Let Me Be Your Guide on Your Soft Pastel Journey.

Ready to deepen your pastel practice and experience the joy of creating with clarity and confidence? The Pastel Insider Membership is your all-access pass to exclusive step-by-step lessons, original line art, and a supportive community designed to help you thrive.

Why Join the Pastel Insider Membership?

If you’ve been enjoying learning with me and want to go deeper, this membership was made for you. As a member, you’ll get full access to thoughtfully guided lessons that walk you through each piece—plus the exact line art I use to simplify the process and help you focus on what matters most: color, light, and expression.

Whether you’re just beginning or ready to refine your skills, The Pastel Insider offers a growing library of lessons, structure to keep you motivated, and the creative support to help you grow.

Why These Lessons Are Different.

These aren’t just paint-alongs. Every lesson is intentionally designed to teach you core pastel techniques and artistic principles, so you’re not just following steps, you’re building real skills and creative confidence.

Pastel Insider
$19.99
Every month

Unlock access to two new guided soft pastel lessons each month, along with full access to the entire Pastel Insider lesson library. Each lesson includes original line art and thoughtful instruction designed to help you build confidence, deepen your skills, and enjoy the creative process at your own pace. Cancel Anytime

✓ 2 New Step-by-Step Classes/Lessons Each Month
✓ Original Line Art Downloads for Every Lesson
✓ Full Access to All Online Classes & Lessons
✓ Learn at Your Own Pace, Anytime
✓ Supportive & Encouraging Creative Community

Explore the Pastel Insider Library

Explore a growing library of over 80 guided soft pastel lessons, each thoughtfully designed to support confidence, curiosity, and skill-building. When you join, you receive instant access to the full library, with new lessons added regularly as your creative practice continues to evolve.

Newest class in the Membership!

I’ve been thinking a lot about creative freedom lately.

Not the kind where we throw color on the page and hope it works, but the kind where you feel steady enough to loosen up.

In this class, I show you how a simple compositional foundation can completely change the way abstract feels. When you understand where your focal point lives and how movement flows through a piece, you’re no longer guessing. You’re building.

And once you’re building from something solid, you can relax into the color. The marks. The transitions.

About halfway through the painting, we reach a natural turning point. You can stay with pastel pencils if that feels right, or follow along as I layer in soft pastel sticks for more depth and energy. I’ll show you how I integrate them into my own process so they feel like an extension, not a separate world.

If you’ve been craving more room to breathe in your work, this lesson is a beautiful place to explore that.

Curious what’s included in each lesson?

View All Lessons

Explore the full Pastel Insider library, including complete descriptions for every lesson.

What You’ll Learn

Inside the Pastel Insider membership, you will build strong foundational skills while learning how to trust your intuition, deepen your understanding of pastels, and develop a personal, expressive approach to your work.

Develop Core Techniques

  • Learn foundational soft pastel techniques built through years of teaching and practice.

  • Understand how materials work together and how to choose tools that support your process.

  • Build confidence with layering and decision-making as your paintings develop.

Bring Creativity to Life

  • Explore how to loosen structure and introduce expressive, abstract elements into your work.

  • Use playful mark-making to add movement, personality, and visual interest.

Strengthen Composition Skills

  • Learn how to build a painting thoughtfully through layers.

  • Develop confidence in core composition and design principles to guide your creative choices.

  • Use reference and resource images as a starting point for creating original work.

Deepen Your Understanding of Pastels

  • Learn how PanPastel colors interact and how to use them intentionally for harmony and depth.

  • Expand your palette through thoughtful color mixing and layering.

  • Understand the PanPastel system so you can work with it confidently and flexibly.

Strengthen Composition and Design

  • Build a strong foundation in composition to support clear, balanced paintings.

  • Learn how layering contributes to depth, richness, and a finished feel.

Grow Into Your Own Artistic Voice

  • Develop a deeper understanding of value and how it shapes form, light, and atmosphere.

  • Watch as I share my creative process, including how I build whimsical, terrarium-inspired compositions.

  • Gain the confidence to explore, trust your instincts, and develop a creative voice that feels personal and authentic.

Why It Matters
This membership is about more than learning techniques. It is an invitation to grow as an artist. You will build confidence through exploration, develop tools that support your creative decisions, and discover a way of working that feels both grounded and personal.

What’s Included

Your Monthly Membership Rhythm:

  • Two guided soft pastel lessons each month
    You’ll receive two new lessons designed to help you build confidence and skills across the soft pastel medium. Lessons explore a variety of subjects, techniques, and approaches to support both growth and creative exploration.

  • Original line art for every lesson
    Each lesson includes the exact line art I use, so you can focus on layering, color, and creative expression without the pressure of drawing.

  • Full access to the complete lesson library
    From the moment you join, you’ll have access to the full Pastel Insider library, with a wide range of past lessons available to explore and new lessons added regularly.

When you join The Pastel Insider, you’ll receive access to the Pastel Insider Membership Guide, created to help you feel oriented, supported, and at ease as you explore the membership.

Inside the guide, you'll find:
✔ Step-by-step guidance so you know exactly where to begin
✔ Essential supply recommendations to get started with confidence
✔ A class and lesson roadmap to help you dive into your first painting with ease

This guide is exclusively available to members of The Pastel Insider and is there to support you whenever you need it.

  • “I cannot recommend Dawn enough as a teacher. The time she invests in our learning experience is incredible. Her lessons are detailed, the community is genuinely supportive, and the encouragement she offers has raised my confidence more than I ever expected.”

    — Louise Balland

  • “I absolutely love Dawn’s Pastel Insider. Unlike many instructors who simply paint while you watch, Dawn gives clear instruction and explains her process in a way that truly makes sense. The lessons are thoughtful, easy to follow, and the community she’s created is incredibly supportive.”

    — Sarah Williams

  • “Since joining the Pastel Insider, my artwork has stepped up to a whole new level. I’ve learned techniques that helped me create original pet and animal portraits, many of which have been sold or now hang in my home. The lessons gave me the confidence and skills to do work I never thought was possible.”

    — Michelle Leslie

  • “I highly recommend The Pastel Insider. Dawn is an incredibly generous teacher who clearly shares her years of experience. The lessons are well thought out, include helpful resources like line art, and make the learning process feel approachable and rewarding. This membership is absolutely worth the investment.”

    — Susan Thames

  • “After retiring from teaching, I was looking for something creative and meaningful, and discovering Dawn’s work felt like exactly what I needed. Her generosity and sincerity truly set her apart. Being part of the Pastel Insider has brought me so much joy and inspiration, and her lessons continue to be a highlight of my creative life.”

    — Karen Marshall

  • “The Pastel Insider is the best value I’ve ever invested in for my art. Dawn’s easy-going, supportive teaching style makes it feel like you’re creating alongside a trusted friend. The guidance, resources, and encouragement have made a real difference in my creative journey.”

    — Michelle Leslie

  • “Dawn’s enthusiasm for pastels is contagious, and her teaching is both inspiring and approachable. Her love for sharing the process truly shines through in every lesson. Joining the Pastel Insider helped me understand the medium with confidence, and the experience has been creative, joyful, and deeply rewarding.”

    — Suzanne Hamilton

  • “Becoming a Pastel Insider has been a game changer in my creative journey. Dawn’s generous lessons on color, value, and composition encourage play and exploration, and the skills I’ve gained have carried into all of my creative work. After taking many classes over the years, I can honestly say this membership has become one of my most valuable artistic resources.”

    — Francine Althoff

Pastel Insider
$19.99
Every month

Unlock access to two new guided soft pastel lessons each month, along with full access to the entire Pastel Insider lesson library. Each lesson includes original line art and thoughtful instruction designed to help you build confidence, deepen your skills, and enjoy the creative process at your own pace. Cancel Anytime

✓ 2 New Step-by-Step Classes/Lessons Each Month
✓ Original Line Art Downloads for Every Lesson
✓ Full Access to All Online Classes & Lessons
✓ Learn at Your Own Pace, Anytime
✓ Supportive & Encouraging Creative Community

FAQs

  • As a Pastel Insider, you’ll receive two lessons/classes each month—released on the first and third Fridays—designed to help you build skills and confidence with PanPastel and pastel pencils. Each lesson offers a unique exploration through a variety of subjects, approaches, and techniques.

    You'll also have access to an archive of 70+ lessons/classes.

  • As a Pastel Insider, you’ll receive two lessons/classes each month—released on the first and third Fridays.

  • Absolutely! This membership is designed to be approachable and encouraging for all levels — especially beginners. When you join, you’ll get access to my downloadable Getting Started Guide, which includes everything you need to feel prepared: suggested beginner friendly lessons, supply lists, tips for setting up your workspace, and a clear roadmap to help you navigate the membership with confidence.
    Each lesson includes step-by-step video guidance and downloadable line art, so you can jump right in and start creating — no drawing experience required.
    Curious about the kinds of supplies we use? Take a peek at a sample class and supply list HERE. (scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see a supply list for that class to get an idea)

  • Once you join, you’ll receive access to a members-only area on my website where you can find all the videos, downloadable line art, and online classes. Everything is easy to navigate and available on-demand.

  • Yes! You can cancel your membership at any time with no long-term commitment. You’ll retain access until the end of your current billing cycle.

  • No, The Pastel Insider is a membership subscription, not individual class purchases. As long as you're an active member, you'll have full access to all lessons. Once your membership ends, access to all content ends—just like a service such as Netflix. Please note that refunds or reinstatements cannot be offered due to inactivity or non-participation.