Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to paint with pastels
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Soft pastel is close to pure pigment, so colour goes straight onto the paper with no mixing palette and no waiting for paint to dry. A short beginners' course covers blending, layering and building tone, and the London and Salt Lake City courses below ask you to bring your own pastels and paper.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsWith othersUK and US
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What it's really like
The University of Utah describes soft pastel as a dry, pure pigment. Its autumn introduction covers soft pastels and pastel pencils, value, layering colour, and how to protect and frame a finished piece.
Imperial College's eight-week beginners' course works through blending and layering colour, building tone and creating texture, moving from careful observation to looser, more expressive work. Neither course supplies materials; you buy your own from the tutor's list.
Pastel societies are a cheap way to watch before you buy. During its 2026 annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London, the Pastel Society ran free demonstrations, open studio sessions and a talk billed as a beginner's guide to still life in pastel, all included with gallery admission.
What beginners pay
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| City Lit, London | Drawing: colour pastel techniques; from Thursday 12 November 2026 | £229, or £183 senior and £149 concession |
| Imperial College after:hours, London | Eight Friday mornings of two hours from 16 October 2026; bring your own materials | £249 standard |
| Pastel Society of America, New York | Ongoing classes of two and a half to three hours in studio, hybrid or on Zoom, including pastel landscape, still life and portrait | $210 for six classes, or $45 for one |
| University of Utah Continuing Education, Salt Lake City | Monday evenings from 9 November to 7 December 2026; bring your own materials | $159 |
The Utah autumn section was listed as full, with a waiting list. The Pastel Society of America says its fees are subject to change and payment is due two business days before a class starts.
How to start
- Book a beginners' pastel course: an adult education college, a university evening class or a pastel society's studio classes.
- Wait for the tutor's materials list before you buy; Imperial College and the University of Utah both send or link one before the first class.
- Take a photograph you would like to work from; Utah's course asks for an 8x10 reference photo for its final two classes.
Where to go
- City Lit: beginners' drawing courses, including colour pastel techniques (London) UK
- Imperial College after:hours: Art with Pastels for Beginners (London) UK
- Pastel Society of America: classes at the National Arts Club (New York) and on Zoom US
- University of Utah Continuing Education: Pastel Drawing, an Introduction (Salt Lake City) US
We opened these links on 8 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need experience to take a pastel class?
Not for a beginners' course. Imperial College says its pastel course is open to complete beginners, and Utah's is an introduction open to anyone 18 or over.
Are materials included in a pastel course?
Often not. Imperial College and the University of Utah both ask students to buy their own pastels and paper from a list sent or linked before the course starts.
What is the difference between soft pastels and pastel pencils?
Soft pastel is a dry, pure pigment in stick form; pastel pencils hold it in a pencil for finer detail. Utah's introductory course teaches both.
Can I take a pastel class online?
Yes. The Pastel Society of America runs some of its weekly classes on Zoom or as hybrid classes, and one price list covers studio, hybrid and Zoom classes.
Where this comes from: City Lit, Drawing techniques and processes, beginners; Imperial College after:hours, Art with Pastels for Beginners (daytime); Pastel Society of America, Classes; University of Utah Continuing Education, Pastel Drawing: An Introduction (LLART 415); Mall Galleries, Pastel Society: events programme 2026; Herald Community Newspapers, West Hempstead artist revisits her passion for painting (19 December 2019). Opened 8 November 2026.
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