Why the 53 New PanPastel Colors Matter

For years, PanPastel has been woven into both my studio practice and my teaching. Working with it so closely gave me a deep respect for its strengths, and also a clear awareness of where there were limitations. There were long standing gaps in the color families, especially between the core colors and the tints, that shaped how I worked every single day. Reaching the vibrancy or nuance I wanted often meant constant mixing, compensating, or stepping outside PanPastel and reaching for soft pastel sticks. Those limitations became part of the conversation I shared with my students because they affected how we all approached color.

So when I learned that PanPastel, owned by Golden Artist Colors, was releasing 53 new colors, I immediately understood the significance. These were not just additions, but missing steps finally being filled within the color families. Pinks and corals that previously had to be mixed by hand, and vermilion, a color that had never existed in the PanPastel line at all. Subtle but essential shifts that allow artists to work with more flow, more clarity, and more confidence, staying present with color instead of constantly working around it.

The video below is the licensed, branded version created in collaboration with Golden Artist Colors.

I was able to get the new colors quickly, and I felt a clear intuitive pull to make a video right away. I knew what I wanted to say and why it mattered. Even with company in town, I set up my camera and recorded it that same day. I shared where the gaps had been, how I organize my colors, and why these additions felt significant after years of working with the medium. It showed the colors in context and spoke to what they make possible, not just the fact that they were new.

Not long after, Golden reached out about collaborating on the video, and together we reworked it into the branded version you see here. The process felt natural and aligned, and I am proud of how it came together. What excites me most about these new colors is the freedom they bring. There is more flow, more ease, and a truer sense of vibrancy and purity of color. Instead of constantly compensating or dulling things down through mixing, you can stay present with what you are creating and move forward with confidence. 

I wanted this moment to have a home, not just live as a passing video, but as part of a longer story about paying attention, trusting intuition, and recognizing when a medium you love takes a meaningful step forward. If you work with PanPastel, I hope this offers clarity about what is now possible. And if you are new to it, I hope it feels like a grounded and honest place to begin.