The Beginner’s Guide to Soft Pastels: Materials • Color • Light • Getting Started By Jean Carter Kimble

Welcome

Soft pastels are one of the most beautiful and direct painting mediums available. They allow the artist to work with pure color, soft edges, strong light, and rich atmosphere in a way that few other mediums can match.

Many people are intimidated by pastels at first, but they are actually one of the most natural and enjoyable ways to paint once you understand a few basic principles.

In this guide, I want to share some of the things I have learned over many years of painting wildlife and landscapes in soft pastels. My hope is that this guide will help you get started and encourage you to see the world the way an artist sees it — through light, color, and observation.

— Jean Carter Kimble

1 — MATERIALS

Basic Soft Pastel Materials

You do not need a large number of supplies to begin painting with soft pastels.

Pastels

Start with a basic set of soft pastels. You do not need hundreds of colors — a limited palette is actually better for learning.

Paper

Pastels require a paper with texture, often called “tooth,” which holds the pastel pigment.

Good pastel surfaces include:

  • Sanded pastel paper
  • Pastelmat
  • Canson Mi-Teintes
  • UART sanded paper

Drawing Board

Tape the paper to a board so it stays flat while you work.

Blending Tools

You can blend with:

  • Your fingers
  • Paper towels
  • Blending stumps
  • Soft brushes

Fixative

Used lightly between layers if needed, but do not overuse.

2 — THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: VALUE

Value Is More Important Than Color

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is focusing too much on color and not enough on value.

Value means how light or dark something is.

If your values are correct, the painting will look right even if the colors are not perfect.
If your values are wrong, the painting will not look right even if the colors are beautiful.

When starting a pastel painting:

  1. Start with dark values
  2. Add middle values
  3. Add light values last
  4. Add highlights at the very end

Think in light and shadow first, color second.

3 — UNDERSTANDING COLOR

Warm and Cool Colors

Instead of trying to match color exactly, think about:

  • Warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows)
  • Cool colors (blues, greens, purples)

Shadows are often cooler.
Light areas are often warmer.

Also remember:

Gray is rarely just gray.
White is rarely just white.
Black is rarely just black.

Everything has color in it if you look closely.

4 — BASIC PASTEL TECHNIQUES

Basic Pastel Techniques

Blocking In

Start by covering the paper with basic colors and values.

Layering

Pastels work best when layered from dark to light.

Blending

Blend some areas, but not everything. Too much blending makes the painting look flat.

Edges

Some edges should be soft.
Some edges should be sharp.
Edges create focus and depth.

Details Last

Do not start with details.
Details come at the end.

5 — COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

Common Beginner Mistakes

  1. Using too many colors
  2. Not enough dark values
  3. Blending everything too much
  4. Adding details too early
  5. Not simplifying shapes
  6. Trying to copy every detail
  7. Not stepping back from the painting
  8. Working too small
  9. Using too much pressure too early
  10. Giving up too soon

Painting is a process of seeing, simplifying, and building slowly.

6 — HOW TO SEE LIKE AN ARTIST

Learning to See

Artists do not just look at objects — they look at:

  • Shapes
  • Light
  • Shadow
  • Edges
  • Color temperature
  • Atmosphere
  • Composition

Try this exercise:
When you look at a scene, ask:

  • Where is the light coming from?
  • What is the darkest dark?
  • What is the lightest light?
  • Where is the focus?
  • What can I simplify?

Painting is learning to see before you paint.

7 — FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT

Final Thoughts

Soft pastel painting is not about perfection.
It is about learning to see, learning to simplify, and learning to enjoy the process.

Every painting teaches you something.
Every mistake teaches you something.
Every finished painting is a step forward.

Do not be discouraged if your first paintings are not what you hoped.
Keep painting. Keep observing. Keep learning.

Art is a lifelong journey.

Art That Takes You There
— Jean Carter Kimble

8 — INVITATION TO COURSE

Want to Learn More?

If you enjoyed this guide, I offer a Beginner Soft Pastel Course where I teach step-by-step how to:

  • Use pastel materials
  • Understand value and color
  • Paint wildlife and landscapes
  • Finish a pastel painting
  • Paint with confidence