Soft Pastel Exploration | 45–60 Minutes
What's on the Table
Soft pastels in assorted colors
Textured pastel paper
Blending sponges & stumps
Kneaded eraser
Scrap paper
Pastel scraping tool (ask our team)
Let's Get Hazy!
01 — Pick Your Palette
Start with colors you're drawn to. Dreamy blues, sunset pinks, moody purples, or something completely unexpected. Your mood, your palette.
02 — Get a Feel for It
Before diving in, play around on some scrap paper. Try using the tip of a pastel for fine lines and its side for big, soft strokes.
03 — Set the Mood
What are we making? A hazy sunset, an imaginary landscape, a blurry memory, or just colors that look good together? Abstract is always an option.
04 — Lay It Down
Start with broad, light layers of color. Don't worry about the details just yet. We're setting the mood first.
05 — Blur the Lines
Here's where the magic happens. Use your fingers, blending sponge, or stump to gently smudge colors together. Watch those edges soften and colors melt into one another.
Wanna try something different? Carefully scrape a little pastel into fine powder using an X-Acto knife. Gently blend the powder into your paper with a sponge for a soft, cloud-like effect.
06 — Layer It Up
Add more colors over your first layer. Play with light and dark, soft and bold. Let some of the original colors peek through for extra depth.
07 — Make Your Mark
Time to get a little experimental! Try a few techniques:
Blending — Smudge colors together for soft, dreamy gradients.
Layering — Stack colors to build depth and richer tones.
Scumbling — Lightly drag broken strokes over another color for texture.
Hatching — Build tone with little parallel or crisscross lines.
Lifting — Use a kneaded eraser to pull away pigment and create highlights.
Powder Blending — Blend finely scraped pastel powder with a sponge for an extra-soft, hazy finish. Ask our team to help prepare the powder.
08 — Out of the Haze
And there it is! A little dreamy, a little messy, and completely yours. Sometimes the best things happen when you stop trying to control every detail.
Oops? No Big Deal.
Colors getting muddy? Blend less and use a clean sponge.
Too much pigment? Gently lift some with a kneaded eraser.
Paper getting overloaded? Ease up on the layers.
Accidentally smudged something? Work it into the piece!
Pastel dust everywhere? Don't blow it off. Ask our team for help cleaning up.
Tag @arttastingroom on Instagram or TikTok to share your work.