A Tutorial Exploring Soft Pastels: Crafting a Violet Pansy Bloom

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Welcome to this step-by-step tutorial, where you'll learn how to create a lifelike violet pansy using soft pastels on fine-grain paper. Using just a handful of colours, you'll discover layering and blending techniques that bring clarity, softness, and vibrant depth to each petal.

Drawing vibrant florals with soft pastels can be both expressive and refreshingly straightforward. This tutorial walks you through how to create a lifelike violet pansy using a simple, structured approach suited to artists of any experience level. With step-by-step guidance and clear visual references, you’ll learn how fine paper surfaces and careful layering can produce clean, vivid results with minimal blending required. Whether you’re experimenting with soft pastels for the first time or refining your technique, this tutorial offers a practical route to floral realism without unnecessary complexity.

Here's what you'll learn:

• How to draw a realistic violet pansy using soft pastels in a step-by-step format.
• The benefits of fine-grain pastel papers for cleaner colour application and reduced blending.
• Guidance on achieving clarity and softness without overworking your layers.
• How to control pastel drop and reduce smudging during application.
• Effective techniques for blending edges without compromising tonal clarity.

With just a handful of materials and a focus on careful layering, you’ll discover how easily soft pastels can capture floral depth and character. This tutorial provides an accessible foundation for building confidence and refining your approach, whether you're aiming for precision or expressive colour work.

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​​Materials Used for This Tutorial

The selection of the dark green paper surface and the Colourfix Smooth paper for this particular piece wasn't driven by any specific intention or crucial requirement. Soft pastels are known for their high pigmentation, with many brands offering opaque coverage, meaning the underlying paper colour rarely influences the final appearance of the layered pigments, unless using low-quality pastels. Textured papers like Colourfix or Pastelmat are excellent choices for those new to working with pastels. We've incorporated this surface simply as an introductory trial for anyone unfamiliar with both soft pastels and textured paper. This tutorial features Inscribe/Mungyo pastel half sticks, but feel free to use a pastel brand you already own. Harder sticks like Conte, are often better for small details, but less so for smooth layers. Exact colour matches aren't crucial, and you might even prefer using slightly different tones than those in the tutorial. The colours we used are listed below to help you select your own.
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• Art Spectrum Colourfix Smooth (Any colour) - Alternatively Pastelmat
• Soft Pastel Sticks - Mungyo Inscribe (64 half stick set)
• Pastel Pencils - Faber Castell PITT
• Putty Rubber/Dust-free Eraser
• Damp Cloth & Hand Towel
• B/2B Pencil​

PITT Pastel Pencils

• 101 White
• 140 Light Ultramarine
• 151 Helioblue Reddish
• 169 Caput Mortuum​
• 181 Payne's Grey

Inscribe sticks

• White
• Lilac
• Lavender
• Violet​

• Violet Blue
• Lemon Yellow
• Yellow Ochre

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​​​Helpful Hints & Tips

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• If you are working on a flat surface, pastels can easily get smudged by your hand. It is recommended that you keep a piece of clean paper beneath your working hand to avoid this. Glassine paper is especially useful for this. Replace if it becomes too saturated.
• Avoid muddying colours by wiping your pastels and pastel pencils on a dry, clean tissue between applications, useful to keep pale colours pure when applying lighter tones over darker ones.
• If you have full length pastels, you may prefer to break them in half. This also allows you to keep one side for fine lines and the other for applying base layers.
• To shape your pastel blocks, run the edge of your pastel over a sheet of fine sandpaper to create a thin edge for applying fine lines. This is highly recommended if you do not have any pastel pencils.​

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FIND THE OUTLINE TO THIS TUTORIAL ON OUR KOFI PAGE

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​​Planning Your Sketch

When working on smooth pastel papers like Colourfix or Pastelmat, apply a very light outline. These surfaces have less tooth than traditional textured papers, so a softer sketch makes it easier to adjust and erase mistakes. Avoid drawing too small, as adding fine detail becomes more difficult in tight spaces. A 6" to 8" square gives you enough room to work comfortably, and if you're new to pastels, it’ll make the process much more enjoyable.

Products Used: HB pencil - Eraser/Putty Rubber

​For your initial outline, a HB pencil is enough for a dominant outline on textured paper. If you're working with Tracedown and the outline provided here, you do not need to apply heavy pressure. Remember to include all visible details from your reference image in this foundational sketch. Crucially, if you intend to use pastel pencils for your outline, you can completely skip this step, as it won't apply to your process, saving you time and effort. This careful beginning truly sets the stage for your entire artwork.

Colours Used: PITT 140 Light Ultramarine - 151 Helioblue

If you've used graphite, soften the outline before applying pastels. A soft putty rubber or dust-free eraser works best – gently press and lift over lines to reduce darkness, ensuring the whole outline remains clear enough to follow. Afterwards, redraw your outline using pastel pencils, maintaining the original shape as you begin to layer colour. For example, PITT Light Ultramarine is excellent for highlights, and Helioblue Reddish perfect for defining shaded areas.

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Laying Down the Base Tones

At this stage, begin layering pigment exclusively with pastel sticks to establish the basic structure of each petal. This foundation sets the tone for the finer detailing that will follow. Focus on building shape and subtle transitions without blending, allowing the colour layers to define depth and direction.. In the example image, one petal has already been filled in, though blending hasn’t been added yet. Use it as a reference to guide your colour placement, shape, and tone as you build up the rest of the flower. Focus on how light and shadow play across the surface: darker tones help tighten or ‘recede’ an area, making it appear smaller or more curved, while lighter tones have a widening effect, drawing the eye and adding brightness. Think of it as sculpting with colour, allowing the petal’s form to emerge gradually with each layer. Use soft strokes and build up gradually to avoid harsh edges at this point.

Colours Used: Lilac

For soft pastel portraits, layer colours from light to dark to help create depth and softness. Begin at the centre of the flower by applying Lemon Yellow at the base, then layer Yellow Ochre above. Move on to the petals, covering most areas with a pale lilac tone, stopping short of the centre where the colour deepens. Take care to preserve your outline and carefully sketch around any water droplets. Hold off on blending for now, as this stage is all about mapping the tones.

Colours Used: Lavender

Now it’s time to deepen the tones with a slightly darker shade. Gently apply the Lavender tone, working from the centre of each petal, moving outwards over the pale lilac layer. This adds soft contrast and helps define the shaded areas. Around the edges where the light falls, the lighter lilac will remain more prominent, giving the petals a subtle glow. By loosely layering the colours, you’ll achieve a natural blend, no fingers or blending tools needed.

Colours Used: Violet

Apply the Violet tone, which is slightly darker than Lavender and warmer in tint, beginning at the centre of each petal and working outward. Keep the strokes loose to avoid oversaturation, and leave the highlights untouched. Such layering creates a more intentional, refined structure without the need for blending At this stage, contrasts are being refined, helping to build depth and shape. Subtle shifts between tones create a more defined structure.

Colours Used: Violet Blue

​Use deep violet-blue for the final layer, emphasising the darkest values to enhance depth. Pay close attention to where petals overlap, as these sections benefit from subtle reinforcement. Apply the colour loosely, increasing pressure slightly where a bolder hue is required or reworking spots that need it. This deeper shade helps unify the form while preserving softness. Blending will be addressed in the next section, so avoid it for now.

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Refining the Layers

At this stage, we will continue working with pastel sticks to ensure all base layers are applied comprehensively, establishing a strong foundation for the fine detail. We will alternate the process with blending, giving you the flexibility to use your fingers for a hands-on approach or a blending tool for more controlled results, depending on what suits your style. Once the layers are complete, we'll need to firm up the outline, and erase stray marks outside the edges, ensuring a neat and professional finish before moving to the final stage.

Products Used: Cloth & Towel

Products Used: Blending Tool

Now it’s time to blend the layers built up over the last few stages. If you prefer to blend using your fingers, have a damp cloth or wet wipe on hand to remove excess pastel between applications. Always dry your hands with a clean towel afterwards to reduce pastel transfer to other areas of your work, ensuring a clean finish.
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​Alternatively, use tools to blend instead of fingers. Sponges work well for large areas, while paper stumps suit smaller spots. For finer details, a clean paper stump or ‘Sofft’ tools from the Pan Pastel range can soften edges, but remember to clean the tip between hues, to avoid colour mixing.

Colours Used: Lilac

Reapply highlights to the petal edges with a Lilac tone to enhance brightness, countering any colour deepening from prior blending. Using the same Lilac, add dots to the flower’s centre above the yellow Ochre, followed by White dots for added depth. No blending is required in this area.
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Products Used: Blending Tool

Proceed with blending, working from the outer edges inward to preserve highlight vibrancy and avoid dulling them with deeper tones. Maintain clean edges by removing excess pastel with a putty or dust-free eraser, break off a small piece and use its fine edge, then wipe away residual dust.

Colours Used: White

To complete this stage, we will add to the highlights previously applied, this time using a white pastel, applying it along the edges and petal tips where the brightest highlights are visible. Blend thoroughly to finish. If the brightness remains insufficient, repeat the process in those areas as necessary.
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Products Used: Blending Tool & Eraser

Adjust base tones to your satisfaction before we progress to the fine details. Should you wish to incorporate additional tones, or wish to deepen previous values, this is the ideal time to do so. Prior to the next stage, refine the outlines and erase excess pastel, to ensure a polished appearance.

Enhancing Detail with Pastel Pencils

At this stage, pastel pencils are the best option as you can achieve much finer lines and a pencil is much easier to control than a pastel stick. If you do not have any pastel pencils, shape the edge of your pastel to create a thin edge. This will offer you more control and should allow you to achieve the same effects as the pastel pencil does. This section is all about building up the fine detail, overlapping detail and softening the edges to achieve a smooth blend of values.

Colours Used: 151 Helioblue Reddish

Start by defining the darkest values using the Helioblue Reddish pastel pencil, focusing on shading and the deep blue veins. This will help shape the petals and enhance their realism. Begin to define the contrasts around the water droplets; rather than outlining each completely, observe your reference photo and apply the blue outline only where visible. Our accompanying images can serve as a guide for precise tone placement. No blending is required at this stage.

Colours Used: 140 Light Ultramarine, (151 Helioblue)

With the Light Ultramarine pencil, apply pigment over the previously laid Helioblue. This technique softens the layers and lightens the tone, facilitating a smoother blend without lifting excess pastel, a common issue with blending tools. This prevents over-saturation in areas that should remain dark. Observe the smooth appearance of the petal after this application. You may need to reapply the dark blue veins, but always soften the edges with the Ultramarine pencil for a cohesive tonal finish.

Reference Image for applications and placement of tones.
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We provide this photograph as a reference for those who may find it useful. Observe how the interplay of deep blue and light blue, layered without blending tools, creates depth and form through colour overlay alone. Notice also how darker tones define the petal shapes, adding dimension, while highlights guide the eye effectively. This technique imparts an ethereal quality to a soft pastel portrait. The striking balance of dark and light enhances the three-dimensional effect of the flower. Harsh edges can cause a portrait to appear flat, so take care to soften the boundaries of any shadowed areas.​

Colours Used: 140 Light Ultramarine - 101 White - 181 Payne's Grey

This stage focuses on defining the tones and delicate markings across the petals to achieve fine detail. Begin with Light Ultramarine, a shade nearly matching the petals, intentionally providing subtle definition. Next, introduce White to add highlights. While we offer colour guidance, precise placement can be challenging—refer to our images for direction or use the reference photo to position highlights and lowlights where needed. With Payne’s Grey, outline the edges of water droplets selectively, avoiding uniformity. Apply a light layer for easier manipulation when overlaying additional colours.

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Colours Used:  101 White - 181 Payne's Grey

Now, let's focus on the water droplets. With the existing Helioblue and Payne's Grey tones, our goal is to achieve depth and shape by adding White highlights. In shaded areas of the droplets, apply white tones softly with less definition. Where light hits the droplets, apply more pressure for a brighter effect. Note that the markings aren't uniform; feel free to experiment with the detail. Excess can easily be removed with a putty rubber. Not every droplet requires highlights; some may benefit from a small white pastel dot or a subtle mix with Payne's Grey, while others need more prominent highlighting.

Colours Used:  169 Caput Mortuum

With the Caput Mortuum, incorporate the deep red/brown veins extending from the yellow central area. While the piece could be considered finished at this point, we added extra detail to some petals. These are loose, undefined squiggles, intended simply to enhance definition. If you add more detail, soften them by gently pressing your finger over them. The aim is to add definition without creating hard lines, which contributes to the realism. We intentionally left some edges hard in our example to illustrate how this negatively impacts the drawing's realism and appears unnatural.

Other articles that may be of interest​

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What are the Inscribe pastels and who are they for? Find out here.

Helping you to discover more tools to help you blend your pastels perfectly

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​​​Conclusion

​If you'd like to share youf finished portrait, we’d love to see it. Send us a photo at: [email protected], we would love to feature your piece in our gallery, celebrating your unique interpretation of this tutorial. Be sure to include your name and a clear image of your final piece. 

Our drawing was created specifically for this tutorial, and kept intentionally loose to prioritise teaching technique over polished detail. As you build up your pastel layers, take time to refine your control over tone, softness, and colour placement.

​Using pastel sticks or PanPastels for the initial groundwork allows you to progress quickly through broad areas, saving your energy and focus for the finer detailing later with pastel pencils. Try not to rush, thoughtful layering of base tones makes all the difference when adding definition.
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Working on a surface like Colourfix Smooth enhances your ability to blend without excessive dust and helps prevent overworking your paper. But more than anything, let the process feel like your own. Use the steps here as a guide, not a template, for future pastel portraits, most importantly, allow your personal style to shine through.

​Precision isn’t the goal, expression is.
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View Our Other Soft Pastel Tutorials

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Updated: July 2025