What Actually Matters More Than Your Pastel Supplies
After writing about the soft pastel pencils I recommend, I realised there was something far more important to say next.
Because here’s the slightly inconvenient truth: Your pastel supplies matter much less than most people think.
I see so many artists, especially beginners, feeling stuck because they don’t have the “right” pencils. Not the full set. Not the exact colours someone on Instagram uses. And I get it. Pastels are gorgeous, and it’s very tempting to believe that one more purchase will be the thing that finally makes everything click.
Spoiler alert: it won’t.
In my experience, these things matter far more.
1. Paper Matters More Than Pencils (By a Long Shot)
If I were allowed to be bossy about just one thing, this would be it. Good paper will improve your work faster than buying more pencils ever will. That’s why Clairefontaine Pastelmat is non-negotiable for me. (I should really approach them for some sponsorship!)
It:
Holds layers without filling up instantly
Lets you fix mistakes without a meltdown
Works beautifully with both pastel pencils and soft pastels
Makes the whole process feel far less like a battle
There are other similar papers out there, but Clairefontaine Pastelmat is still my favourite.
You can make average pencils work on good paper.
You cannot make good pencils behave on poor paper. They will simply sulk.
If you’re curious about the specific pencils I pair with Pastelmat and why, I’ve gone into more detail here: Soft Pastel Pencils: What I Recommend (and What I Actually Use)
2. Seeing Values Is More Important Than Colour
One of the biggest mindset shifts artists have to make is letting go of the hunt for the “right” colour.
Realism comes from value (how light or dark something is), not mere colour accuracy.
You can use the “wrong” colour and still create a convincing drawing if the values are right.
You can use the “perfect” colour and still end up with something flat if the values are off.
Learning to simplify what you see into lights, mid-tones and darks will do more for your work than any new pastel set ever could.
3. Fewer Colours Will Teach You More
This one often surprises people.
Working with a limited palette forces you to:
Layer thoughtfully
Adjust pressure
Let colours interact on the paper
Actually learn how pastels behave
When you have every colour under the sun, it’s easy to jump around chasing exact matches. When you have fewer colours, you learn to build them. That’s where the real understanding happens.
Some of my strongest work has been done with very few pencils. (And no, I wasn’t suffering. I was learning.)
4. Order and Patience Matter More Than Detail
Realism isn’t about diving straight into eyelashes, whiskers, or tiny highlights.
It’s about:
Blocking in calmly
Building slowly
Letting layers do the work
Knowing when to stop
Most overworked drawings come from rushing ahead before the foundations are in place. Pastels reward patience far more than they reward speed.
5. Confidence Comes From Practice, Not Purchases
This part isn’t glamorous, but it’s true.
Confidence doesn’t come from owning the “right” materials. It comes from time spent drawing, observing, and making mistakes.
Every artist you admire has produced piles of imperfect work behind the scenes. The only difference is they kept going.
So, What Should You Focus On Instead?
If you’re wondering where to put your energy, I’d suggest this order:
✔ Good paper
✔ Learning to see values
✔ Working with a limited palette
✔ Layering patiently
✔ Drawing regularly
Your supplies should support your learning, not distract from it.
I hope this has helped!
If you’d like guidance on how to apply these ideas in practice, this is exactly the approach I teach inside my soft pastel membership: simple tools, limited palettes, and a strong focus on seeing and layering rather than chasing materials.
Happy pastelling! (and it WILL be a much happier experience with the right paper…..just saying)
— Bernadette