Originally posted in the forums: Nov 13 2006, 03:42 AM

Rembrandts are a soft pastel?

I don't think so!!!!!

Depending on the colour, they range from hard to rock hard. You can keep them!

And where did this all come about from? I've just wasted a PHP250.00 sheet of 300gsm watercolour paper and God only knows how much fixative and poxy Rembrandts - on a painting that I have just burned. Sorry... I should have taken a picture first, in order to show you how bad it was?

In all fairness to the makers of Rembrandt Pastels, I can't blame them for my failure. But, to be honest, I DON'T enjoy painting with them. They are too Damned HARD!

They are, however, about the least hard of all the pastels that you can buy in the Philippines - which is the only reason that I use the things!

But Soft, they Ain't!

Postscript Edit - dated November 18, 2007:

Having just re-read the above entry, I think it was actually a little unfair! I have to say this, because I have, in fact, been using Rembrandts, (usually in conjunction with Schmingke and Unison pastels,) ever since I wrote that - over a year ago!!!!!!!

OK. The Rembrandts are certainly NOT as soft as Schmingke. However, now that I have developed my technique a little, I find that quite useful in certain circumstances - like, for instance, when I specifically don't want to apply too much colour. I also use them as blending sticks. (I never did get on with those rolled-paper stick things - whatever they call them?)

One other area that I do use Rembrandt a lot, is in the initial stages of a pastel painting when working on a heavy watercolour paper. These are usually landscapes. Because the paper is invariably white or off-white, I tend to block in large swathes of background colour with my Rembrandts - then turn these into very rough watercolour washes by going over them with a large "mop" type watercolour brush with plenty of clean water. That way, I create my own multi-colour tinted paper before I start the painting.

So, whilst what I wrote in the original post above was what I found to be true at the time of writing, I have now revised my opinion of Rembrandt pastels. I DO find them very useful and I sincerely apologize to the makers of Rembrandt pastels for my previous, hasty, and not very accurate comments!