la|pastellus}} "paste." The [[French language|French]] word ''pastel'' first appeared in 1662.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pastel FAQs |url=https://sheilaevans.art/more/pastel-faqs |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=SHEILA M. EVANS STUDIO |language=en-US}}</ref>

Most brands produce gradations of a color, the original pigment of which tends to be dark, from pure pigment to near-white by mixing in differing quantities of [[chalk]]. This mixing of pigments with chalks is the origin of the word ''pastel'' in reference to pale color as it is commonly used in cosmetic and fashion contexts.

A pastel is made by letting the sticks move over an abrasive ground, leaving color on the grain of the painting surface. When fully covered with pastel, the work is called a pastel ''painting''; when not, a pastel ''sketch'' or ''drawing''. Pastel paintings, being made with a medium that has the highest pigment concentration of all, reflect light without darkening [[refraction]], allowing for very [[saturation (color theory)|saturated]] colors.