Organizing Pastel Colors - Keeping Track of their brand and color name info

[@monetcafe]

What a well presented video. Not only are you a great artist, but you’re a great teacher and your videos are so well done. I’m praying many artists will find your channel!

[@LanaBallot]

Thanks very much, Susan! I'm really encourage that you like my videos. I'm have so much to learn there 😁

[@mjpete27]

I have noticed that the most amazing artwork made with soft pastels have had their wrappers removed! I made swatch sheets of all of my sticks. Now I am just not as accomplished knowing how every different brands looks and acts! My Schminke sticks are so much alike, but as they get wore down they can be difficult to identify! I am glad that you continue to show your viewers how to create wonderful art and share your techniques. Thank you.

[@LanaBallot]

Removing the wrappers makes those sticks so much more versatile - we can make more different marks with them. Yeah, it makes it more difficult to identify them later, but it’s still worth it 😊

[@SharonRossDurham]

You must have read my mind. I was in need of this information! I see where you have even broken the Art Spectrum Extra Soft Reds. I got those for my birthday and the big stick is too much to get good strokes down. Now if I could just magically get your ability to pick the right red (and all the other colors) to create the incredible masterpieces you create! I know, keep on practicing! Thank you Lana!

[@LanaBallot]

Thanks Sharon! I got those reds last year when I was working on my flower course. It was such a treat to use those reds once in a while - I don’t get that much use for them in my regular subjects 😁🌊

[@irwintatyana9066]

You are my favorite modern artist

[@LanaBallot]

Thanks, Tatyana! It's quite a compliment 😁❤

[@monetcafe]

Mine too!!!!

[@LanaBallot]

Susan, that’s so sweet of you ❤️

[@1989mbc]

Thanks for the wealth of information here. My question is once the pastel stick is in your box, organized with hundreds of other colors, how do you know what stick you are using when it isn't obvious by a unique shape such as nupastels? Which we can tell cause they are hard, tall, square, and skinny. Thank you!!

[@LanaBallot]

Hi Robin! Yes, that's where it gets tricky with pastels :) By the way, I have a short video on how I keep track of my colors. If you did not watch it yet, check it out kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWa4gKp9fZl8es0 Basically, I keep my soft and hard pastels separate. The problem is how to know which brand/color the sticks are when the wrappers are removed.. Well, if I've done my swatches before the colors went into the box, I can look for that color in my swatch book when it wears out and needs to be reordered. When I'm painting, I don't really care for that information, what brand it is, etc. - I just need to get the right color. And if I got it but feel that the stick a bit too hard (some brands are) I'll just try another. Eventually, you really get to know your colors and can tell brands by their feel, softness, etc.

[@1989mbc]

Thank you so much! @@LanaBallot

[@mellagilheany-oneill730]

What is the name of the company/product you mentioned to sells the sheets to record your pastels on. I couldn’t make it out. Thanks

[@LanaBallot]

If you are referring to the swatches, then Dakota Pastels has the blank charts for different brands on their site.