Soft pastels is a meduim consisting of powdered pigment with a binder in the form of a stick or pencil . Pastels have been used by artists since the Renaissance, and gained considerable popularity in the 18th century, when a number of notable artists made pastel their primary medium.

An artwork made using pastels is called a pastel (or a pastel drawing or pastel painting). 

My pastel pieces are framed under glass and are not fixed. I use a sanded paper that holds the pastel pigment in place. 

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