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The Pastel Shades Paint Palette by Derwent is a brand new release; so of course I wanted one. The palette comes in the same format as other Derwent palettes: 12 colours, a travel water brush and a sponge for cleaning your brush on the go and a colour guide on vellum.
These paints are not the Inktense paints you may be expecting from Derwent; instead, they are gouache based, opaque colours. The palette is perfect for spring and summer themed projects. They are crying out to be used in floral paintings, Mediterranean scenes and even sunny UK scenes.
Opacity
What sets these paints apart from others in the range is the opacity. You should be aware, if you are using these paints on stamped or inked images, these paints will knock back your lines. Rather than seeing this as a limitation though, see it as an additional effect you can play with. The paints will knock back a black outline to a soft grey instead. This is something to consider when painting as I found this softness did develop as the paint dried. In the example below, I wish I had gone over the out line a little to knock that back too.
Pastel colours
Despite being opaque, they do blend beautifully and each colour contains a drop of sunshine. Even the grey is a warm grey perfect for shadows or for representing stone.
You can combine the Storm Grey and Coral Pink to form a lovely soft brown that tones great with the other colours in the palette. You can do this in the built-in palette in the lid, or directly on paper. In the samples shown here, I’m using the All Media Paper by Papermill Direct.
Even though the palette only has two green tones, you can make lots by introducing Lemon, Storm Grey and even Turquoise. Rather than shadow tones, think of colouring with muted pastels instead. You can’t really tint or shade with these paints, so instead focus on colouring with the right shade. In terms of colour mixing, I do feel that digital artists will almost have a head start with this palette.
Water usage
I found myself using a water brush and very little water to get the best out of these paints. This means its a fab palette for travelling with, as you can take a couple of water brushes with you and have everything you need.
Pastel Stamping Techniques
There are a few stamping techniques we can combine with these paints. Watch this space for some tutorials using this new palette; including some member exclusives.
My Thoughts
I would highly recommend this palette for those who have enjoyed using watercolour but are looking for something different to stretch their skill. These paints will give a totally different feel to your artwork and I can’t wait to play with them more.
Where to purchase
You can purchase the Pastel Shades Palette directly from Derwent. You can also purchase from Cass Art and others. I will add to this list as they come into stock.
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