How to Start with Soft Pastels Without Getting Overwhelmed

If you’ve ever wandered into the art supply aisle and felt completely overwhelmed by all the pastel brands, tools, and technical terms—you're not alone. Soft pastels are beautiful, expressive, and versatile—but at first glance, they can seem a little... extra.

The good news? You don’t need an art degree or a $200 shopping cart to start making gorgeous pastel art. With just a few affordable materials and some low-pressure techniques, you can dive in confidently, even as a complete beginner.

Here’s how to start with soft pastels without getting overwhelmed—and maybe even fall a little in love with the process.

Start Simple: What You Actually Need (and What You Don’t)

One of the biggest early pitfalls is overbuying or investing in supplies you’re not ready to use yet. You truly don’t need professional-grade materials to begin. Here’s a streamlined list of what you do need:

Basic Soft Pastel Supplies:

• Soft Pastels (12–24 count): Look for student-friendly brands like Mungyo, Faber-Castell Creative Studio, or Artecho. These offer great pigment without the high price tag.

  
  

• Pastel Paper: Grab a pad of Canson Mi-Teintes or Strathmore 400 Series pastel paper. These papers have texture (called “tooth”) that helps grip the pigment.

  
  

• Blending Tools (Optional): While fingers work great, you might also try tortillons, cotton swabs, or even pieces of felt.

  
  

• Fixative (Optional): A small can of workable fixative (like Krylon or SpectraFix) is useful but not essential at the very beginning.

  
  

• Scrap Paper or Newspaper: Lay it under your hand as you draw to avoid accidental smudging.

  
  

That’s it! No easel, no brushes, no expensive boards or giant sets. The simpler your setup, the more energy you can spend actually playing with color.

Soft Pastel Exercises to Build Confidence

Now that you’ve got your materials, let’s get past that blank page intimidation. Your first pieces aren’t about making “art”—they’re about learning how the medium behaves.

Here are three low-pressure, high-reward exercises to try:

1. Color Blending Bars

Draw several small rectangles and blend two or three colors together in each one. Try:

• Blending complementary colors (like orange and blue)

• Transitioning from dark to light

• Seeing what happens when you layer colors instead of mixing

  
  

This helps you understand how pastels interact and how much pressure affects the outcome.

2. Value Studies

Pick one color plus white. Now draw a simple object—a ball, a cube, a mug—and practice shading from dark to light using just those two tones. Add shadows, highlights, and contrast.

Not only does this train your eye, it also teaches you how powerful even a limited palette can be.

3. Mark-Making Exploration

Use your pastels to try different strokes: hatching, crosshatching, dabbing, scumbling, layering thick versus light. What happens when you drag the pastel sideways vs. using the tip? How does your texture change with paper color?

This step builds muscle memory and helps you develop your personal style.

Mindset Matters: Let Go of “Perfect”

Here’s your permission slip to make bad art. Please do! The beginner stage is full of awkward smudges, muddy colors, and weirdly lopsided apples—and that’s how you learn.

Some tips to keep the joy alive:

• Set a timer for 15–20 minutes and call the piece “done” when the timer rings.

  
  

• Keep your early work. It’s encouraging to look back later and see how far you’ve come.

  
  

• Create without sharing. Not everything needs to go on social media. Some pieces are just for you.

  
  

Soft pastel is a very sensory medium. Your fingers are involved. There’s powder. There’s texture. It’s messy and physical and wonderful. Let yourself feel your way through it instead of trying to think your way to perfection.

Dealing with the Mess (It’s Really Not That Bad)

Yes, soft pastels are dusty. But the mess is manageable with a few habits:

• Work on a table with scrap paper underneath.

  
  

• Keep baby wipes or a damp cloth nearby to clean your hands.

  
  

• Store your finished pieces under glassine paper or in a flat portfolio.

  
  

• Resist the urge to blow on your paper! Tap it gently instead to shake off excess dust.

  
  

With these precautions, you’ll keep your space—and your lungs—clean and happy.

Keep It Up: What Comes Next

After your first few sessions, you might feel more confident and curious. Here’s what you might explore next:

• Experiment with new papers (like PastelMat or UART) for different effects.

  
  

• Try underpainting techniques using watercolor or rubbing alcohol.

  
  

• Join a pastel community—Reddit, Facebook groups, or local art meetups—to share progress and ask questions.

  
  

• Follow pastel artists whose style you admire to stay inspired.

  
  

But again—there’s no rush. Your beginner phase is not a waiting room. It’s the real experience. Savor it.

Final Thoughts: Just Start

There’s no “right” way to begin with soft pastels. The only mistake is not starting at all. So pick up a pastel, scribble something wild, blend it with your finger, and see what happens.

Art doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. And you don’t have to be an expert to make something beautiful.

You just have to start.