FELICITY’S TOP TIPS FOR USING PASTELS

● Use a card viewfinder/old mount to help select your composition.

● If working on an easel, keep the work on the side of your favoured hand, ie to the right if you are right-handed, so you see your work and the view in one eyeful.

● Buy artist-quality soft pastels. You don’t need too many: a light, a midtone and dark version of a single colour is good.

● With a new pastel, tear the paper wrap and break off one third to use.

● Store pastel pieces in ground rice to keep them clean.

● For simple storage, divide pastels into four categories in screw-top tubs containing ground rice: darks and lights, and divide the mid-tones into warm and cool colours.

● Learn to trust that you will find the colour you need by eye.

● Being able to remove all the pastel paper wrapping is a rite of passage!

● Paint things you like.