Drawing course : Introduction to Pastels

+2h of training

10 video courses

Supports and exercises

Access this trainingunlimited and at+300 other video courses, training, and exercises - everything is included in your Dessindigo subscription.

Full access to training

No commitment

100% flexible learning

Access to all training programs

Discover pastels in all their aspects: their softness and intensity! Learn how to use and blend colors to create unique textures, bringing your artwork to life.

Sanddy Maguer

Découvrez l’univers coloré de Sanddy Maguer, illustratrice et artiste qui met son trait au service de la pédagogie et du plaisir de dessiner. Elle a notamment réalisé les illustrations de l’ouvrage L’enfant et le Taekwondo autour de l’apprentissage par le jeu et le mouvement, avant de se consacrer davantage à la transmission de son savoir-faire graphique. Passionnée par la couleur et la matière, elle partage aujourd’hui son expertise du pastel chez Dessindigo à travers des formations accessibles et progressives : initiation, paysages, animaux et portraits, pour aider chaque élève à gagner en confiance et en expressivité.

Course Plan:

Discover Pastel

11 min

This module lays the foundation for your adventure in pastels. You will discover the specifics of pastels, their strengths compared to other techniques, as well as a quick journey through its history to better understand how artists like Degas or Redon have used it. This will enable you to start the training with a clear, motivating, and inspired vision of what awaits you.

Material and Surface Preparation

21 min

In this module, you will learn how to equip yourself and prepare your workspace to get the most out of pastels. Sanddy guides you in choosing the essential equipment, from holding the pastel to the first gestures of thick painting. You will also see how to properly fix your sheet to work comfortably and avoid bad surprises. The goal: to give you simple but solid technical foundations so that equipment is no longer a hindrance, and so you can fully concentrate on the pleasure of drawing.

Colors and Textures in Pastel

39 min

This module is dedicated to mastering colors and textures in pastel. Through guided exercises, you first explore gradients to learn how to blend your colors and create smooth transitions. You then move on to creating textures, like brick and grass, to understand how to suggest material with a few simple gestures. These exercises will help you enrich your drawings, enhance your sense of depth, and prepare for more complex landscapes to come.

Drawing a Sky with Pastels

47 min

In this module, you apply the basics covered previously to create a complete subject: a pastel sky. Sanddy shows you step by step how to build a believable sky, play with gradients, variations of blue, and the warm shades of a sunset. You learn how to give volume to clouds, manage the horizon, and harmonize your colors. It's an excellent exercise to gain confidence and to concretely see what pastels can achieve in terms of atmosphere.

Fade Effects and Light Control

45 min

This last module helps you refine your rendering and add more depth to your drawings. You begin by working on the fading effect to achieve smooth transitions, controlled blurs, and a more subtle sense of volume. Then, you delve deeper with light: how to place illuminated areas, manage shadows, and create contrasts that bring your image to life. By the end, you will have a better understanding of how pastels can make your drawings more luminous, expressive, and impactful.

Discover the course

Understand the essential basics of pastel: its history, the specifics of this technique, the materials, and preparation for drawing

Learn the fundamental gestures and techniques: impasto application, color gradients, textures, blending, and material effects.

Explore color: overlays, fades, contrasts, and lighting effects to add relief and depth to your drawings

Put your learning into practice through guided exercises like creating a pastel sky and start building more personal images

Who is this course for?

To those who already have the basics of drawing and wish to discover pastel as a new medium

To curious artists or self-taught individuals who want to enrich their practice by adding the color and texture of pastel to their creative palette

This course includes

+2h of video

10 video courses

4 practical exercises

1 downloadable resource

4 reference images

Necessary equipment

A suitable paper type such as Pastel Mat or a slightly textured thick paper

A small selection of chalk pastels and/or pencils (for fine lines to draw)

A tissue or paper towel to smudge and a damp cloth to wipe your hands

Masking tape or adhesive tape to secure your artworks

(Optional) a fine arts fixative to protect your works and crystal paper to preserve them

+2h of training

10 video courses

Supports and exercises

Access this trainingunlimited and at+300 other video courses, training, and exercises - everything is included in your Dessindigo subscription.

Full access to training

No commitment

100% flexible learning

Access to all training programs

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