Pastels have been around for centuries and are a significant part of art history. Renowned artists like Degas and Cassatt used pastels to create some of the most beautiful works ever seen, and artists nowadays continue to use them to create beautiful art, capturing stunning landscapes and creating the most realistic yet expressive works.
Starting your pastel painting journey can be intimidating at the beginning, but incredibly rewarding as you progress. In this guide, we’re going to learn more about pastels, from how to use them to the different techniques you can use to paint with them. We’re also going to guide you through a simple exercise that consists of painting a pear step-by-step using pastels. Let’s get started!
What Are Soft Pastels?
Soft pastels are a drawing and painting medium that is made of pure grounded pigment and a small quantity of binder, they are like a very pigmented and smooth chalk in simple terms.
Soft pastels are able to produce very vibrant and intense colors that blend beautifully and can be easily layered, opening the possibilities to a world of color and creativity.
Materials and Tools
To start drawing with pastels you need more than a pastel set and a piece of paper, actually while that might be enough if you have the right kind of paper, to exploit the pastel’s full potential there are a few tools you’re going to need:
Types of Pastels
Well, of course you need soft pastels, but you’ll come across different types of them on your local art store or online. Learn how to differentiate them and what they’re good for:
- Hard Pastels: These have a higher binder-to-pigment ratio, making them less crumbly and suitable for detailed work and underpainting. They are not as easy to work with and only reach their full potential on sanded paper. They are usually shaped in a block, with sharp edges and are very firm.
- Soft Pastels: These have a high pigment concentration with minimal binder, making them very soft, crumbly, and perfect for rich, expressive work. They work on pretty much all papers, but work the best on papers with teeth or papers especially made for pastels. They are usually shaped in a cylinder and can be hand-made in some cases. They are usually more expensive and higher quality, however they are very fragile and produce a lot of residue.
A basic set of 24 colors is more than enough for beginners. However some artists might prefer sets with 48 or more colors to work on different pieces like landscapes, still lifes and portraits.
Recommended brands include Sennelier, Rembrandt, and Faber Castell. Quality varies, with artist-grade pastels offering more vibrant pigments and smoother application compared to student-grade pastels.
Paper Types
Pastel Paper is paper specially designed with a toothy texture to hold the pigment particles down, it allows you to use multiple layers and blend to your heart’s content. Some popular brands include Canson Mi-Teintes and Strathmore Pastel Paper.
Sanded Paper is paper that has an excellent grip on the powdered pigment, allowing you to work with even more layers of pastel, achieving a different level of realism. These papers have a feeling similar to sandpaper and can be hard on your fingers if you’re not careful enough. Popular brands include Pastelmat, Sennelier, UArt and Ampersand Pastelbord.
Ingres Paper is a paper that has a special texture, which is excellent for charcoal drawing and very nice for pastel drawing. It has a canvas-like look but it doesn’t really hold down the pastel well.
Watercolor Paper is made for watercolors, however it can be used for pastels with the right preparation. While the texture of cold-pressed watercolor paper might be enough for a couple layers, the sizing of most papers will make holding down the powdery pigments impossible. Sanding down the paper a couple times with a fine sandpaper will most likely get rid of the sizing and make a great surface for pastel painting.
Additional Supplies
- Blending Tools: While you can use your fingers, other tools like tortillons, blending stumps, or even household items like cotton swabs and tissues can be used for blending.
- Erasers: Hard erasers should be reserved for early sketches and final details, to correct mistakes while working soft kneaded erasers are the best.
- Sandpaper blocks: Some pastels come with a protective coating that needs to be sanded down beforehand, especially if you’re not working with sanded paper. Sandpaper blocks are also excellent for cleaning your blending stumps to avoid staining your work in-between uses.
- Fixatives: Spray fixatives help to set the pastel and prevent smudging. Workable fixatives allow for further layering, while final fixatives protect the completed artwork.
- Protective Gear: Gloves and a dust mask can help reduce exposure to pastel dust.
- A Damp and Dry Cloth: These two will be useful to keep your hands dry and clean and will allow you to use your finger for blending most of the time.
Basic Techniques and Tips for Painting with Pastels
Below find some basic techniques and helpful tips for painting with pastels:
Techniques when Using Soft Pastels
Hold your pastels as if you were holding a pencil for a very direct color application, this works for lines, sketching and drawing. Lay the pastel on its side to cover large areas or blocking colors quickly.
Varying the pressure will have slightly different effects depending on the paper you’re using, however it always comes down to the same:. Using a gentle touch to apply a thin layer of pastel is ideal for initial color applications and transitions. The paper’s texture will always show through and it will allow you to build multiple layers on top.
Applying moderate pressure will result in a more opaque layer of color, which helps build up intensity and saturation without overwhelming the texture of the paper.
Firm pressure should be reserved to create bold, saturated marks. This is useful for final touches, highlights, and areas where you want the color to stand out.
Blending Techniques
- You can pat and rub the pastel with your fingers to soften edges and create smooth transitions. This is a very intuitive technique and probably the one you’ll use the most. By patting the pastel you’ll help it set it down, rubbing or smudging it might actually take it off the paper so be careful with the amount of pressure you apply.
- Use blending stumps for precise blending in small areas and edges, if you don’t have any, you can also use cotton swabs or wrap some cotton on the tip of a toothpick. They are inexpensive and easily replaceable.
- You can also use soft, dry brushes to blend larger areas without smudging too much pigment. This technique is tricky since it can create a painterly effect and soften hard edges but it can also remove a lot of pigment if the brush is not-too-soft.
- Sponges and tissues are ideal for broad, even blending of larger areas. They can also help remove excess pastel and create very interesting textures.
Step-by-Step Pastel Painting Tutorial: Creating a Pear with a Dark Background
Today we will be painting a pear on a dark background using pastels. Enjoy!
Step 1: Sketching the Basic Outline
Begin by lightly sketching the outline of a pear on your pastel paper using a graphite pencil or a light-colored pastel pencil. Focus on capturing the basic shape and proportions.
Step 2: Applying the First Layer of Color
Select a dark brown and a reddish pastel to lay the base color of the pear. Use light pressure to apply a thin layer, allowing the texture of the paper to show through.
Look at the reference and cover the middle-lower area of the pear.
Pick an olive green pastel to cover the middle-upper area, try to follow the reference and place the colors accordingly. Softly blend with your fingers to set the pastel on the paper and smudge the colors a bit,
Step 3: Adding Highlights and Depth
Add darker red and browns to the shadowed areas of the pear, such as the underside and the side opposite the light source. Since the values on the reference image are quite dark, don’t be afraid of using black.
Use light green and light yellow pastels to start adding form to the pear. Apply these colors to the areas where the pear curves and bulges, considering the light source’s direction.
Step 4: Refining the Pear
Use the edge of your pastels to add texture to the pear. The paper’s tooth will play a key role here, allowing you to simply slide the pastel softly to create nice textured strokes.
Introduce lighter yellow and white pastels to the highlighted areas where the light hits the pear directly. Blend gently to create a smooth transition between the light and mid-tone areas.Add scribbles and fine lines here and there to indicate blemishes, or subtle texture variations on the pear’s surface. These details add realism and interest to the artwork.
Work on the stem by using green, dark brown, black and white for the highlights.
Step 5: Work on the Background
Using your black pastel, apply and blend filling up the whole background, be especially careful around the edges of the pear to maintain a clean outline.
Step 6: Shadows and Details
Add subtle gradients or textures to the background to match the reference, but keep it simple to maintain focus on the pear. Add the casted shadow under the pear.
Review your artwork and make any final adjustments. Add highlights or shadows as needed to enhance the overall appearance.
Step 7: Fixing and Finishing
Clean the edges of the pear using your kneaded eraser and blending stumps. Ensure all details are well-integrated and the pear appears three-dimensional and lifelike.
Once satisfied, apply a final fixative coat to protect the finished piece.
And that’s it! We’ve hope you’ve enjoyed this introductory tutorial to the world of pastel painting.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pastel Painting
Below we’ve included some frequently asked questions about Pastel painting that we’ve gotten from students.
What Art Mediums are Similar to Pastels?
Some of the art mediums similar to pastels include Charcoal which provides deep, dark shading and is easily blendable similar to sof pastels, Conte Crayons, which have a firmer texture than pastels and are generally used for classical drawing, and Chalk, which shares the dusty, blendable quality of soft pastels.
How do Pastels compare to Oil Pastels?
Pastels are dry, chalky and very powdery. They require specialty paper to work on properly and a fixative to preserve your work and prevent smudging. Oil pastels are smooth and creamy, blend well with your fingers and other tools or solvents and while a fixative is recomended is not a must. They also work on multiple surfaces and don’t require a specialty paper
What are the Best Brands of Soft Pastels for Artists?
The best brands of soft pastels are Sennelier and Mungyo Artists’ Handmade set. They are well known for their vibrant colors, great color range and consisten quality. Ideal for expressionist painting, blending and layering. Check our full guide Best Soft Pastels to discover more brands and options for different artists levels and budgets.
What are the Best Brands of Hard Pastels Artists?
The best brands of hard pastels are Faber Castell, Prismacolor and Caran d’Ache, well know for their high-quality, vibrant pigments and smooth, consistent application. Ideal for detailed work and strong, bold lines.
Does Artchive have other Art Tutorials?
Yes! Artchive has many other art tutorials covering many different art mediums and expertise levels. See our full list at our main Artchive Art Tutorials page.
