How to Make Soft Pastels

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Last Updated: August 15, 2026

Soft pastels are a type of pastel with a matte surface that is very good for blending and layering.^{[1]
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Research source} It is relatively simple to make, using only a few ingredients: binder (this article uses gum tragacanth as binder), phenate/phenol (to prevent mildew from forming), water and pigments.

Ingredients

1¼ gallons (4.8 liters) lukewarm water
2 teaspoons sodium orthophenyl phenate or 5 teaspoons 1% phenol solution
Few drops clear dishwashing detergent
2 tablespoons gum tragacanth
Pigment of any color

Steps

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1
Make the preservative solution. This step is crucial to prevent mildew from forming. Put the water and sodium orthophenyl phenate or phenol solution in a large tub and whisk until the phenate/phenol is dissolved.^{[2]
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- Sodium orthophenyl phenate and phenol solution can be found at chemical supply stores.
2
Make the mother binder solution. Whisk together the gum tragacanth with 1½ quarts (1.45 liters) of preservative solution in a large bowl until the gum tragacanth is dissolved, adding a few drops of detergent if necessary to help them dissolve. Then label the solution "A" and set aside in a warm place for 24 hours.^{[2]
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3
Make the other binder solutions. For each solution (B–E), whisk together the provided amounts of preservative solution and solution A listed below until the solutions are combined. Then pour into a bottle and label the solution. Pour the remaining solution A and preservative solution into respective bottles and label them as "Solution A" and "Preservative Solution" respectively.^{[2]
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- Solution B: 1 cup (250 ml) solution A and 1 cup (250 ml) preservative solution
- Solution C: 3 cups (750 ml) solution A and 1 cup (250 ml) preservative solution
- Solution D: 3 cups (750 ml) solution A and ½ cup (125 ml) preservative solution
- Solution E: 3 cups (750 ml) solution A and ¼ cup (60 ml) preservative solution
4
Add pigment to a glass palette. Scoop a desired amount of pigment into a glass palette and make a well in the center.^{[3]
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- If you are making white pastels, combine 3 parts of precipitated chalk with 1 part of titanium white pigment.
- You can make tints by combining the precipitated chalk and titanium white pigment with a hue of pigment, or make shades by combining the ivory black pigment with a hue of pigment.
5
Combine in the solution. Add the appropriate solution gradually, depending on pigment color, one teaspoon at a time, to the well of pigment(s). Then, using a putty knife, mix both ingredients thoroughly until combined.^{[3]
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- Cadmium red, cadmium yellow, cadmium orange and alizarin crimson pigments should use solution A.
- Cerulean blue pigment should use solution B.
- Precipitated chalk, titanium white, zinc white, ivory black, viridian, phthalo blue, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, Mars violet, and chromium green oxide pigments should use solution C.
- Raw sienna, yellow ochre, Indian red, and Prussian blue pigments should use solution D.
- Umber pigments should use solution E.
- Burnt sienna and terre verte pigments should use preservative solution.
- You should be looking for a consistency of dough. If the dough is too crumbly, add in a little more solution, a teaspoon at a time. If the dough is too wet, add in a little more pigment.
6
Form pastels. Take out a small portion of the dough, and, using your fingers, roll into a log, and put these onto the paper towel or newspaper. Repeat until all dough is used up.^{[3]
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7
Leave pastels to dry. Leave the pastels on the paper towel or newspaper for 1–2 hours to absorb moisture, then put them on clingfilm and leave to dry for 24–48 hours.^{[2]
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- You can speed up the drying process by putting the pastels in a preheated oven at 66 °C (150 °F) to dry.
8
Test pastels. Using your homemade soft pastels, draw each short line on a sheet of pastel paper; it should form a consistent, uniform mark without the pastel crumbling.^{[3]
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- If the pastel crumbles while drawing, it is because too little gum tragacanth is added to the solution.
- If the pastel is too hard to draw, it is because too much gum tragacanth is added to the solution.
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Finished. You can use your homemade soft pastels in your art project.

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Warnings

As making pastels can be messy, wear some gloves to prevent pigments from staining on your hands, as well as a dust mask to prevent pigment dust from inhaling.^{[2]
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