I love the look and feel of pastel but I find that for detail work it feels as if I'm drawing with my elbows
I really don't know how to get a point on a soft pastel...and the hard pastels just seem to scratch the surface and not leave much of a mark.
Anyhow, I have some pastels and every now and then I try them and am humbled. The way I use them right now is when I have painted something and I wish to change a color or make a major change... I "paint" with pastels directly on the surface of my dry canvas "to try things out" before a major assault with paint.
Meanwhile, it struck a chord with me when you mentioned dissolving the pastels....I can't wait to play with this as I am soooo comfortable with a brush in my hand. I am in awe of your pastel portraits Chris. Also, thanks for the Wallis paper info.