A gentle soft surface, reminiscent of suede mat board, but still able to hold a crisp line.
A kneaded eraser can lift color without damaging or clogging the surface tooth if a delicate blotting technique is used.
I’ve been using a combo of Faber Castell Pitt and Brunzelle pastel pencils with satisfying results.
Virginia Bittlrer02/09/2026 07:58
"Better than expected"
I've only completed a couple paintings so far using Canson Velvet, but have been very pleased with the results. It holds the pastel nicely and doesn't seem to produce as much 'dust'. Underpainting reacts differently than with sanded paper, so need more experimenting there. Nice addition for pastelists.
C Tobin02/03/2026 18:29
"Canson Velvet paper"
Just received Canson Velvet in two color ways, browns and grays. Played with the darkest one this afternoon. Holds colors well, very little dust. Will be a bit of a learning curve as can do very little blending with hand but colors blend well putting one layer lightly over the existing color. Will be fun to play with layering colors and learning to think ahead with color placement.