Using the pastel on its side, make sweeping strokes, painterly marks.

You can lay colours over each other, and even without smudging they blend and mix.

This is a great technique for expressive work, and to get movement and energy into your paintings.

 

You can create these marks by holding the pastel like this and applying the marks sideways…

Hold the pastel in the middle and make sideways painterly marks…

You can lay one colour over another, this is a lovely way to blend colours, without smudging…

Examples

Apple sketch
Open fields