Easy Step by Step Pastel Painting Tutorial for Absolute Beginners! 🎨

[@monetcafe]

Get Excited Beginner Artists!!! I think you're going to love the step-by-step tutorial that will guide the beginner artist through an impressionistic painting with lots of helpful information about the medium of soft pastels. Let me know what you think in the comments!

[@zootgambale1]

Very informative! 🌞🎯

[@karenskloset898]

Stunning❤

[@petrajimenez7323]

Great lesson and beautiful painting ! Thank you !

[@mjpete27]

Hullo Susan, Thanks for such a wonderful beginners video! So many very good techniques and excellent mark making! Please take care and enjoy the rest of your day!

[@monetcafe]

You are so welcome! good to hear from you friend :)

[@creativevintage]

I just love that you made your compositional changes right on the reference photo. What a great idea!

[@monetcafe]

Thank you so much, @creativevintage! I'm so glad you liked it! Happy Painting!

[@jessicagrill425]

Hello Susan. What a clear video with all the basics reinforced about color, composition, and mark marking/ directionality. It is a good reminder to keep a light touch to add more layers and create movement in the painting.

[@monetcafe]

Thank you so much, @jessicagrill425! Your comment blessed me.

[@lesyashulga9341]

Thanks, dear Susan. I am not a beginner but always found something new in your tutorials. I've got some news. I dared to send my artwork to the gallery and they selected it for the exhibition. It's my first experience and I am exciting. It's my dream to expose my art . I still wearing orthopedic corset and have limited availability to move but my children helped me to be present on opening ceremony.

[@monetcafe]

Lesya, that is such exciting news! I am so proud of you! I will continue to pray for you, sweetheart, and I am so thankful that you have the chance to paint and share! Also, it sounds like you have some great children!

[@lesyashulga9341]

@@monetcafe Thanks, dear Susan. I will continue creating.

[@cynthiagiven8258]

I love using clear gesso on my water color paper. It’s so wonderful to work with and helps with not buying a lot of different papers

[@monetcafe]

Thanks for that input, @cynthiagiven8258!

[@christineupchurch3714]

This is a wonderful introductory video! Thank you

[@monetcafe]

Awesome @christineupchurch3714, I appreciate that so much!

[@yogibakshi2375]

⚘️🙂beautiful painting. Love the orange and red with the green's. Beautiful flower's.

[@monetcafe]

Thank you so much 😊 You are always so kind, Yogi.

[@janicearcher904]

Love the step by step instruction. Thank you

[@monetcafe]

Awesome @janicearcher904, I appreciate that so much!

[@Nazareth434]

Bought the Paul Reubens 96- they are pretty good- some are pretty hard though and don't lay down a lot of pigment, but I fix that by also using the senelier 120 set I think it was. I pick a color close to the harder Reubens and use that. Most though are pretty soft- not as soft as senelier, but quite a lot softer than nu pastels, so I do most of my painting with the Reubens and then finish off with the softer senelier which helps save the softer senelier so they last longer instead of doing the whole painting with them. The Reubens also lacks a good selection of greens I notice. Woild have liked a more pure green hue, as well as a good variety of more neutral greens, gray greens etc. The set has too many yellows for my taste, but the set is a great edition to other sets from different manufacturers. Glad I bought them.

[@monetcafe]

That's a great strategy you have using in conjunction with the 120 Sennelier set ;). I agree with too many yellows and would have loved more greens and blues. Overall though, a good set for the price. Glad you're happy with them.

[@user-ip5ps7et7z]

Just did my version & posted in your fb group, tagged you as well

[@monetcafe]

Awesome!! Can't wait to see!!!

[@maankawas5957]

Wonderful video and artwork!💛❤😍🔥👏👏

[@monetcafe]

🙂 🙂 🙂 ❤, @maankawas5957 Thank you so much!

[@nolastakem9131]

Beautiful, love watching you ❤️ 😍

[@monetcafe]

Awesome @nolastakem9131, I appreciate that so much!

[@solweigolsson3114]

Thank you ❤ Love your painting and feel inspired to try soft pastell myself! As soon as possible I will order some paint. I do watercolor, gouache and acryl.

[@monetcafe]

Hi, @solweigolsson3114. I appreciate that so much. Comments like this are a part of why I love doing what I do! Here is a list in my Amazon Shop of some pastel painting products I recommend for beginner pastel artists. Happy Painting! www.amazon.com/shop/monetcafewithartistsusanjenkins/list/2NY2AMTL7D050?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_list_d

[@meweirdsheep6524]

I love your videos, they are so informative. By any chance, do you do videos on oil pastels?

[@monetcafe]

Hi,@meweirdsheep6524, I only use soft pastels, not oil pastels. I love their vibrancy and ability to layer. Thank you so much for your feedback! I appreciate you!

[@rosaliefunk1629]

Thank you Susan. This really does look like a Monet.

[@monetcafe]

Oh, thank you sweetheart! That is such a great compliment.

[@janicegilstrap1559]

Taking you and Karen in like an intravenous tube. Still watching. But maybe trying in a day or so. Definitely doing your pateron!

[@monetcafe]

Awesome @janicegilstrap1559, I appreciate that so much!

[@ginabina4704]

This video is very helpful. I've been working on the variations on a scene project and starting to see some success. Also I love your shirt! It looks like a split complimentary/triadic theme I like to use a lot!

[@monetcafe]

Glad it was helpful! So happy you are seeing success, Gina!!

[@jacquipexton]

I love pastels, trouble is I am a beginner and feel frustrated because its sped up so fast. I really want to learn. your picture was beautiful, if I could do that I would be so happy.

[@monetcafe]

@jacquipexton I appreciate that so much!! I have several real time videos on my Patreon page. There are also more here on youtube. I hope this helps. www.patreon.com/susanjenkins

[@karenvasconi7997]

I am in the same boat but there is a very easy fix: You can actually just slow the video down! Sound might be a little wonky, though 😮 So sometimes I mute the audio & turn on closed captions for the bits I want to slow down, but usually I watch the video all through first & then re-watch those portions (at less than normal speed and muted) as many times as I need. For this beginner, Susan's lessons are always worth listening to more than once. ❤ Just go to Playback on the video's Settings (Right top corner) and choose the speed you like. It's very easy!!

[@doloresvincent8987]

It's great!!!

[@monetcafe]

Awesome @doloresvincent8987, I appreciate that so much!

[@nicolenetherton6283]

I haven't painted/pastel'd in 3 years so I am starting over. I really enjoyed following this tutorial. I stopped at 18:00 and will pick back up tomorrow or in a couple days. I am following well it just looks messy lol! I know it will come together but I feel myself wanting to go off script and I will undoubtedly make it muddy. Nonetheless, I am loving it and glad to be back

[@1DaTJo]

Beautiful painting ❤ I haven’t bought the Paul Reuben’s set because there aren’t many greens and far too many yellows. I don’t understand why pastel makers include so many yellows, since it is not a colour that occurs much in nature. I use a lot of greens and blues as I love painting landscapes. ❤

[@monetcafe]

That’s so interesting that you said that because that’s exactly what I said in my Patreon version of this tutorial. There’s literally a whole row of yellows in this set. And very few nice greens. So I totally agree with you, but these pastels are pretty affordable, and a good option for beginner artist to get started.

[@mjpete27]

Hullo, I believe one reason lighter colors are put into sets is so that the Artist has the means to mix and layer their pastels to mix colors! Create a wider range of greens with your yellow sticks! I have decided that Schmincke sticks are my go to stick after trying some 12+ brands! They are not the most expensive nor the softest but they are buttery and there are a wide range of colors and they are available in open stock. You can buy half sticks too!

[@1DaTJo]

@@monetcafe thanks for your comment Susan. Great minds think alike ;) Everything is expensive here in Australia. The 96 set of those pastels is $189 Australian dollars which is not cheap. Our dollar fetches about 65 us cents so it’s the equivalent of about $120 USD. Is that cheap in your opinion? A set of 60 Terry Ludwigs costs us $660! Glad I bought some when they were only $450!!!

[@1DaTJo]

@@monetcafe may God bless and keep you always 🙏❤️

[@neil7829]

I enjoyed and learned from the tutorial. I went to your upsplash link and it said page could not be found.

[@jennw6809]

I finally finished this last night! I put even more flowers in than you, LOL. Definitely not my favorite work so far, but I learned a lot! I really like one of the trees I did and I started to get the mark-making to suggest flowers better. I'm having trouble with the "controlled randomness," is that what you call it? The flowers look too evenly spread out as usual, but I think that's probably just about practice.

[@monetcafe]

Keep it up, sweetheart! And yes, it is totally about practice and the more you paint the better you'll get. I often suggest doing smaller studies so that you can do more daily painting. You can do it.

[@xavierzerberus4562]

Hi, I just came across your channel. I'm just getting into art after some years. Got myself some pastel pencils and watercolour pencils. Do you also use them? Your videos are really helpful and inspirering. Thank you so much and greetings from Germany.

[@jennw6809]

So excited to follow this tutorial! I was wondering why I hadn't seen this one before, and then realized it just came out today 🤣 I agree that the weakness of the Paul Rubens sets is that they lack enough darks (thank goodness for that dark purple though!), and the greens are very limited and very bright (blues too, although the hues are nicer). Although they do well on the lights. Thanks for showing me how to mix them with the underpainting to decrease their chroma! The 72 was my first set and I totally concur any of the sets are great for the beginner (well, maybe not the portrait one, that's the one with no greens at all!). You know what's funny? In my Paul Rubens Haiya Oil Pastel set of 60 (they are Sennelier dupes!) there are just 2 yellows! And a ton of blues and greens. It seems to be yellow feast or famine, with Rubens!

[@monetcafe]

Thanks for that info Jenn. I have a good contact with Paul Rubens pastels and I think I will mention this to them. That's interesting that the Paul Rubens oil pastels have an abundance of blues and greens little little yellows. Maybe I can make a recommendation for their soft pastels.

[@jennw6809]

@@monetcafe Wonderful that you have the opportunity to give feedback! I have wondered if it's intended for portraits, leaning toward asian skin tones. There are a lot of peachy oranges too. I have enjoyed the yellows for my art therapy, but I do agree it seems like overkill!

[@Bonamici]

💛💙

[@monetcafe]

🙂 🙂 🙂 ❤, @Bonamici

[@wendywatchit]

Have I missed something? What size is the sanded paper? Looking forward to trying this painting!

[@monetcafe]

@wendywatchit I hope you do!! IF you haven't already, visit my Patreon page. Happy painting! www.patreon.com/susanjenkins

[@judithwilliams5185]

I’m not a beginner although I feel like one. I got a lot out of this so thank you.

[@monetcafe]

You're so welcome! I really appreciate that feedback Judith.

[@Bobwonderbuns]

The Paul Reubens 96 pastel set is no longer available.

[@jacquipexton]

The reference picture is not available now.

[@jjang21]

hi! I am a very beginer for oil pastel painting. I have a question. What is the difference between oil pastel and soft pastel?

[@monetcafe]

Hi,@user-bs3ry6kx7k, I only use soft pastels, not oil pastels. I love their vibrancy and ability to layer. I can tell you though, that oil pastels are sticks of oil paints and have more of an "oily" texture. Soft and hard pastels are more of a "chalky" texture. I hope this helps! Happy painting!

[@jennw6809]

Oh! In watercolor, scumbling means using the side of the brush to make a non-solid stroke. So to me, I'd define scumbling in pastel as using the side of the pastel, and not covering what's underneath.

[@monetcafe]

I think the concept is the same about making "non-solid strokes". With pastel you could really use the side or point of the pastel as long as the strokes are varied and gentle.

[@jennw6809]

@@monetcafe I guess I'm still too heavy handed to scumble well with the tip of the pastel! Good to kowi it's possible!

[@rbebut1]

??? I am a quilter. I would like to use pastel to create art on prepare for dye fabric. Is there a pastel that can be heat set onto fabric? Are there any medium that can blend colors together or de-solve the pastel and make it more liquid got brushing?

[@monetcafe]

That’s such an interesting idea. I don’t know about heat setting them onto fabric, but pastels can be dissolved in water or alcohol. I’d play around with this idea. Good luck.

[@rosaliefunk1629]

⁠@@monetcafe I think Derwent Inktense blocks will dye fabric. Go on line to see how they can dye fabric. Not sure if this helps.