Originals in this selection, Pastel, Material Charcoal, 1,000 to 2,000 euro.
Color on a charcoal ground
Pastel over charcoal is one of the most appealing pairings on paper: deep drawing and powdery color. You can buy pastel drawings with charcoal for sale from 1,000 to 2,000 euro when you look for color within black.
The charcoal lays out form, shadow and structure, and the pastel sets color over it: a warm red, a cool blue, an ochre. Because both materials are dry, they mix on the paper optically, not chemically. That gives tones that appear velvety and luminous at once. The sheet keeps a drawing as its scaffold, so the colors never look arbitrary but follow a clear picture structure.
Read more
Delicate beauty
Pastel and charcoal are smudge-sensitive and tolerate fixative only at a loss of luminosity. Glass with a spacer is therefore indispensable. The wall should be neutral so the colors can speak.
Notes for buying
Ask how the sheet is protected and whether it comes framed. Paper with tooth, for example tinted pastel paper, is a good sign.