Matisse Structure Perfect Pastels Fundamental Set 5x75ml

In acrylic paint, a pastel colour is one that has been pre-mixed with white pigment during manufacture so that the final colour sits at the pale, high-key end of its hue. Unlike a saturated colour that has been diluted with water (which produces a transparent, washy result) or mixed with pure white on the palette (which can produce a chalky or temperature-shifted result), a pre-formulated pastel retains opacity, consistent coverage, and a clean hue temperature across every application. The five colours in the Perfect Pastels set are all formulated this way: each contains titanium white (PW6) as a core ingredient, blended with the appropriate chromatic pigments to achieve the correct pale tone. They behave like standard heavy-body acrylic paint in every other respect, with the same consistency, compatibility, and application properties as the rest of the Matisse Structure range.

Yes, and this is one of the most practical uses of the set. Rather than reaching for Titanium White every time you want to lighten a colour, adding one of these pre-tinted pastels will lighten the mix while simultaneously adding a specific hue direction. For example, adding Naples Yellow Light to a yellow ochre or burnt sienna lifts and warms it without the cooling effect pure white can introduce. Adding Ash Pink to a red or orange mix softens it into the earthy coral range while keeping the warm character of the hue. Aqua Green Light added to a phthalo or teal produces a clean, pale turquoise without the greenish muddying that can occur when mixing dark cool colours with white. These techniques are particularly useful when building light passages, highlights, and atmospheric passages in landscapes, where maintaining hue temperature across tonal changes is critical to the final reading of light in the painting.

The ASTM II lightfastness rating on Permanent Light Violet reflects the properties of the dioxazine violet pigment (PV23) it contains. Dioxazine violet in its full-strength, saturated form is rated ASTM I; however, when diluted or tinted with white as it is in Permanent Light Violet, the violet pigment is present in lower concentration and the resulting tint is more susceptible to fading over long periods of direct light exposure. This is a characteristic of many violet and transparent pigments when used in tints. ASTM II is still considered a very good permanency rating and is appropriate for paintings displayed indoors and away from direct, prolonged sunlight. For work intended for outdoor display, conservation-grade storage, or very long archival life, it is worth noting this distinction. The other four colours in the set are rated ASTM I.

For a pure pastel-key limited-palette painting, you can work with these five colours alone without adding Titanium White. The colours are already tinted and will mix in the pale, close-toned range without requiring additional white. However, if you want to extend the tonal range below what the pastels provide, or if you want to push any colour toward its very lightest possible tint, adding Titanium White separately is recommended. Titanium White is available individually in Matisse Structure 75ml and larger sizes. The Perfect Pastels set pairs particularly well with a small amount of Titanium White for the very lightest highlights, and with one or two deep colours such as Dioxazine Violet or Phthalo Green for dramatic value contrast within a pale-key composition.

Pastel-key palettes suit any painting style that prioritises atmospheric light, tonal subtlety, or a soft, romantic mood. The Romantic and Impressionist traditions used pale tonal ranges extensively, with artists such as Turner, Monet, Renoir, and Boucher all working in high-key palettes for their most celebrated works. In contemporary practice, pastel palettes are widely used in portraiture (especially for skin tones in high-key lighting), botanical and floral illustration, coastal and landscape painting where light is the primary subject, and decorative work where a quiet, harmonious colour range is desired. The set is also well-suited to beginners who want to explore colour mixing in a forgiving tonal range, since pale, close-toned colours are less likely to produce the muddy, overworked results that can frustrate students working with saturated primaries for the first time.