Pastel Techniques

Ways to Blend Colors

Pastels can be blended with fingers, a tortillion or (for large areas) a rag.

Mingling pastel colors without blending them lets the colors combine visually for a textured effect. A few different ways of doing this:

• Layering. Apply one color atop another without blending.
• Crosshatching. Apply lines of color at different angles.
• Scumbling. Apply one color over another in loose, wide strokes.

Top left: Blended

Top right: Layered

Bottom left: Crosshatched

Bottom right: Scumbled

Sharpening a Pastel Stick

To sharpen the edge of a pastel stick, scrape it with an art knife. Use this technique to sharpen Conté sticks, too.