The word "pastel" derives from Italian pastello, diminutive from pasta, translated as dough. In the process of the pastel's production they really resemble dough - that's the roots of their denomination.

   In the XVIII century pastel became an independent technique and acquired a particular popularity in France, where it was used by such prominent artists as Bushe, Morris Konten de la Tur, Sharden, afterwards - by Grez, Liotar, Delakrua. The Italian artist Rosalba Cariera was one of the most distinguished pastelists.

   Many artists of the last three centuries applied this technique. Modern artists also began to use it more frequently as pastel, undoubtedly, wins by particular freshness, smoothness of colors and a soft, velvety texture. Moreover, pastel doesn't change its colors absolutely in contrast to liquid paints.

   The artists grew fond of pastel for its possibility to convey mellow and lush tints. Pastel is soft and delicate material. It can be applied for painting a fluffy pile of a kitten, a nice dandelion, romantic portraits and so forth. Striking by its freshness and purity of paints a well-known painting "The Chocolate Girl", exhibited in the Dresden gallery in the XVIII century, seems to be painted just now. It's a vivid example of pastel painting.

   Pastels are limp colored pencils produced from pigments, chalk and binders. The paintings in pastel can be interpreted as a drawing or a painting in watercolor or gouache painting. A great amount of mellow hues of any color gives a possibility to produce smooth passages of tints by means of rubbing paint into the paper and mat surface… Pastel is the most romantic technique of painting.