Jump into the fun of making pastel marks reflecting the opposites in the color wheel. We will be working from provided source of land, sea, and skyscapes, as well as your own photos. Find out how dramatic and attractive color opposites is eye candy, and brings you into the painting whole heartedly. Explore the values, colors, compositions that draw folks into your masterpieces. Instructor demos will give you tips, of why opposites DO attract the eye and emotions in a pastel painting. The light source, values, and compositions, showing the movement, attraction of color opposites no matter the subject. Have some mark making fun, ignite your artistic passion using the crystalline beauty of the “opposites in color” with soft pastels.

Paula Brown is your pastel guide in this exploration. She holds signature status with pastel societies including the Philadelphia and Maryland Pastel Society, a juried in member of the American Pastel Society, 2025 Delaware Fellow, with many national and international awards. Paula has been invited to speak and demonstrate her “heart essence” painting on both West and East Coasts and she loves to share her passion for pastels with teaching at galleries, museums, and private one on one.

Materials:
Materials for “Opposites Attract” Spring 2026

PASTELS: Bring your own supply. Variety of both hard and soft. It will be important to have at least 3 soft pastels in each hue plus a soft white pastel (Primary: blue, red, yellow, Secondary: green, purple, orange ranging from very light to very dark, in both warm and cool. (Ex: reds ranging from lightest pink to deep red, in either warm or cool reds) Harder pastels I like are Rembrandt, NuPastel (Prismacolor) sticks for line and underpainting (now discontinued…can buy sets), Conte. (2 foundation colors for hard sticks: Violet, Dark Green /or darkest purple or green you can find)

PAPER: sanded (UArt, Multimedia Pastel Board, Pastel Matt as example), please, in neutral color (white, cream) sizes: START OUT WITH two 8x10. And 2 @ 5x7”. To be mounted with tape or large clips prior to class on backing boards (12x16 is a good size) of foam core or gator board.

WILL NEED MORE PAPER AS CLASS CONTINUES AND YOU FIND WHAT IS COMFORTABLE. Consider any size from 5x7 up to as large as you wish!

Sketchbook. (At least 6x9 journal size or 8 x 10 preferred), soft pencils, eraser. 1 fine tip Sharpie pen.

Small dish size towel to put pastels on

Apron for keeping paint off of you!

Container with lid and paper towels or rags for clean-up, hand wipes

For Watercolor underpainting:

Isopropyl alcohol (70%)

An inexpensive watercolor set with its own lid palette (prefer large pans not small paint pans)
Brush: A medium flat #10 or wider size man made bristle brush (no sable brushes!)

Your ipad or electronic device for photo and use for source reference. Large portfolio bag or container to carry all…can have wheels, carry bag or back pack