Learn how to clan your pastelmat so you can use it again and again!

Some more tips

• Cotton buds work well on small areas

• For off cuts for future experiments and testing I run the whole thing under the tap and agitate the pastel with a stiff brush. This is only for off cuts, not for precious paintings.

• Wet wipes work well too but a flannel is more abrasive

• Water will darken the paper. So even when dry it will likely leave a water mark.

• If you aren't including a background with your subject, DON'T put water on the background or you will end up with a water mark that won't disappear when it's dry! If this happens, you could try wetting the whole background with a little water to darken all of the paper.

• I've washed and reused a piece of pastelmat 5 times before it stopped working so well!

If you found this tip helpful, you'll probably enjoy the Hub.

It's where I share the little things that make soft pastel easier.

The things that often aren't taught in traditional tutorials.

• Small tweaks.

• Simple exercises.

• Helpful shortcuts.

• Drawing tips.

• Pastel techniques.

The sort of advice that can save you hours of frustration and help you enjoy your art more.

👉 Come and have a look around the Soft Pastel Skills Hub