Company Background

Winsor & Newton is the oldest of the major art supply houses, a venerable institution now owned by ColArt. The company also distributes Derwent pencils, LeFranc & Bourgeious, and other products.

William Winsor and Henry Charles Newton were gentlemen interested in both painting and science. Their firm was founded in the early 1830s. Their reputation is based upon watercolors, paint brushes, and oil colors. Pastels, Or, to be more accurate, the present generation of W&N pastels, is a relatively new development. And a very clear demonstration of W&N's brand value and ColArt's marketing and distribution power -- you will find large stocks of these pastels, in all size packages, at a vast number of art supply stores. The company is apparently targeting consumers who desire the quality of Schmincke or Sennelier and the lower pricing associated with Rembrandt.

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Product Background

The color system is straightforward and easy to understand. There are 40 full strength colors, and each of these is labelled "Tint 4." These colors will be familiar to artists who use W&N paints; names like Permanent Rose, Winsor Green (Blue Shade) and Hookers Green are like old friends. Tints1, 2, and 3 are lighter (white is added); Tint 5 is darker (black is added).

Sticks are about the same size as Schmincke, and Rembrandt.

Getting Started with W & N Pastels

The good news is that W & N pastels cost less than other brands. Shop around, and you'll individual sticks for around $2.25 each (compared with, say, $3 for Schminckes).

The low price makes it possible to buy the 24 half stick box for around $25. This is the best place to start-- you'll get a fair sense of the product, the consistency of the pastel, the brilliance and subtlety of the colors, and so on.

You can work your way up the line with a choice of four 24-stick sets-- each costing around $50 and each specializing in portrait, landscape, etc. There's a 36-stick set, too, at around $70.

My personal recommendation is the box of 72 pastels, for two reasons. First and foremost, the color assortment satisfies many assignments. There are three or four sticks for every color, no real gaps in the range, and a good variety of gentle whites and reasonably dense dark colors. Reason number two is price-- I've seen this set for as little as $100! XXX (More likely, you'll find ifor about $130, still averaging under $2 per stick).

Getting Serious About W & N Pastels

If you fall in love, there are two classy wooden boxes. The box of 200 contains the full line, and costs just under $350. The box of 120 pastels is handsome but not quite as elegant; you'll find it for about $225.

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