Caran d'Ache Pastel Pencils 788 – single colour pastel pencil

Caran d'Ache Pastel Pencils 788 – pastel pencil for sketches, areas of colour and details

The Caran d'Ache Pastel Pencils 788 is an artist's pastel pencil with a soft, highly pigmented dry pastel lead. You can use it for first sketches, shading areas and working up details in portraits, landscapes, still lifes and nature subjects. Choose your colour from the options; each pencil is sold singly.

The lead is 4.7 mm in diameter and lays down rich, velvety colour. You can blend and smudge the tones and layer them over one another. According to Caran d'Ache, the colours are exceptionally lightfast, so your drawing keeps its brilliance for a long time. Once finished, protect it with a suitable pastel fixative; the pencils are fixative-resistant.

Working with the pastel pencil

Sharpen the pencil with a knife or a blade rather than an ordinary sharpener: the soft, thick lead breaks off easily in one. Start with light pressure and build up the colour in layers so that the paper stays receptive. Use the point for fine lines and details and the side of the lead for shading larger areas. To blend, use a finger, a blending stump or another pastel shade. A support with a little tooth holds several layers better than smooth paper.

Choosing from the series

The 788 is a series of single colours, so you put your palette together to suit your subject. The 4.7 mm lead covers areas and soft transitions quickly. For very fine details, keep the point sharp and re-sharpen often. The pencils suit beginners, keen hobby artists and pastel painters.

Caran d'Ache Pastel Pencils 788 product details

• Manufacturer: Caran d'Ache, Pastel Pencils 788 series
• Type: dry pastel pencil, artist quality
• Lead: soft, highly pigmented, 4.7 mm diameter
• Barrel: rounded hexagonal, cedar wood, FSC-certified
• Lightfastness: exceptional
• Fixative-resistant
• Origin: Swiss Made
• Contents: 1 pencil, colour of your choice

You will also need: pastel paper or another support with a little tooth, a knife for sharpening, pastel fixative to protect the finished drawing