NuPastels?

[stlukesguild]

My mixed-media drawing/paintings are extensively created with pastels. A good majority of the work is made with Rembrandt pastels which are a good medium hard pastel, and Sennelier (which are a soft pastel) which I often use for the last layer. I love their saturated pigment... especially in the reds and blues. But I also make a good deal of use of NuPastels by Prismacolors, which are more compressed, narrow (like conte) and very hard. I love using these for details... and especially in the flesh tones of my drawings. Unfortunately, I have been informed by various sources that they have been discontinued by the manufacturer. One of my old studio partners worked at the best local art supply chain and for years he would get me individual sticks of the colors I used the most: white, buff, salmon pink, flamingo, and a few others. I have found that I can still order the large 96-color sets through Dick Blick... and the price is reasonable... but I cannot order the individual colors. I have enough of these pastels among all my supplies to last me for a while (certainly for the next couple of paintings or more) but I am looking for alternatives for future use. Is anyone aware of a pastel similar to NuPastels that have a good variety of colors in the portrait/earth-tone family? I am looking at conte which comes in more colors than the usual black, sanguine, Tuscan Red, Burnt Sienna, and white (often used in life drawing). Conte, however, is far more difficult than NuPastel to erase. I am also looking at pastel pencils. These would be very good for fine details... but are quite a bit more narrow than NuPastel. Seriously, I hate when art supply manufacturers discontinue a material/media that you have come to love and be quite familiar with. Anyway... again... anyone here have experience with a pastel media that they feel would be a good alternative to the NuPastels?

 

[JStarr]

Mungyo might be what you are seeking, although they- like NuPastels- can have archival issues in some hues. Of course, after a half century, it's the archivist's problem.

Mungyo Gallery Semi-Hard Pastel Sets

Semi-hard pastel sets perfect for any dry media artist!These excellent semi-hard pastels from Mungyo are the ideal dry media for color sketches and drawings! Easily blended like soft pastels, but with less mess and more control, semi-hard pastels are great for both adding detail and shading in...

www.jerrysartarama.com

Jerry's also appears to have NuPastels: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/prismacolor-nupastel-sets

And, of course, Creatacolor https://www.jerrysartarama.com/cretacolor-carre-pastel-sets

I believe one of the normally-considered soft brands- Richeson? I don't recall, (a woman's name?) but they are a thin, round stick, and I only bought the one set because, to me, they were rather hard- and, the very thin stick seemed a bit... pennywise-pound foolish in price.

Good luck.

 

[Donna T]

I prefer Polychromos by Faber Castell to NuPastels. I recall that several of the red-violet NuPastels were not at all lightfast and I think the Polychromos are better in that respect. They are about the same consistency as NuPastels and there's a good selection of vibrant colors. It's a bummer about the NuPastels being discontinued.

 

[Bartc]

I love Nupastels! Great for sketching, final details over softer stuff as well as underpaintings.
What I'm unclear about is whether Nupastels as a line are being discontinued, or just the ability to buy them as individual sticks. Does anyone have positive info about the line of sets too?

 

[JStarr]

I love Nupastels! Great for sketching, final details over softer stuff as well as underpaintings.
What I'm unclear about is whether Nupastels as a line are being discontinued, or just the ability to buy them as individual sticks. Does anyone have positive info about the line of sets too?

Jerry's has sets- or did yesterday. I've never seen them, outside of, like, Hobby Lobby or MIchaels, sold as single sticks.

I have a whole set stashed somewhere years ago- used them for sketching when we'd go camping.

(Un)fortunately, I'm not a landscapist.

 

[stlukesguild]

I love Nupastels! Great for sketching, final details over softer stuff as well as underpaintings.

Yes. This is how I use them as well

What I'm unclear about is whether Nupastels as a line are being discontinued, or just the ability to buy them as individual sticks.

That is what I am wondering. It seems there are several suppliers that have the entire sets for sale... but not the individual sets. There are certain colors I use frequently and others I rarely use... if ever. I might just need to bite the bullet and maybe bring some of the colors I never use to school for my Art Club students to use.

 

[Bartc]

I love Nupastels! Great for sketching, final details over softer stuff as well as underpaintings.

Yes. This is how I use them as well

What I'm unclear about is whether Nupastels as a line are being discontinued, or just the ability to buy them as individual sticks.

That is what I am wondering. It seems there are several suppliers that have the entire sets for sale... but not the individual sets. There are certain colors I use frequently and others I rarely use... if ever. I might just need to bite the bullet and maybe bring some of the colors I never use to school for my Art Club students to use.

Which is a nice thing to do for the stide ts. Or you could offer them here. What you don't want may be what someone else wants.

 

[Bongo]

some colors available at the bookstore.

efollett

www.bkstr.com