Unison Soft Pastel Sets

Pastels That Are A True Work Of Art, Themselves!

Unison Soft Pastels, developed by British artist John Hersey, began in the early ‘80s when he could not find the working qualities he was looking for in the factory made pastels that were on the market. Hersey was disappointed that the mass-produced pastels broke too easily, were not consistent in texture, and didn’t suit his color vision as a painter. For several years he worked on handmade methods of production, the texture of his pigments in mixtures, and creating sensible color sequences. Once he finally felt satisfied and presented his pastels publicly, they were met with immediate enthusiasm!

The pastels are created with superior-quality pigments in an 8 stage process, by a small staff of skilled artisans. Following a unique recipe for each custom created by John Hersey, all the dry pigments for the specific color being made are added to a bowl. Some specific recipes can call for up to 7 pigments! Pigments are then mixed carefully and binder is added where needed for the particular color’s properties— sometimes none is required. The mixture is thoroughly mixed to a thick consistency, and then spooned out in equal proportions onto sheets of blotting paper, resting until they are dry enough to handle. Drying time at this step can vary depending on pigment, and can take from a few minutes up to 24 hours. The spooned out portions are them squeezed to release excess water, to prepare them for rolling. Each portion is then carefully rolled into the pastel shape by hand, to give a unique texture that will help provide a consistent response. After drying slightly longer on the blotting paper, the rolled pastels are then cut exactly to size with a handmade cutting tool. After cutting, the pastels are gently placed on wire trays and dried overnight in a very gentle heat. They are then taken and stored in the packing room, to await hand-labeling.

The handmade nature and precise, careful development and care of Unison Pastels make them ideally fashioned for the discerning artist. Unison’s complete range features 288 colors, utilizing many single and pure pigments, along with John Hersey's selective pigment blends. Unison Soft pastels are rolled without the use of extrusion, compression or heating, these pastels offer fluid lay-down of color with consistent creaminess and reliable softness. These lightfast, water-soluble pastels are available in multiple, carefully selected sets, neatly packaged with protective foam inserts.

Due to the handmade nature of these pastels, sizes may vary slightly. The approximate size of each pastel should be: Standard pastel L: 5cm w: 1.2cm and the Half stick pastel L: 2.5cm w: 1.2cm