Pastel Painting Techniques: 10 Methods for Beginners (Soft and Oil Pastels)

Pastels are one of the most versatile and affordable mediums in art, and the techniques are simpler than they look. The ten core pastel painting techniques are blending, layering, scumbling, feathering, cross-hatching, sgraffito, pointillism, stippling, underpainting, and lifting color with an eraser. They work across soft pastels, hard pastels, and oil pastels alike. Master those ten and you can build anything from soft, dreamy gradients to bold, textured strokes.

Most of us remember making an oil pastel piece for a school holiday or fighting to keep a chalk still-life from smudging in middle school. As an adult, pastels turn into something far richer: a medium that adds vibrant color and tactile texture to your work, blends straight into mixed media, and rewards quick, expressive marks. Pastels were essential to the Impressionists for exactly that reason. Their pigments let artists layer and blend color into a shimmering effect, and their portability made them ideal for painting outdoors. Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt built some of their most tender, movement-filled work in pastel.

What are the different types of pastels?

There are three main types of pastel, and each one behaves differently. Knowing which is which before you start saves a lot of frustration.

1. Soft pastels. Known for rich pigment and easy blendability, soft pastels are perfect for smooth transitions and vibrant hues. They are the most common starting point for beginners who want that classic, painterly pastel look.
2. Hard pastels. Firmer than soft pastels, these offer more precision and control. They are ideal for detailed work, fine lines, and the early stages of a piece before you build up softer layers on top.
3. Oil pastels. These use an oily binder that gives a creamy texture, so they layer and blend smoothly and feel buttery on the surface. They behave quite differently from soft and hard pastels, closer to a drawing-painting hybrid.

Each type brings its own qualities, so the honest advice is to try all three and find what suits your style. A quality stick makes a real difference here, the way a good brush does, so do not judge the medium by the cheapest set you can find.

Can you paint with pastels using a brush?

Yes, you can genuinely paint with pastels using a brush, even though most pastel work is done with your hands and fingers. The trick is to make your own pastel paint. You crush the pastel sticks into a fine powder, then mix that powder with a binding agent such as water, gum arabic, or acrylic medium to create a paste.

That paste behaves like paint. You can apply it with brushes to create washes, detailed lines, or bold strokes, all carrying the vivid color and unique texture pastels are known for. It is a wonderful bridge if you come from a painting background and want pastel color with painterly control. And to be clear, even when you are working a stick with only your fingers, the practice is still called painting. The word covers far more than a brush.

What are the 10 pastel techniques every beginner should know?

These are the ten techniques that will carry you from your first marks to confident, textured work. You do not need to learn them all at once. Start with blending and layering, then add the rest as your pieces ask for them.

1. Blending. Blend colors smoothly with your fingers, a blending stump, or tissue. For a different effect, blend with a brush dipped in mineral spirits, turpentine, linseed oil, or walnut oil. You can also mix colors by placing them next to each other or layering them. Always work light to dark. If you blend from dark to light, the color turns muddy.
2. Layering. Build up color intensity and depth by applying multiple layers of pastel. Start with lighter colors and gradually add darker shades to create a rich, dimensional effect.
3. Scumbling. Lightly drag a pastel stick over a layer of another color to create a broken, textured effect. This is perfect for surfaces like rocks, foliage, or clouds.
4. Feathering. Use short, light strokes to create a feathery texture, ideal for depicting hair, fur, or grassy fields.
5. Cross-hatching. Apply strokes in a crisscross pattern to build up tone and texture, adding depth and detail to your work.
6. Sgraffito. Once you have laid down a layer of pastel, scratch into it with a pointed tool or a palette knife to reveal the color underneath. It is excellent for fine details and texture. (The same scratch-and-reveal idea shows up across mediums, as you will see in these palette knife painting techniques.)
7. Pointillism. Apply small dots of pastel in various colors close together. Viewed from a distance, the dots blend into new colors and intricate texture.
8. Stippling. Create a series of small, deliberate dots to build up areas of tone and texture, ideal for detailed work and a sense of volume.
9. Underpainting. Start with an underpainting using a wash of watercolor, transparent acrylics, or diluted pastel. Once it dries, layer pastel on top to add depth and complexity.
10. Lifting with an eraser. Use a kneaded eraser to lift off pastel in specific areas, creating highlights and texture. It also corrects mistakes and refines details.

How are oil sticks similar to pastels?

Oil sticks share a lot with pastels but handle more like traditional paint, which makes them a natural next step once oil pastels feel comfortable. Also called oil bars, oil sticks are essentially oil paint in solid form. You draw directly onto your surface with the same rich, creamy texture you get from oil pastels, but you can blend with a brush dipped in mineral spirits, turpentine, linseed oil, or walnut oil, which opens up blending possibilities beyond what dry pastels allow.

To use them, peel back the protective skin to reveal fresh paint, then apply directly to the surface. Experiment with different pressures and angles, and blend with a brush, a palette knife, or your fingers. Keep in mind that oil sticks, like traditional oil paints, need drying time. Depending on how thickly you apply them, that can range from a few days to a few weeks.

How should a beginner start with pastels?

Start with one type of pastel, learn to blend light to dark, and build your image in layers before reaching for texture. That order matters. Blending and layering give you a clean foundation, and the more expressive techniques like scumbling, sgraffito, and feathering land far better on top of solid color than on bare paper.

Keep the early goals modest. Pick a simple subject, work small, and treat your first pieces as studies rather than finished work. The tactile nature of pastels is part of the joy, so let yourself smudge, scratch, and lift without precious-ness. If you want to understand the marks underneath all of this, our broader guide to painting techniques covers the same vocabulary across mediums, and these notes on choosing a paintbrush help once you start painting with crushed-pastel paste.

Experimenting with pastels opens up a world of vibrant color and expressive possibility. Whether you are blending smooth gradients, layering rich hues, or scratching in fine detail, the medium rewards curiosity. If you want a structured, supported way to actually put a stick in your hand and make something, our free Two Week Challenge walks you through your first pieces step by step. And when you want to keep going, the rest of the oil painting techniques collection is here to build on what you just learned.

Frequently asked questions

What are the basic pastel painting techniques for beginners?

The ten core techniques are blending, layering, scumbling, feathering, cross-hatching, sgraffito, pointillism, stippling, underpainting, and lifting color with a kneaded eraser. Beginners should start with blending and layering, working light to dark so the color stays clean, then add the textural techniques like scumbling and sgraffito once the foundation is down.

What is the difference between soft pastels, hard pastels, and oil pastels?

Soft pastels carry rich pigment and blend easily, which makes them ideal for smooth transitions and vibrant color. Hard pastels are firmer and better for fine lines and detail. Oil pastels use an oily binder that gives a creamy, buttery texture you can layer and blend smoothly. Each type behaves differently, so try all three to find what suits your style.

Can you actually paint with pastels using a brush?

Yes. Although pastels are usually worked with your fingers, you can paint with them by crushing the sticks into a fine powder and mixing in a binding agent such as water, gum arabic, or acrylic medium to make a paste. That pastel paint can be applied with brushes for washes, lines, or bold strokes, giving you painterly control with the vivid color pastels are known for.

How do you blend pastels without making mud?

Blend light to dark, not dark to light. Working from your lighter colors toward your darker ones keeps the mixture clean, while the reverse drags dark pigment into your lights and turns everything muddy. Blend with your fingers, a blending stump, or tissue, and for a different effect, blend with a brush dipped in mineral spirits, turpentine, linseed oil, or walnut oil.

Are oil pastels and oil sticks the same thing?

No, but they are close cousins. Oil pastels use an oily binder for a creamy stick you draw with directly. Oil sticks, also called oil bars, are essentially oil paint in solid form, so they handle more like traditional oil paint and can be blended with solvents and dry over days or weeks. Both let you draw directly onto the surface with rich, buttery color.