Pastel Play

I fell in love with soft pastels when I saw Edgar Degas’ ballerina works. His use of light, movement and emotion as well as the beautiful textures he was able to create using soft pastel, blew my mind and made me want to learn how to work with these little chalky chunks of color. I’m super excited to share some of my favorite little discoveries and techniques with you in the classroom!

Our journey begins playing with color and texture as we paint little abstract studies and get acquainted with our materials. These little beauties will be inspiration for our portraits later so I encourage you to have fun here and try a few new color combos or techniques that feel fresh and fun for you.

Once we’ve gotten better acquainted with our goodies (i.e. supplies) I’ll guide you, layer by layer, through the pastel painting process and share some of my favorite tips and tricks to make the painting process simple, personal and exciting.  We’ll begin our portraits with a limited-palette and slowly develop it into a vibrant, expressive work of heart that reflects your unique personal style .

I’m so happy you’re joining me on this playful, pastel exploration!