6 Reasons Oil Painters Should Learn Pastel

The following article features a leading artist who is teaching others how to paint through online workshops at Pastel Live and PaintTube.tv.

By William Schneider

Working in one medium is challenging enough; why on Earth should you consider adding a second?

The simple answer is that it will make you a better painter. Certain things that are easy in pastel are devilishly difficult in oil, and vice versa. However, once you see the effect in one medium, you will work to find a way to make it happen in another.

The bottom line: you will become a stronger artist by exploring the second medium.

For my oil painter friends, there are certain characteristics of pastel that will help train your eye and hand:

1. You’ll become more sensitive to color. Since you don’t mix on a palette but rather on the painting itself, you rapidly learn to see the components of even complex color notes.
2. Your color will become cleaner. Each pastel stick is a relatively pure color…usually one pigment plus white or black. This lends itself to a more impressionistic application. Once you see it in pastel, you’ll want it in your oils!
3. You’ll gain better edge control. Unlike paint, pastel automatically lends itself to soft edges; in fact, you have to consciously work to achieve a sharp edge. The result is a better understanding of edge relationships.
4. Your work should become more “painterly.” Using the side of a pastel stick is very much like making your whole painting with a two-inch brush. You’ll learn to avoid “fiddly,” overly tight strokes. Once you have achieved that painterly look in pastel, you’ll find it easier to achieve in your oil paintings.
5. Your work should become fresher. Pastel creates a matte surface. Even with a lot of reworking, you avoid the brush marks, glare, and muddy color that can rapidly make oils look overworked.
6. You will become more sensitive to temperature shifts. Pastel lends itself to subtle layering techniques. You can easily place warm over cool and vice-versa. Again, once you achieve these effects in pastel, you will work to get similar results in oil. (Even though it is more difficult.)

Oh, and by the way, it’s a beautiful and rewarding medium in its own right. Do you work with both oil and pastel, or only one (or something different)? Tell us in the comments!

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William Schneider will be joining us on the faculty of Pastel Live, September 17-19, 2025, with an Essential Techniques Day on September 16. Learn more and secure your spot at PastelLive.com.

Browse more articles about painting with pastels at realismtoday.com.