Selecting Colors for Pastel Painting

Selecting Pastels - - Essential Earth Colors

A few earth colors are essential in any set of pastels.

Image: ©2007 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc.

At the very minimum you need a warm and a cold earth-brown, along with a lighter and darker tint. My suggestion would be a yellow or gold ocher and a burnt sienna. If you want a slightly larger range of earth colors, then also consider a raw umber and a Caput Moruum, Indian red, or mars violet.

Now there's just black and white to consider.

• Pastel Starter Sets: Off-The-Shelf Pastels Selections
• Why You Should Limit Your Choice of Pastel Colors
• Identifying Pastel Color Tints, From Light to Dark
• Selecting Pastels - - Start with the Mid-Tones
• Selecting Pastels - - Add Light and Dark Tones
• Selecting Pastels - - Essential Earth Colors
• Selecting Pastels - - Black and White
• The Final Set of Pastel Colors