Create Stunning Pastel Backgrounds with These 3 Essential Tools
Pastels! Have you ever wanted to use them as your background color? But you don’t know what you even need to start? This is a common concern for artists when using a new art medium.
Today I will show you 3 tools you need to use pastels in your background. PLUS, stick around to the end for a bonus tool that no one knows about but everyone should use.
(Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video version of this post HERE!)
1. Pastels
Jumping right in, the first tool you need is…pastels! Yes, I know I stunned you with that one. But there are lots of pastels out there. So, you might get stuck on this first step. I suggest Pan Pastels. HOWEVER I recommend you buy just one. Yes, you read that right, just one to start. They can come in large sets that can be a bit expensive. But you don’t need a whole set to begin. You can buy colors individually online.
What color should you buy? Well, that’s a bit of a personal question for each artist. I recommend you go look at your past colorings and art. What colors do you use the most? Do you lean more towards earth tones like browns, greens and oranges. Or are you all about cool colors like blues and purples?
Choose a hue that fits into the color scheme that you use frequently. This is your test and experiment color.
Next, you might be asking WHY I suggest pan pastels. Excellent question! Several reasons:
- They are super bright colors! These pastels are soft and have less binder in them, so there’s nothing diluting their strong color pigments.
- They play nicely with colored pencils. One of the most common mediums artists and colorists use are colored pencils! So, it just makes sense to use something that can work with pencils.
- They are erasable! Yes, part of creating a lovely background is being able to erase it.
And that leads me nicely to the next tool you need for a pastel background…
2. Erasers!
Alright, we have a pan pastel which is erasable. Naturally, we need erasers. WHY? Because no one is perfect and sometimes we go over the lines. Also, we can use erasers to create interesting effects and textures in the pastels. And there are 2 different types of erasers I recommend.
First, the Tombow Mono Zero Eraser. I’m especially a fan of the size 2.3 millimeter. This is for your precision erasing! Fine lines, extra small details, crisp detailed erasing at its finest. This is the eraser for you!
Second, the good old fashion kneaded eraser! These are for broad strokes of erasing
over large surface areas. There’s a reason these erasers are so popular among artists. They are absorbent to help pull up color and malleable so you can knead them into whatever shape you want.
I strongly recommend BOTH erasers…but if you HAD to choose just one, then go with the kneaded eraser to start. You can twist it to a small, precise shape to erase little areas on your paper. It won’t be as precise as the Tombow, but it’ll do in a pinch.
**What about you? Do you like to use a variety of erasers when you color? Or is there just one eraser to rule them all in your art studio? Leave a comment and let me know!**
3. Applicators!
Pan pastels come with applicators when you buy the sets, and you can buy them separately. HOWEVER, you can also buy makeup applicators in bulk for way less money. If it’s gentle enough to go on your face, it’s gentle enough to go on paper. I like eyeshadow applicators for smaller detail work with pastels and larger makeup applicators for large surface areas.
And, seriously, as an artist and a mom on a tight budget – I LOVE getting affordable art supplies in bulk.
You can experiment with these applicators and pastels on scrap paper. But they are very easy to use together.
Here’s an image of my glorious scribbling. Ah yes, another drawing masterpiece.
*OK, so those are the three basic tools you need to start your pastel background. But I promised you a bonus tool! Before I share that with you – if this post is helpful or inspiring on your artistic journey, or if you REALLY want to go next level – then sign up for my monthly studio newsletter! You’ll get freebies like free coloring pages, the latest drawing and coloring tutorials and special access to coupons and sales in my coloring shop.
Alright – so we have our pastels, our erasers and applicators. What else do we need to start coloring pastel backgrounds?
BONUS: Maulstick!
Such a random tool but if you do any coloring for extended time, you should have it! These doodads were initially recorded in the 16th century. It’s a German word – roughly translates to “painter-stick”. Which makes sense because it is a stick with a padded ball at one end that painters used. The padded end goes next to the art on the table or whatever surface your working on, the raised stick is where you rest your arm or wrist.
This is all about comfort and ease! The maulstick will help your arm and shoulder relax while you color. That means less muscle strain and less neck pain. 
Also, the maulstick helps prevent your hand from brushing on your pastel background – which would cause the dreaded smudging that all artists despise. Remember pastels are soft and can smudge easily! The maulstick will help prevent all of that.
There’s a nice one with an aluminum rod and artificial leather ball that works well – you can check it out right here.
There’s more to learn…
Those are your BASIC pastel supplies. And I know some of you are saying that you want to go next level, especially with your coloring skills. Welp there’s a playlist for that! Go check out my playlist on YouTube all about different coloring techniques called “Color Like A Pro.”
About Me:
Hi everyone I’m Lisa Marie from Artistry by Lisa Marie. For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been a professional artist for over a decade. When I was 15 years old I apprenticed in an artist’s studio for several years then earned a Masters in Art History in Florence, Italy while studying the techniques of the Renaissance masters. Today I create custom portraits and coloring books and pages.
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Some of the links above are affiliated links, at no extra cost to you.
