Courtesy of the Pastel Society of America
The artwork’s final surface, whether a vignette or covering the entire surface of the paper, must be 80% traditional soft pastel.
The PSA rule of 80% dry soft pastel covering the final surface of the artwork is a standard definition, an umbrella for society members and society-sponsored exhibitors to embrace and share within the society. It’s a rule of thumb to preserve the meaning of the society, a shared love of soft pastel mirroring the attributes of the medium as expressed in the 18th and 19th pastels. There is always an artist (including myself) who wants to push the boundaries of that medium definition. A larger art world doesn’tcare what you add to dry pastels or how you apply the pigment to the support. It’s that world where you exhibit mixed-mediumwork. The 80% rule is not a value judgment on the art. It’s a way of unifying like-minded artists who love the attributes of soft pastels within a membership society.
Sometimes, an artist who wants to exhibit in a pastel society exhibition or on the society’s FB group page art that goes beyond the accepted definition of soft pastel is told: “No, thank you.” And sometimes, an artist with an exceptional piece succeeds in pushing the limits of the accepted literal meaning of the medium. Art is also about nuance and persuasive talent.
Leaving the paper’s surface exposed, as in a rendering of a figure executed in pastel on a commercial color paper, would pass the 80% guideline.
Likewise, rendering an image on a support with a printed image, such as buffalo in pastel on a printed commercial road map of Montana, would pass the 80% rule.