I created this piece of art as part of my review for the Conté à Paris Pastel Pencils. I used some Unison Soft Pastels for the background, backgrounds can be done using pastel pencils but it is much easier and faster using pastel sticks or blocks for larger areas. However, as a side note, with Pastel sticks and blocks, you tend to find that the pigment strength is much greater in such pastels over that of pastel pencils.