They are both fantastic ( I actually thought they were the photos you were going to use for reference when I first opened the video), but I prefer the one on the light paper as it seems to stand out more which surprises as I thought the one on black would stand out better.  Thank you for the demonstration.

So cool - it’s such an obvious difference!!

Thank you.  This was exactly what I was looking for.

Thank you Emma. That was very informative.

Thanks very helpful. Both beautiful paintings

Wow wonderful painting dear friend...stay connected..have a nice day ♥️♥️

Well done Emma. Thanks for this great information.

Wow - brilliant video,  Emma! 🌟 And what gorgeous monkeys!!! ❤❤  My goddness,  they are so well painted!!! 👍🎨 Thanks so much for sharing! 🙏

A lovely painting exposition! I have enjoyed watching your videos and seeing you create this amazing artwork on multiple papers is a real learning experience. Thank you Emma, your very generous with your hard won knowledge.

Fantastic,  thank you

Thank you Emma this was an interesting comparison. I enjoy working on black paper with colour pencil and have been wondering about using lighter paper. I can see from your study that the lighter paper gives a brighter glow whereas the dark paper is more dramatic. Both stunning. It is encouraging to see that you just have to stay flexible when working with a lighter/darker toned surface to achieve your desired results.

thank you very much.

Wow!!!

Great work, this is very helpful thanks for sharing. 💜

I can't wait to hold my set of 36 'Emma Colbert Animal Collection' in my hands. I have been on the fence about trying soft pastels and have stuck with possible safer option colour pencils which I do enjoy. But I can't watch from the sidelines any longer. All in, unison pastels and pastelmat paper on order. And hopefully your example of diligence will rub off on me too, so that I will be delighted by the results. Thank you for your generosity in such lovely tutorials. I appreciate the time, care, excellence and willingness to share your expertise.

Very interesting this video Emma, ​​needless to say that you are wonderfully talented; from my point of view both drawings are beautiful and, in fact as you say, the one on light paper is much warmer than the other. I believe, as a pastel neophyte, correct me if I'm wrong, that if you want to make a drawing taken from a black & white photo, it is better to paint on dark paper because it is evident that the resulting tones are similar to the photograph. The warm color of the paper would be better to use for paintings with a warmer tone. Thanks from Italy.

Awesome idea for a videos, very helpful, thank you 🙏 Been following you for some years and enjoy your channel.

great video Emma, i've only just started with pastels, 2 pieces done and a 3rd on the way, but your videos have been hugely helpful! your work is stunning! keep up the great videos and great work!

Beautiful painting. The color and quality of the paper and pigment really does make a difference. The darker paper definitely worked better for the subject matter.
I have a question. Do you use a spray fixative on your finished paintings?

What about using plain white pastelmat? Wouldn’t that be best? You could even do your own colour with a light wash of watercolour as the base