Pastels - out of business?
 

I have pretty much decided to discontinue offering full color pastels. Here are some of my random thoughts on the subject. Sorry for the lack of organization, but I think you can get my drift.

* Although you can price your goods however you wish, there is a perception that pastels cost less. If all you offer is pastel then it becomes much less complicated, but when you price oil, pastel and mono drawings, I find it more difficult.

* For me, pastels are not less difficult than oil. In fact I find them to be at least as time consuming and much less forgiving.

* I thought the answer might be to raise my prices equal to oil. What that causes for me is more anxiety. If my price for pastel is the same as oil then I feel that I should be able to produce an equally quality product. Without the constant practice I don

MIke,

Like you I have virtually phased out of pastels. Once I raised my pastel prices to be the same as oil, about 2 yrs ago, the only pastel order I have had was for the last of three siblings, two of whose portraits I had done in pastel in past years.

I don't generally have any difficulty talking people into oil, even if a prior sibling is one I had done in pastel. I suppose I'll leave the pastels as an available option, I'm not sure why, except that there may be clients who won't even call if they feel they have their hearts set on pastel.

Chris,

Do you share my belief that pastels are at least as difficult as oils and are much less forgiving.

I know that each medium heads toward the same goal and with the same results in mind. We use edges, color, blah, blah to reach the same conclusions, but after that, they are so completely different. It's like comparing the skills needed to fly a plane compared to those needed to sail a ship. Each may have the same destination in mind, but that's about it. I know some people's circumstance and capacity may be such that they can excel at both, but for me I think I'm going to drop this one off.

To quote Michael Carleone - "It's just business Sonny, it's not personal."

Well, kind of.

I think pastels are (for me) easier, at least in the way that I do them. However, there is no way I can manage the medium and do what I want to be working on in my portraits - more subtlety and control in color and value transitions, etc. So if I tried to work on subtlety (and as you know subtlety is just not my long suit in any regard) in pastel I would be frustrated, and just unable to accomplish it.

I think oil is wonderfully versatile and forgiving, and that's where I want to be.

I understand completely.

Also, It is my impression that the prices of oils and pastels only begin to merge at the very highest levels.

For the same reasons you cite for pastels. I have really de-emphasized offering work done in watercolor. I haven't done a watercolor in almost a year.

So Mike have you convinced yourself yet? ;)

I was already convinced, I just wondered if others had come to similar conclusions.

I only offer portraits in oils, for all the same reasons you mention, Mike.

I don't mind the charcoal or mono pastel drawings. This gives people an opportunity to do something if they can't afford the oil. But when you introduce color, that's a whole nuther smoke.