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Creating art should be about the work, not worrying about whether your materials are a health hazard. But if you have ever tried to figure out what is actually safe to use in your studio, you have probably run into a wall of confusing labels, technical acronyms, and a lot of conflicting advice.
When you are working independently outside of a formal classroom setting, navigating this stuff on your own can feel incredibly tedious. The truth is, you do not need a degree in chemistry to run a safe studio space, nor do you need to stop using your favourite materials. You just need to know what you are looking at. This guide breaks down exactly what those warning labels mean, how to handle specific pigments properly, and how different mediums actually stack up against each other when it comes to everyday safety. 
Navigating the safety labels and everyday handling habits across the wide variety of modern drawing and painting mediums.
Pigment in its purest form
To understand safety across any art medium, you have to start with colour in its purest, most concentrated form: loose, dry pigment. Raw powder is essentially the raw ingredients used to manufacture everything from oils and watercolours to pastels and coloured pencils. For the small number of artists who choose to mix their own supplies from scratch, handling loose powders is the only time in the studio where traditional heavy metals like genuine cadmium or cobalt require serious caution. Because there is no wet binder or wax to lock the mineral down, the fine dust floats into the air the moment you open the lid. Breathing in that heavy-metal dust over a long period of time is a genuine hazard, meaning raw powders demand a proper dust respirator and strict cleanliness that finished, pre-made art products just do not need.
A jar of Jackson’s Art Cadmium Yellow Pale (PY35), the genuine cadmium pigment used by artists who prefer to mix their own paints from raw materials.
Which Pigments Are Actually Hazardous?
If you have spent any time looking at traditional pigments, you have probably noticed that a small handful have a bit of a reputation. Colours containing heavy metals like cadmium, cobalt, chromium VI, lead, and manganese have long been flagged as dangerous. Historically, artists loved them because they gave an intensity, opacity, and lightfastness that was hard to match, which is why you still find them in premium art ranges today. These traditional pigments are still used, but mostly in professional-grade ranges where artists specifically want those traditional handling qualities. Modern manufacturing relies heavily on safe synthetic alternatives, so actual heavy metals are usually reserved for top-tier professional supplies simply because the raw ingredients cost too much to put into cheaper products anyway.
Take paint for example, you can tell exactly what is inside a paint tube just by looking at how the name is written on the front, regardless of the brand you use. If you see a tube labeled simply as Cobalt Green, Chromium Oxide Green, or Cerulean Blue, Chromium, you are holding a genuine historical mineral that contains real heavy metals. The same goes for reds; a tube marked C.P. Cadmium Red (Chemically Pure) contains real cadmium. 
However, the moment you see the word Hue added to the end, such as Cadmium Red Medium Hue, it is a guarantee that the heavy metals are entirely absent. It is worth noting that even in the true metal tubes, these pigments are present in very small, tightly bound amounts. Because they are locked safely inside the wet binder, the only careful handling required is basic common sense: keep your paint-covered fingers away from your face, wash your hands when you finish, and avoid spraying or airbrushing them into the air unprotected.
Paints, pastels, and pencils: What is actually in them?
The moment a pigment leaves a raw tub and is manufactured into a finished art supply, the safety reality changes completely. Whether you are using professional paints, pastels, or pencils, the pigment particles are no longer loose. They are locked safely inside a binder like wax, oil, gum arabic, or acrylic polymer. Because they are trapped in the medium, you are not breathing them in, and normal everyday handling carries an incredibly low level of risk. For an adult using materials in the normal way, the actual level of exposure is very low. In fact, it is usually far lower than the warnings on the packaging suggest. The regulations are written to cover every possible situation, including industrial use, so the warnings often sound far more dramatic than the reality of using ordinary art materials in a normal creative setting.
Let's take a look at the different mediums and safety requirementsColoured pencils: One of the safest choices
If your main repertoire revolves around coloured pencils, you are working in one of the safest zones in the entire studio. Standard coloured pencils do not contain any of the pure heavy metals found in traditional professional paints. The core of the pencil is a solid, compressed mixture of pigment bound heavily with wax or oil. Because the material is completely solid, it creates zero airborne dust, meaning there is absolutely nothing to inhale.
Solid wax and oil cores completely eliminate airborne dust risks, keeping your focus purely on the ventilation of your blending liquids.
Safety Awareness:
The only element to keep an eye on here is what you use alongside them. If you use odourless mineral spirits to melt the wax layers for a paint-like finish, remember that a lack of odour does not mean a lack of fumes. If you want a safer alternative that bypasses chemical solvents entirely, you can buy oil or wax-based blender pencils or solvent-free liquid blenders. These mediums allow you to burnish and blend your pencil layers smoothly without creating any chemical vapours in the room. Soft pastels and dry media: Managing the dust
Dry pastels are easily the dustiest materials you will handle. Premium ranges like Unison or Sennelier do use traditional heavy metal minerals to achieve their brilliant lightfastness and clarity. However, because you cannot stamp a warning label onto a loose stick, it is easy to forget that the real risk here only comes from long-term, repeated exposure over a period of years, not a one-off drawing session. The amount of dust that gets into the air during normal use is minimal, and the exposure sits miles below anything that would be considered hazardous in a proper workplace environment.
John Graham using soft pastels for base layers and pastel pencils for detail on Clairefontaine Pastelmat.
Safety Awareness:
Managing a safe workspace with dry pastels is entirely about your physical studio habits rather than panicking about the chemistry, and the safety reality changes depending on the format you choose. Pastel pencils, hard sticks, and PanPastels are bound tightly enough that they create barely any loose dust at all. Traditional soft pastels are the main culprits for generating dust, but normal drawing still won't create a toxic cloud. To keep your workspace clean, just avoid the instinct to blow loose pastel crumbs off your paper with your mouth. Instead, simply tip your drawing board slightly forward so the heavy crumbs fall onto a damp towel or a tray beneath your easel. Keep your pastels covered when not in use, and use a damp cloth to wipe down your desk afterward. If you find yourself working with soft pastels heavily on a daily basis, it is also well worth running a small air purifier fitted with a HEPA filter in your studio space to capture any fine, invisible particles before they can settle around the room. Graphite pencils and powders: Debunking the lead myth
The core of a standard pencil contains absolutely zero lead, despite the old nickname. The mix-up stems from the sixteenth-century discovery of pure graphite in Borrowdale, Cumbria in the UK. Because the raw black mineral left a dark mark and looked like metal, the locals mistakenly believed they had found a new type of lead ore, a historical error that gave birth to the term "pencil lead." (This massive mineral find sparked a major local pencil-making trade that eventually grew into the world-famous Derwent Pencil Company). By the time anyone realised the material was actually just a completely harmless mix of natural carbon and clay, the name had stuck for good. Because of this formulation, everyday graphite drawing and sketching is entirely non-toxic, ranking as one of the safest mediums in the studio.
Standard graphite drawing tools are entirely non-toxic and create zero airborne dust, making them an ideal low-risk choice for home setups.
Safety Awareness:
If you use loose graphite powder to tone large backgrounds, the safety rule is exactly the same as handling raw pigment tubs. Because the powder is loose and completely unbound, it will lift into the air the second you use a brush or cloth to apply it. Breathing in heavy amounts of any fine carbon dust over time is an irritant to your lungs, so if you are using graphite in its loose powder form, work in a draft-free room and wear a proper dust respirator until the material is fixed down. Oil pastels: Dust-free safety
Oil pastels are a highly safe medium to use, provided you practice basic studio hygiene. Whether a brand includes traditional heavy metals simply depends on its grade. High-end, professional brands like Sennelier use genuine cadmium and cobalt, while student-grade lines rely entirely on safe synthetic alternatives to keep costs down. Even in those premium professional brands, the actual concentration of heavy metal pigment in a single stick is tiny. Because it is permanently locked inside the heavy oil and wax binder, the minerals are too tightly bound to absorb through healthy skin.
Professional oil pastel lines like Sennelier use traditional minerals locked within a solid wax matrix, which keeps the pigments safe from inhalation.
Safety Awareness:
When working with oil pastels, it’s important to be mindful of pigment transfer. Using your fingers for blending can leave tiny pigment particles on your skin, so it's a good practice to wash your hands before handling food or touching your face. Ideally, you can use dedicated blending tools instead of your hands, which eliminates the transfer of oils to your skin almost entirely. The only other safety concern involves the accessories used alongside them, as some artists use odourless mineral spirits to break down the wax layers on the paper to create smooth, paint-like blends. While oil pastel itself won't hurt you, breathing in solvent vapours over long periods in a sealed room can cause headaches, so if you want to remove this chemical hazard from your studio entirely, you can use a solvent-free fluid medium to blend the layers safely without creating any fumes. Watercolours & Gouache: Hassle-free studio safety
Watercolours and gouache are highly popular precisely because they are some of the most uncomplicated, safe liquid mediums you can use. The binder for both is completely natural gum arabic, which dissolves easily in plain water. Even in top-tier professional ranges that use genuine cadmium or cobalt pigments, the binder completely locks the minerals down while wet. Because you are only ever thinning the paint with water rather than chemical solvents, you do not have to deal with any toxic vapours, fumes, or ventilation issues in your workspace.
Working with a fluid, water-soluble palette carries a very low safety risk as it completely eliminates airborne dust or chemical vapours.
Safety Awareness:
Because watercolours and gouache are entirely fluid, they carry virtually no day-to-day safety risks. The only real factor to consider is that gum arabic remains permanently water-soluble, meaning the paint on your hands can be easily reactivated by moisture. For normal studio work, staying safe is a simple matter of standard personal hygiene. A basic hand-wash with ordinary soap and water when you finish your session is all that is required to remove any leftover pigment residue from your skin, making the entire creative process completely straightforward and hazard-free. Oil paints: The truth about mediums and varnishes
Oil paint itself is incredibly stable. The pigment is locked tightly inside a slow-drying linseed or safflower oil binder, meaning it cannot be inhaled, and unless you are eating with paint-covered fingers, the tube itself carries an extremely low level of risk. The real caution belongs strictly to the liquids used to thin the paint and clean the brushes. Traditional solvents like turpentine release heavy, toxic vapours that cause headaches over time, which is why most modern home studios have swapped them for safer, odourless mineral spirits. If you want to bypass solvents completely, you can actually clean your brushes using ordinary vegetable oil or soap and water, removing the chemical hazard from your studio entirely.
Welsh artist Chris Chalk at his easel, where standard oil binders safely trap pigments, shifting the main studio safety focus onto ventilation and cleanup habits.
The only other thing to watch out for during cleanup is how you handle your oily rags. As drying oils like linseed oil cure, they naturally generate a small amount of heat. If a large number of oil-soaked paper towels or cloths are scrunched up tightly and piled deep inside a closed bin, that heat can build up over time and create a fire hazard. It is incredibly easy to avoid just by changing your tidying habits: instead of cramming oil-soaked cloths into a tight pile, just lay them out flat on a tray to dry out hard, or pop them in a jar of water before throwing them in the rubbish.
Marker pens: Solvent vs water-based
Markers are a massive category in any modern drawing studio, but their safety profile depends entirely on the liquid base used to carry the colour. Water-based options, including acrylic paint markers and everyday sketching pens, are completely non-toxic and perfectly safe for any home setup. Alcohol-based permanent markers are also incredibly popular for their seamless blending capabilities. While they carry a very low toxicity level and evaporate quickly on the page, they can give off a strong, noticeable scent if you are working closely over a massive piece for hours at your desk. They are still perfectly safe for a home studio, but the scent alone is usually enough to remind you to keep your area ventilated.
Water-based Ecoline brush pens and pigment markers provide a fume-free alternative for working closely at your desk.
The only markers that require genuine caution are heavy-duty, industrial solvent-based permanent markers that use specific aromatic hydrocarbons like xylene or toluene. These chemical solvents allow the ink to grip onto stubborn, non-porous surfaces, but you will smell them the absolute second the cap comes off. Breathing in those concentrated solvent vapours in an enclosed room for long stretches can easily cause headaches or lightheadedness. If you use these heavy-duty industrial pens, the straightforward safety habit is simply to open a window to keep the air inside fresh.
Drawing inks: A straightforward fluid medium
Drawing inks are an incredibly popular addition to a drawing or painting studio, and they generally present very few safety concerns. The safety profile depends entirely on the liquid carrier used to hold the pigment. The vast majority of modern art inks, such as fluid acrylic inks, watercolour inks, and water-soluble ranges like Derwent Inktense blocks and pencils, are entirely water-based. Because they thin down and clean up with plain water, they give off absolutely zero toxic vapours, fumes, or chemical scents. They are completely safe to use for hours on end at any normal kitchen table or home studio desk, requiring nothing more than basic hand-washing when you pack away your brushes and pens.
Fluid mediums in dropper bottles completely eliminate airborne dust hazards, making them a very safe choice for home studios.
The only time you need to pay a bit more attention is if you work with traditional solvent-based drawing inks or shellac-based waterproof inks. These varieties use specific chemical solvents or alcohol bases to make the ink dry waterproof so it grips smoothly onto slick surfaces. You will notice a distinct chemical scent the moment you open the bottle. While the ink itself is perfectly safe on your paper, working closely over open wells of solvent-based ink in a tiny, unventilated room for a long stretch can occasionally cause minor headaches. Keeping your studio safe is simply a matter of capping the bottles when you aren't actively dipping your pen, and opening a window to keep a fresh breeze moving through the room.
The real studio hazard: Aerosols and sprays
If you are looking for the item that requires the most strict caution in an everyday studio, it isn't a paint, a pencil, or a pastel at all. It is aerosol spray cans, specifically spray fixatives, varnishes, and spray adhesives. Spraying an aerosol directly into a room releases an incredibly fine mist of liquid solvent propellants into the air that you do not want in your lungs. You don't need to throw these products away, but maintaining a safe studio means keeping your spraying habits strictly outdoors or in a completely open, ventilated garage, rather than inside a closed house.
Aerosol formats like spray paints and fixatives carry identical risks due to the solvent propellants released into the air.
Decoding art labels: What the warnings actually mean
When you look at the back of the vast majority of art supplies, the most common safety labels you will see are standard international regulatory marks. In the UK and Europe, you will typically find the CE or UKCA marks alongside standardised hazard pictograms (like a red diamond), while products from or sold in the US will carry the ASTM D4236 compliance stamp. These standard labels do not mean a product is dangerous; they simply confirm that a qualified toxicologist has reviewed the ingredients and verified that the packaging correctly declares any potential long-term risks. Because global manufacturing lines must cover every possible worst-case scenario to avoid legal liability, companies are forced to use highly dramatic phrasing. Warnings to "wash hands immediately after use" or "contact a poison control centre" on a tin of Prismacolor Premier pencils, sound utterly terrifying, but they are often just a legal requirement for materials that carry an incredibly low risk in a normal studio environment.
Because art supplies are shipped globally, different legal requirements across countries mean the exact same product can look wildly different depending on where you bought it. While European and UK rules (known as REACH and CLP regulations) focus on clear, evidence-based ingredient risk, other regions use far more extreme baselines. For example, Canada uses its own regional marker known as Canada 56, while California enforces Proposition 65, a law that forces manufacturers to slap cancer warnings on products containing even microscopic trace amounts of certain chemicals, even when real-world exposure to an artist is practically zero. Jackson's Art explains in more detail about 'Prop 65' on their art blog here.
You can also see a prime example of this on the Mungyo Gallery oil pastels listed on the US Dick Blick art website here, which carry heavy warnings online that disappear entirely when you look at the exact same product sitting on British or European shelves. A scary warning or an extra regional label does not mean a product has suddenly become dangerous; it just reflects a clash of international marketing choices and regional laws. 
AP Certification in a nutshell
Wherever your products come from, the safest approach is to look for clear ingredient information, proper hazard symbols, and evidence that the product follows the safety‑labelling rules of its own region, such as ASTM in the US, Canada 56 in Canada, and REACH or CLP in the UK and Europe. Relying on whether a product carries the AP logo is a mistake, as it is only one voluntary system used in part of the world, rather than a universal standard for adult studio safety.
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While scrolling through Instagram one day, I noticed The Coloured Pencil Shop showing off a new batch of Caran d’Ache NeoArt wax oil pastels. As a keen oil pastel artist, this medium immediately caught my eye. I had never tried wax oil pastels before, so I was eager to look into this new product and quickly bought a small selection to test out properly.
This article gives my honest view as an oil pastel artist using Caran d’Ache NeoArt pastels for the first time. I wanted to see how they perform, how easy they are to use, and how they stack up against traditional oil pastels. I expected a smooth but firmer texture, so I ran a few careful tests to check their blending ability, pigment strength, and versatility. Read on for my full review to see what these wax oil pastels can do and where they fit into the art world. 
This is the information taken directly from the Caran d'Ache website:
Caran d'Ache launches NEOART™ 6901 : The first-ever lightfast pastel for up to 100 years
Caran d'Ache strengthens its Expert range with the launch of NEOART™ 6901, the first wax and oil pastel conform to the standard ASTM D-6901, offering unrivalled colour intensity and exceptional lightfastness for up to 100 years. This permanent pastel combines the softness of wax with the richness of oil, creating a unique texture. With its high pigment concentration and octagonal shape for easy handling, NEOART™ 6901 is aimed at professionals, art students, and passionate creatives, offering a medium of unrivalled quality for creating nomadic, spontaneous and vibrant work that last over time. With NEOART™ 6901, Caran d'Ache reaffirms its expertise and spirit of innovation, setting a new standard in the world of pastels. ASSORTMENT
DETAILS OF THE PASTEL
Caran d’Ache NeoArt wax oil pastels - Dark Indigo, Violet Grey, Light Malachite Green, Bismuth White, and Herculanum Red
When my small order of five pastels arrived, I was immediately impressed by their quality. They match the size and thickness of the well-known Caran d'Ache Neopastels, and their vibrant 48-colour range lines up perfectly with the Caran d'Ache Luminance series. The hexagonal barrel design is a great feature because it stops them from rolling off my desk, which is a big help while working. They are completely odourless and come neatly packaged with a paper sleeve that has tear strips, making it easy to unwrap the pastel as it wears down.
I chose these striking colours:
Although I am an experienced oil pastel artist, I had never used wax oil pastels before and was curious to see how they compared. I expected them to have a soft texture, perhaps just a little firmer than Neopastels, and I was keen to see how they stacked up against traditional oil pastels and other products in the Caran d'Ache range. In this review, I share my personal findings on how they perform, how they feel to use, and just how versatile they really are. 
Initial Trials with NeoArt Pastels on Daler Rowney Smooth Heavyweight PaperFirst Trial: Evaluating Pigment Strength and Application on Daler Rowney Paper
Before doing any serious work with them, I wanted to run a few quick tests to see how the NeoArt pastels actually performed. I chose Daler Rowney Smooth Heavyweight paper for this. It is a 220gsm surface known for its durability and subtle texture, making it ideal for checking both the strength of the pigment and how the pastels apply.
The pigment turned out to be remarkably strong, laying down very cleanly even on this slightly textured surface. Although the pastels are quite firm, they allowed for precise, fine lines, and the coverage remained consistently even. They did an excellent job of masking the texture of the paper despite their rigidity. These early tests showed me that on a smooth, heavyweight surface, NeoArt pastels deliver rich, dependable colour, though their firmness might be a bit tricky for artists who prefer a softer, more fluid feel. 
Second Trial: Assessing Blending Capabilities of NeoArt Pastels
For my second trial, I wanted to see how well the NeoArt pastels blend. Each colour was applied individually, with a secondary colour positioned next to the first. Next, a paler shade was layered over a darker one to assess both blending quality and opacity. To see how effectively the colours mied, I built up multiple layers.
The results showed that these pastels do not blend very smoothly. Due to their firm nature, it is difficult to get the colours to blend together seamlessly. However, if you apply enough product, their opacity does allow for a decent blend that hides some of the harsh separation. I noticed this clearly in my first sample when placing Bismuth Yellow right along the edge of the Dark Indigo. Even though they overlapped, a sharp line still remained between the two colours. By the time I reached my fourth sample, I tried using blending techniques that normally work for softer tools, but the hard edges were still visible, which really proves that these pastels resist traditional blending methods. 
Third Trial: Applying Caran d'Ache Luminance Wax Pencils Over NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels
For my third trial, I wanted to see if I could successfully layer wax-based coloured pencils over the NeoArt pastels. Since coloured pencils are generally compatible with traditional oil pastels, I expected this wax oil formulation to behave in a similar way. I put down three different pastel shades and then tried to blend a darker coloured pencil from the same colour family along the edges.
The results were unsuccessful, as the wax pencils simply would not blend with the pastels underneath. Instead, the NeoArt pastels acted as a complete wax resist, repelling the pencil pigment so that the colour only adhered to the bare paper outside the pastel lines. Curious to see if a different type of pencil might alter this effect, I also tested Faber-Castell Polychromos oil-based pencils, but I ran into the exact same resistance. Just like the wax pencils, the oil-based version was entirely rejected by the NeoArt surface, leaving the pigment confined strictly to the clean paper around the edges. This consistent wax-resist effect demonstrates that the formula of these pastels makes it incredibly difficult to layer them with either wax or oil pencils, which certainly limits their use for mixed-media work. 
Final Trial: Comparing Pigmentation of NeoArt Pastels and Luminance Pencils
In my final trial, I wanted to compare the pigmentation of the NeoArt wax oil pastels with their coloured pencil counterpart, the Caran d'Ache Luminance pencil. I applied each medium to a single sheet of paper, dividing the page into two sections with small pencil markers right in the middle. I used the coloured pencils on the upper half and the NeoArt pastels on the lower half.
I found that the pencils struggled to saturate the texture of the paper, leaving visible gaps even when I applied significant pressure. In contrast, the NeoArt pastels filled the surface much more uniformly and smoothly with far less effort, achieving a beautifully consistent finish. Remarkably, the intensity of the pigment between the two mediums turned out to be nearly identical. This suggests that, despite the clear differences in how they apply, NeoArt pastels and Luminance pencils share a closely matched colour potency and opacity. 
Testing the Caran d'Ache NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels on Paper
Eager to see how these wax oil pastels performed in practice, I decided to test them on a couple of different papers. I began by fixing the sheets to a wooden-top easel with masking tape, which is a technique I highly recommend for any pastel work. This simple step secures the paper and leaves a clean, neat edge, which is perfect if you want to frame the piece later. My first choice was Clairefontaine Pastelmat, which is widely regarded as a top pick among pastel artists. I figured that if any paper could coax the best out of these pastels, Pastelmat would be it, thanks to its excellent reputation for versatility and quality. Clairefontaine Pastelmat stands out because of its unique surface, which blends the grit of sanded paper with a velvety softness. It is highly absorbent and designed to hold multiple layers of pigment or even solvents, making it ideal for techniques like blending, layering, and mixed media.
Applying and Blending NeoArt Pastels: Challenges and Solutions
I started off by applying Dark Indigo and Bismuth White, with the latter showing a faint yellow tint. Right away, I noticed these Caran d'Ache NeoArt wax oil pastels were much harder than I had anticipated, and far from the 'softness of wax with the richness of oil' promised by Caran d'Ache. Getting an even application felt like a bit of a battle because the pigment resisted spreading smoothly, which left me wondering if my technique was wrong. As an oil pastel artist used to creamier textures, this firmness really threw me. Still, as I built up layers and pressed harder to coax out colours like the Dark Indigo, I noticed that the slow wear of these firm pastels meant they lasted longer, even if it took serious effort to achieve the pigment intensity I wanted.
Layering Bismuth White over Dark Indigo offered a glimmer of hope. Without using any tools, I managed a modest blend, though it was more of a subtle overlap than a seamless fade. The hardness of the pastel resulted in the pigment resting on the surface of the paper rather than penetrating the tooth, which limited how much I could manipulate it. Curious to see more, I included both Light Malachite Green and Violet Grey. Blending these proved even tougher, and no amount of finger-rubbing or blending stumps, which are my usual go-to tools for softer pastels, could soften the edges. These NeoArt pastels were simply too rigid, resisting every attempt to mix shades like I had expected. 
Blending Tools, Solvent Application and Paper Performances
Determined to find a workaround, I tested a couple of blending products. First, I tried the Caran d'Ache Full Blender, which is a tool designed for wax-based pencils. It softened the lines slightly, but the results were patchy, and at times it simply scraped off the pigment. Next, I turned to a solvent and reached for Zest-it Pencil Blend, which works for both coloured pencils and oil and wax pastels. It took a generous amount to loosen the wax, and while it blurred the colours a little, the finish was uneven. Plus, the strong citrus scent was quite overpowering, which was a distraction I had not bargained for. Zest-it does offer an odourless version, which I would certainly recommend instead; in hindsight, I wish I had used it.
To make matters worse, the solvent left the paper slick and slow to dry. Every attempt to layer more pastel, such as adding Violet Grey for depth, just skimmed over the wet surface and barely stuck. To top it all off, the pigment that rubbed off onto my fingers clung stubbornly, resisting soap and water for much longer than I would like. 
Despite the strong citrus smell and the long drying time of the Zest-it solvent, I noticed a clear improvement when I looked at the paper from an angle. The blend of Dark Indigo and Bismuth White actually looked far more successful, showing a smooth finish that made up for my earlier struggles. To neaten this up further, I used a thick piece of kitchen paper to work into the damp pigments, which created distinctive, textured marks that actually enhanced the piece. Photographs of this stage are included below, showing the subtle layering and the interesting effects achieved with this method.
Since it was impossible to do anything else with the Pastelmat sample while the solvent was still wet, I had to stop and set it aside, as none of the pigment would stick. At first, I wasn't quite sure how to move forward, but looking at what I had done so far, the results were promising. The solvent had really deepened the pigment, making colours like the Dark Indigo look much richer, and it had allowed for a decent amount of blending, with the kitchen paper leaving a lovely subtle texture.
When I came back to the sample twenty-four hours later, the paper had dried completely and the pigment didn't smudge at all when touched. Encouraged by this, I put down a few more layers and used the solvent again. It worked perfectly, softening the new layers without lifting or disturbing the work underneath. This sort of durability is a huge plus, and it really sets this medium apart from traditional oil pastels, which never truly dry and always stay tacky and easy to smudge. 
Next, I moved on to a cold-pressed paper to see how it would handle these firm NeoArt pastels. Known for being exceptionally absorbent, this paper looked like a promising option for working with solvents. It soaked up the Zest-it much faster than the Pastelmat did, which gave me far more control over how the pigment spread. Violet Grey, for example, actually started to blend into the texture of the paper rather than just sitting on top of it.
The heavy texture of this surface also helped the pastel stick much better, making it easier to build up the colour evenly without that annoying skimming effect I ran into before. The photos below show my progress, and while it is not absolutely flawless, it is a clear improvement over the earlier tests. 
Non-Solvent Application on Bockingford Not and Final Thoughts
In contrast, applying the NeoArt pastels to old-pressed paper without using solvent proved to be a real challenge because of the heavy texture. Trying to get a decent blend was nearly impossible, as the rough surface only highlighted the natural hardness of the pastels, making it difficult to merge shades like Violet Grey and Light Malachite Green smoothly. It seems that simply layering one colour over another is a much better way to blend this medium than relying on tools, as the firm formula completely resists any manipulation by blending stumps or fingers.
In the end, your results will depend entirely on the look you are trying to achieve. If you want a smooth, highly detailed finish, using a solvent feels like an absolute must rather than just an option. On the other hand, if you are an artist who needs crisp, sharp lines, you will probably find the firmness and durability of these pastels quite useful, even though your blending options will be limited. I also found that you can layer coloured pencils over a light application of NeoArt pastel, but this is unlikely to work very well if the pastel is put down too thickly.
It is always well worth looking out for reviews and different techniques from other creators, as everyone works differently with their tools. By seeing how others approach the medium, you might easily discover completely new ways to use these pastels in your own work. Questions and Answers About NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels
What Are Caran d'Ache NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels Designed For?
Caran d'Ache NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels are specifically designed for professional artists, commercial illustrators, and fine art students who produce work intended for exhibition, sale, or high-end portfolios. Because they dry to a completely smudge-proof, touch-safe satin finish, they are tailor-made for plein air landscape painters and sketchbook artists who need to work cleanly outdoors without their pages sticking together or ruining their clothes. Their firm, rigid texture is uniquely built for artists who focus on tight, highly detailed linework, bold graphic illustration, and mixed-media projects where the pastel is used as a water-resistant mask. Essentially, they are designed for serious creators who want the rich pigment of an oil painting but require the absolute precision, clean handling, and scratch-resistant durability of a hard wax crayon.
How Can You Blend Caran d'Ache NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels Effectively?
The firmness of Caran d'Ache NeoArt wax oil pastels can make blending challenging, but several techniques can improve their workability:
Are Caran d'Ache NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels a New or Revived Product?
During my research into the Caran d'Ache NeoArt wax oil pastels, I noticed they were quite difficult to find on UK online stores at the time of writing, which prompted me to look into things a bit further. I came across a 2010 review on the 'Making A Mark' website that discussed an older NeoArt product, which made me wonder whether these current pastels are a reintroduction or an entirely new offering. Since NeoArt is a registered trademark of Caran d'Ache, reusing the name seems like a deliberate choice.
In the past, there has been some confusion with the discontinued NeoArt Aquarelle pastels, which were large, water-soluble wax pastels quite distinct from the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II series, and were once available in sixty colours. Interestingly, a 2007 post that used to link to the old product on the Caran d'Ache website now redirects straight to these modern NeoArt wax oil pastels, suggesting the company has simply repurposed the name for a fresh product. Unlike those older water-soluble versions, these current NeoArt 6901 pastels are completely water-resistant, marking a definitive shift to an oil-based formula designed for better overall performance. How Do NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels Compare to Coloured Pencils?
Both NeoArt wax oil pastels and coloured pencils enable vibrant, colourful artwork, yet their composition and application diverge significantly:
How Does the NeoArt Wax Oil Pastel Colour Palette Compare to Other Caran d’Ache Lines
While Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils and NeoArt wax oil pastels are distinct in their composition and properties, they do share complementary colour palettes. This intentional design makes it much easier for artists to use them together seamlessly. Caran d'Ache has a long-standing reputation for producing high-quality art supplies with consistent and vibrant colours. This level of consistency allows you to mix and match different products from their range without having to worry about colour discrepancies. Therefore, even though the products themselves are quite different, they can work beautifully together to enhance your artwork.
How Do NeoArt Wax Oil Pastels Differ from Other Caran d’Ache Pastels?
Caran d’Ache NeoArt wax oil pastels stand apart from Neocolor I, Neocolor II, and Neopastels in composition and use, here’s how they compare:
How Does the NeoArt Wax Oil Pastel Colour Palette Compare to Other Caran d’Ache Lines
Questions often arise about whether Caran d’Ache NeoArt wax oil pastels can be used alongside Neopastels and the Neocolor ranges. However, research into their compatibility suggests there is very little synergy between them. Because they are made from a firm wax-oil blend, NeoArt pastels are simply too rigid to integrate effectively with Neopastels. Instead of depositing their own colour, they actually tend to push away the softer, oil-based Neopastel pigment, resulting in very little colour transfer. This incompatibility comes down to a major difference in texture, which makes smooth blending pretty much impossible.
Similarly, pairing NeoArt with Neocolor I water-resistant wax or Neocolor II water-soluble wax gives very poor results. The oily nature of the NeoArt pastels resists sticking to the wax-based Neocolor surfaces, which is very similar to the problems noticed when trying to use them with coloured pencils. Whilst you can layer them if you want to create a bit of textural contrast, achieving a seamless blend remains out of reach across these different mediums. Consequently, NeoArt wax oil pastels seem far better suited to standalone work rather than being mixed with these other Caran d’Ache ranges.
Have you tried the NeoArt wax oil pastels yet?
What are your thoughts on these pastels? Do you find them appealing? How do you incorporate them into your work, and have you encountered any useful tools in your experience? Please share your feedback in the comments section below. If you are an artist who cares about the longevity and preservation of your work, you might have heard of the terms “acid-free” and “archival” when it comes to paper quality. But what do they mean, and how do they affect your art? Let's take a look.  Acid-free paper is paper that has a neutral or alkaline pH, meaning it does not contain any acids that could cause deterioration or discoloration over time. Acid-free paper is more resistant to yellowing and fading, and it is better for the environment. Archival paper is paper that meets certain standards of permanence and durability, in addition to being acid-free. Archival paper should also contain no groundwood or unbleached pulp, meet strict limits on metallic content, and be free from optical brighteners, which artificially make the sheet whiter. Archival paper is often made with 100% cotton, which is considered to be the most stable and pure cellulose fiber. Acid-free paper is not necessarily archival, and archival paper is not necessarily acid-free. For example, an acid paper with buffers added could still deteriorate or yellow if the acid remaining in the sheet or formed during aging exceeds the buffering capacity. Conversely, an alkaline paper without any buffers could become acidic over time due to environmental factors.
Most papers that have archival properties were originally designed for use in printing. However, certain papers, like Stonehenge, have gained popularity among coloured pencil artists due to their archival qualities. Archival papers are known for their lightfastness, which is typically assessed using the Blue Wool scale. This means that these papers do not fade over time or experience significant fading compared to non-lightfast papers. Conversely, non-archival papers like many student-grade papers, are acid-free and can still be protected in various ways. If you intend to frame your artwork, it is advisable to use UV-protected or museum-quality glass as a means of safeguarding the artwork. Although this option may be more expensive, it provides the assurance of long-term protection. Did you know? If you cover the entire surface using lightfast products, the underlying material is protected from direct exposure to light. Lightfast products are designed to resist degradation when exposed to light, significantly reducing the rate of fading. However, it’s important to note that no product can completely eliminate fading, especially under intense or prolonged exposure to light. Regular maintenance and care are still necessary to preserve the appearance and quality of the surface. Advice for caring for your archival and acid free paper
The term “archival” is not regulated or standardised, and different manufacturers and archivists may have different definitions and criteria for what makes a paper archival. Therefore, it is important to check the specifications and certifications of the paper before buying it, and to look for reputable brands and sources.
What’s your favourite type of paper for your art? Do you go for acid-free, archival, or a mix of both? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! |
AuthorKaren M Berisford 
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All images on this website are copyright of Karen M Berisford unless otherwise stated - Website design by Karen M Berisford. All rights Reserved.
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