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Pastel art techniques became popular during the 19th century, andwere used by the French painter Edgar Degas. This pastel artistredefined art pastels with his innovative drawings on differentlycolored bases, experiments with shapes and textures of pastel strokesand with the element of "unfinished" in his pastel art. Degas'spaintings, a part of Impressionism (art movement), were mostly based onsubjects, such as dancers, racecourse subjects, women at work and nudes. Edgar: Works, Pastel Art Techniques and Style Edgar'sunique pastel art techniques helped in the creation of dynamic imagesthat looked like they were caught in motion. The pastel work createdhad blurred edges and had lines representative of a moving figure orform. Degas also imparted new angles and viewpoints to his subjects,which were also cropped abruptly - this demonstrated the influence ofphotography on his work. Degas's pastel art is characterized byhis non-adherence to the established Parisian art techniques andstyles. He is known to have experimented with new Japanese techniquesand subjects. This included his use of Japanese woodprint and newgraphic techniques. Degas was particularly influenced by the Japaneseartist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). Degas's artistic stylechanged as his themes became more contemporary. For instance, his earlyworks that presented people as individuals gave way to a trend ofcategorizing people, especially women, by their professions. Degas wasa realist who preferred painting scenes from everyday life, rather thanidealized images. The use of color in his pastel art also became moreexperimental and bolder with time. Degas's obsession withtextures, form and color can be understood from his paintings ofbathing women. Instead of focusing on the women's features orexpressions, the paintings depicted an abstracted form with focus onthe subject's back and shoulder. Degas was also influenced by modernphotography, which is mirrored in his changed brushwork, palette andcomposition sense. Degas was also known for his excellent individualand group portraits and historical paintings, early in his career. Edgar's Art Pastels: Popularity and Relevance Today TheUS was introduced to the painter Edgar Degas, his pastel art techniquesand to the movement called Impressionism, by Degas' protege MaryCassatt. Later, in 1972, the Pastel Society of America was also formedin New York to promote pastel art works as a serious art medium. Sincethen, several local pastel societies have been established in the US,such as the Northwest Pastel Society and the Pastel Society of the WestCoast, to aid the effort. The best features of art pastels arethe unlimited possibilities in terms of texture and color available tothe user. Pastel artists can also be spontaneous with their art, giventhe flexibility of art pastel application. Be it abstract or detailedrepresentative art, the only limitation in pastel art is the artists'imagination. Pastels are still widely used and a popular choice ofmedium for artists all over the world - the versatility and softeffects are unrivalled.
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The best features of art pastels are the unlimited possibilities in terms of texture and color available to the user. Pastel artists can also be spontaneous with their art, given the flexibility of art pastel application. Be it abstract or detailed representative art, the only limitation in pastel art is the artists' imagination. Pastels are still widely used and a popular choice of medium for artists all over the world - the versatility and soft effects are unrivalled.
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