About - Painting With Pastels

Hi! My name is Fee

I am a pastel painter.

Many people have asked me why my favorite medium is pastels (obviously asked by those who have never tried them or find them too messy). The short answer is that they are quick, they have the most vibrant colours and, as I am a very tactile person, I love the fact that I'm not restricted to brushes - I can use my fingers to my heart's content.

Of course painting with pastels do have their down side. Yes they can be messy, but with a little knowledge, this is quite easily overcome. The only drawback I can find is that they do have to be framed behind glass, either that, or stored correctly. A pastel painting is not one that can be leaned up against the wall in your studio.

Another upside is the ability to just "walk away". So if the phone rings, or you see the time and you have to get dinner….you can just drop and run without worrying about having paint dry out, storing brushes correctly or finishing a particular section because you're working wet on wet. No, with pastels it's very easy to do just 5 minutes or 5 hours, put the pastel down and leave (you will have to wash your hands!). As you can see above Painting with Pastels also has a FaceBook page. I regularly post on there. It would be wonderful if you could join my little band of followers and please feel free to post any of your own work or make comments as well.

Check out my FREE 10-Day Pastels lessons.

What People Say

Hi Fee! First of all, I think you are BRILLIANT to have written a how-to E-book; it is truly the way to go now! And I loved the link that showed yours, and other’s work; it is inspirational!

When I was in high school, and taking art classes, I learned the beginning basics on drawing and painting. After I graduated, I went directly into a job painting cartoon animation (the old fashioned way) with bottled paint on mylar acetate “cells”. It didn’t last very long, and I ended up in the corporate world, but still “puttered” with art as a hobby.

I am 54 now, and “re-learning” how to draw and paint, by books and classes (when I can afford them), trial and error. I have been exploring as many mediums as I can, trying to find the “one” that fits my time, style and space. That said, when I stumbled onto your site, I was intrigued. Haven’t done pastels since high school. So I signed up for your free lessons and bought some pastels and paper on ebay. The moment they arrived, (in a broken, powdery MESS) I remembered all too distinctly why I gave them up!

But as I continued to read your lessons, I realized just how much pastel painting has “evolved”, and how many new “types” of pastels are available. I’ve seen pan pastels at work; but mostly from friends who scrapbook using rubber stamps. It never occurred to me that they could actually be used to paint a picture with.

When I can afford it, I intend to purchase your e-book and learn more about the new, varied pastels available and look forward to trying my hand at it. Thank you for the opportunity, the advice and the encouragement.

Lauren Anderson

I've enjoyed receiving your emails and learning more about Pastel Painting. I'm hoping to get a selection of PanPastels shortly so haven't tried them yet. You asked my opinion of the information you've sent so far. I think it is right on target for someone like me who's not used pastels much since my high school art classes (high school graduation was 1967...you do the math! ) I'm grateful that there are artists like you who are willing to share their knowledge with perfect strangers like me!

Carol - USA

I found your mini-series to be very encouraging and helpful. I am new at pastel drawing and your course has inspired me to I use my art journal more often and try new designs. It continues to be alot of fun. Thank you.

Lynda Sudah

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