There are so many great things to say about these pastels. To keep it short and sweet it comes down to great colour selection, unique texture and amazing pigment quality.
D.T pastel come in three types: Thin Line, Soft form and Terrages. Thin line and Terrage are unique to other pastel because both contain a pumice in the binding. The pumice makes the application crisp and bold and also puts a textured surface on the paper. This texture creates a fresh surface so you can apply even more pastel layers.
Thin lines pastel are the smallest of the three types, have the smallest colour range and are only sold in sets. The kits provide a good variety of values and temperature changes and the colour palettes are well thought out. In application the thin line pastels are crisp and bold and can create broad strokes as well as “thin lines”.
Soft Form is the mid-size of the three types and comes in a wide selection of colours that range from bright and poppy to subtle and greyed out. These pastels are great for building up shapes and transitioning colours. Soft Form operate much like oil paint in their application; soft, loose and buttery.
Terrage pastels are wide and flat in shape and designed for big loose broad strokes. Terrage, like soft form, come in a wide range of colours. These pastels are like your big paint brushes and can really put down that broad stroke of colour that takes some bravery. Terrage are also good for filling in big areas quickly.
Diane Townsend pastels are amazing for their colour quality and spreadability. You don’t need to put down much pastel to get the impact you need. Often with pastel brands the greyed out or more muted colours can be dull and lifeless, but in this line they are very clean and pure. Within each colour family Diane creates the most delicate or bold colour variations that allow the artist to really express themselves and create amazing depth. I have been using pastels for the past 20 years and the biggest and best changes in my work came when I started using Diane Townsend pastel.
More from this artist |
"I paint things that are important to me. Things that have an impact on my life, like my family, my history, and the landscape around me. I've lived in Ontario, Britain, and Quebec, and these places and experiences come out in different ways in the work that I do. Regardless of my subject matter or medium, I strive to create an atmosphere and mood in each piece that viewers can connect with." Jessica works from her own studio in Guelph and teaches courses in both painting and dry pastel. Her work is held in private and corporate collections throughout Canada, United States, Austalia and New Zealand. She also shows her work in several galleries in Toronto, Oakville, Waterloo and in Guelph. |