Pastel Drawing of a Field of Flowers

Drawing a Field of Flowers with Pastels

In this pastel drawing lesson, we’ll draw an image of a field of red poppies with pastels. Here’s a look at the finished drawing…

A photo reference is used to complete the drawing. Here’s a look at the photo reference…

Pastel Materials

Rembrandt soft pastels are used for this drawing. These soft pastels are pigment-rich, offering vibrant colors that blend and mix easily. They are easy to find at most art stores and are consistent in their pigmentation.

This drawing is completed on “buttercup” toned PastelMat paper. This paper features a deceptively heavy tooth that accepts multiple, layered applications while keeping pastel dust at a minimum. While this paper is pricey, it is a fantastic surface to work on.

Looking for Shapes

Pastel drawings are often referred to as “paintings”. This is because a pastel drawing often resembles a painting. Even though the medium is applied dry, the techniques for developing a pastel image is similar to that of painting. Instead of focusing on details and edges, we should instead focus on shapes of color and value. With pastels, we can develop shapes of color and value and gradually develop the illusion of details through subtleties of tone.

For this image, the basic shapes of the flowers are developed with bold color. These shapes are gradually refined by layering different values and versions of the color through multiple applications. This not only develops the illusion of form, but also develops complexity in color which makes the drawing appear more realistic.