Gondola Pastel

We are the only manufacturer in Japan specializing in soft pastels with a history of over 100 years!

We continue to produce “Gondola Pastels” in Higashiyama, Kyoto, where our company was founded, pursuing our own unique coloring and drawing style while learning from the West.

Pastels Born to Paint Japan
European pastels cannot depict Japanese landscapes. Gondola Pastels were born from this desire of painters. We have 242 colors that can depict the mountains and trees of Japan, and can express the tones that suit the climate of the country.

Gondola Pastel was the first pastel produced in Japan and is the only manufacturer in Japan specializing in soft pastels, which have been produced by hand for over 100 years since 1919 and are loved by Japanese light painters.

Unlike other paints, pastels are difficult to mix. Therefore, in order to freely express the colors you want to paint, you need multiple colors of pastels. Gondola Pastel manufactures 242 colors of pastels to fully express the beautiful colors unique to Japan.

About Color

The founder had his own ideas about color creation. Japanese people are not very conscious about blue and red. However, they are highly sensitive to green and gray. It is said that he always said, “In other words, the painter's awareness of these colors is the same as the creator's awareness of these colors. Unlike other manufacturers, Gondola Pastel produces only black and white as achromatic colors, and consciously adds color to the gray in between. This can be said to be an influence of traditional Japanese culture, which has enjoyed subtle changes in color, known as “Hyakugui” (one hundred mice).

In addition, in general pastel production, the method of creating a basic color and building on it to create gradations is often adopted. However, Yazaki must have thought that simply creating gradations would be difficult to meet the demands of his customers, who were not satisfied with the existing pastel shades. In the process, we mixed different pigments one color at a time. There are still color sample books and pieces of paper with many pastel prototypes left behind that are reminiscent of the trial-and-error process he went through while learning from French pastels for the Japanese, who excel at identifying subtle colors.

Today, pigment specifications have changed due to regulations and other factors. Although we have no choice but to make a series of minor changes in response to the times, we continue to produce pastels with the same color strength as in those days, even if the pigment materials and formulas have changed.

About the Painting Style

Portraits painted with pastels in the 18th century exhibit a delicate beauty of color, leaving little touch. When such a painting technique is used, in which pastel color particles are carefully applied to the paper, the pastel must be soft, even if a little brittle, as described as “creating a velvety texture.

On the other hand, pastels can also be used for line drawing. Edgar Degas (1834-1917) called himself “a colorist who uses lines,” and Yazaki, who explored “rapid color reproduction,” using pastels to capture a scene on the spot, described it as “painting with color” rather than applying color. Some contemporary painters say that painting with pastels is drawing with color.

Our pastels are suitable for “rapid color copying,” which expresses both “shape” and “color” at once, and can be freely applied to both line drawing and coloring. Our pastels have a flexible quality that allows you to make the most of your touch, and are also excellent for coloring.

About the form

The length of a normal pastel is about 7 to 8 cm, and it is wrapped in paper. The paper serves to indicate the manufacturer's name, color number, etc., as well as to prevent smudging and breaking of the fingertips. However, Yazaki always thought that the paper wrapped around the pastel was unnecessary. This is because he would often tear the paper, fold the pastel to a reasonable length, lay the pastel down and use the sides, and wipe his dirty fingertips with a cloth and he had no problem.

Our pastels are about 2 cm long and are not wrapped in paper. The short size of the pastels allows for a variety of touches to be drawn, and they maintain a certain strength without being wrapped in paper. They are also suitable for outdoor sketching. As Yazaki said, “Since these pastels are portable, they must be trimmed down to a size and volume that is as lean as possible.” By making them one-third the normal size, one can carry three times the number of colors with the same bulk and weight. And to make them as light as possible, we have been selling them in Kiribako (paulownia wood box) since the establishment of the company.