It's Not About the Chillies!

Art Club this month was all about chillies, red, yellow, green and even lilac… yes, lilac chillies! I didn’t even know they existed. 😄

Now you might be thinking…

“Sue, I don’t really want to draw chillies!”

And that’s completely okay.

Because it’s not really about the chillies.

It’s about the art of soft pastel, and what happens when you give yourself permission to experiment, whether you’re using pastel pencils, pastel sticks, or Pan Pastels.

Why chillies were the perfect practice subject

Chillies are brilliant little teachers. They’re simple enough to draw, but they still have:

• smooth, curving forms

• strong light and shadow

• crisp edges

• shiny highlights

And lots of opportunity to practice without fear of messing anything up. After all, they're just chillies.

They’re perfect for practising the skills that make pastel feel magical. And lots of experimenting with different colours - to practice with the supplies you have, rather than worrying about the supplies that you don't have.

• With our first yellow chilli we experimented with oranges and browns to create the shadows.

• Our green chilli, we used a complimentary red and darkest violets for shadows

• Then 3 Lilac chillies with 3 different approaches

• Finally our red chillies, composition, drawing practice and creating the perfect red

And here’s what I loved most…

Even though my students chose different but similar colours the results were surprisingly similar and genuinely beautiful.

That’s so encouraging, isn’t it?

It shows you don’t need to do things “the one right way” to get a strong outcome. There’s room for your preferences, your style, your hand pressure, and your own way of seeing.

You don’t need the “perfect” colour

One of the biggest breakthroughs in pastel is realising you don’t have to own the exact perfect colour to make something work.

You just need to:

• play

• observe

• and stay curious

When you experiment, you discover how much you can create with what you already have, especially once you start layering and sandwiching colours to create the values.

The real magic is in the layers

Every subject we explore in Art Club is just a starting point.

The real magic happens in:

• the layering

• the soft transitions

• the subtle blending

• the edges (when to sharpen them, when to let them disappear)

• and those small colour choices that bring a drawing to life

And honestly, that’s where confidence grows too, when you try something, learn from it, and realise you’re more capable than you thought.

A question for you

Have you ever drawn something you didn’t expect to love?

Or used a colour that surprised you?

I’d love to hear how experimenting has helped you in your art, share in the comments below.

Do you want to keep improving (without feeling overwhelmed)?

If you enjoyed this idea of learning through small experiments, you’ll love my Soft Pastel Skills Hub.

It’s my online membership for pastel artists who want to improve steadily, with step-by-step lessons, short focused exercises, and a friendly community that helps you keep going (even when you feel stuck).

✨ If you’d like support, structure, and new ideas each month, come and join us inside the Hub.

Click here to find out more and join Soft Pastel Skills Hub:
https://www.softpastelskillshub.co.uk/

Sue x

P.S. Being curious about my art was how I became a better artist.