Pastels Made Easy! (March 2026)
Pastels Made Easy! (March 2026) with Joe Synan
Pastels are not difficult!
This carefully designed class will allow all participants to become comfortable creating pastel paintings of various subjects and sizes, using a variety of painting methods.
The class will explore pastels layering, color contrasts and complements, light and dark emphasis, foreground and background structure, overall composition, and how the eye and mind see art.
Participants will produce many pastel paintings to examine and refine their understanding of the "best practices" of pastel painting.
This small group class is presented in collaboration with John C. Campbell Folk School and Lessonface. Participants should enroll at least two weeks before start to ensure materials kits arrive in time. If registering after this point, your kit may arrive after the first session. Students are invited to attend an optional Orientation and Closing Ceremony to connect with various online Folk School classes.
Class Materials
Your class registration fee includes a materials kit with a value of $60 shipped to your door. Residents outside the USA will pay the difference in shipping.
The kit includes:
20 pieces 6 x 8 high-quality pastel paper (400 grit sandpaper surface)
10 mats, 8 x 10 with 5 x 7 opening, highest quality
Set of blending sticks
Finger protectors
40 spacer pieces - 3/16 foam board (pastel painting is recessed below the surface of the mat)
Students will also want to provide:
Soft pastels: small set, or assorted pastels.
Age Range
Adults
Skill Level
Beginners: persons who have never painted before and students with limited experience in making pastel paintings (probably less than 50 paintings).
Contact the Teacher
Send a direct message from the teacher's profile page with any questions you might have about the class.
About the John C. Campbell Folk School & Lessonface
Since 1925, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina has transformed lives, and brought people together in a nurturing environment for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery. Since 2012, Lessonface has connected more than 30,000 students with over 2,500 great teachers for live music, language, and arts lessons online, delivering on our mission to help students achieve their goals while treating teachers equitably.
When
The class will meet for five daily 2-hour live online sessions.
Enrolled students receive 60-day access to the video recordings of the classes.
How It Works
Enroll above to save your spot in the class. Lessonface will send you a confirmation right away, and a Zoom link 24 hours before the class start time. You can log into your Lessonface dashboard to access class materials, communicate with your instructor, join the live Zoom session, and access the class recordings and chat transcript afterward.
Refund Policy: To cancel an enrollment or request a refund, contact [email protected]. For 30+ days before, we refund 95%. Between 30 and 5 days, receive a 75% refund. No refunds within 5 days of class start date. Materials kit fees are non-refundable.
Book 1:1 online lessons with Joe Synan on their Lessonface profile.
Joe Synan
Joe Synan has been a painting student at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston for 15 years. In addition, he has attended 17 classes in the painting studio at the Campbell School. Joe has been a Campbell School instructor since 2019, and has taught 8 painting classes in the online program with Lessonface.