Portraits / Handrolled Soft Pastels / Unison Colour

Why Unison Colour? During many years of meticulous inquiry, John Hersey decided only the finest high-quality pigment produced the acceptable colour and longevity that he required for his artists materials. A robust yet responsive medium that could be transported outdoors with minimal fuss was his aim and this was achieved with results that simply needed to be shared. Unison Colour pastels were created to be used and cherished by artists of all abilities everywhere. We continue to use the same pigments that John discovered all those years ago. Although cheaper (and more synthetic) alternatives to traditional pigments are constantly being developed, they have so far proved to be both unsuitable and of little use in our exclusively by hand process. Cadmium and Cobalt pigments? Although there has been some reserve with regards to the use of pigments based on the heavy metals Cadmium and Cobalt recently, these substances prove their value repeatedly. Nothing comes close enough in strength and durability. With careful respect and consideration, we use these remarkable pigments in our pastel formulations and believe that their precious availability warrants appreciation not total avoidance. Natural Earths Although some find the idea of painting with earth difficult to believe, this is indeed reality with some of our pastels. The Natural Earth 1-18 colours in our range are comprised of pure refined Italian earth. So naturally beautiful, subtle and simple. They're Handmade Every aspect of our manufacturing system is “hand-made”. This gentle process produces a high calibre product, buttery in texture depending on pigment content. Each pastel is an individual so may differ slightly in size and shape although every care is taken to achieve uniformity. They're Highly Pigmented Unison pastels consist of a high percentage of superior quality pigment with an absolute minimal amount of filler, if required. We believe in authentic colour – no dyes, no imitations, simply pure unadulterated colour. They're Soft and Smooth Texture – we use very many different pigments in the making of our pastels. This results in varying textures from almost the finest sand of Italian earths to the smoothest softness of ultramarine pigments. A true indicator of the pure content of our pastels. They're Blendable Unison pastels are not only blendable, they are versatile – many professional artists use them in conjunction with watercolour and acrylic. They can be used with a paintbrush and water to paint finer details or create true colour washes. And they're lightfast Our pastel colour is faithfully lightfast and again this is due to the real pigment content. Traditional pigments have stood the test of time and show very little evidence of fading or impairment*. During the making of our soft pastels, we do not add anything that would cause diminishing quality. We have pastels in our possession that are over 40 years old that are still as good as the pastels we made yesterday. Our pigments have a lightfast rating of 7-8. *always store pastels and your artwork in dry conditions!