Tape your pastel paper or any other type of rough paper to a flat drawing surface with masking tape. The drawing surface can be a tabletop or even a thin sheet of plywood. Make sure the tape is placed evenly on all edges of the paper to make a frame of white paper once your work is complete and the tape is removed.
Draw a sketch of the picture you wish to make. It is important to be able to completely cover this sketch with pastels, so draw lightly.
Use a knife to shave Gallery soft pastel flakes to make the background of your painting. Blend flakes wherever the background will be. For blending, you can use a paper stump, although many people prefer to use their fingers. Try blending various colors. This will add visual interest and depth to your work.
Apply your foreground colors over your pencil sketch. Begin with the darker colors, working from dark to light. Otherwise, the darker colors will give the lighter ones a muddy appearance. Work the pastels into your paper with a paper stump, your fingers, a clean cloth or a tissue.
Blend pastel colors to create other shades, shadows and depth. Layer various colors from dark to light. You will create a much softer look when you blend your colors than if you simply apply one color at a time. To blend, either smudge the pastels together with your finger or a paper stump or layer the colors on top of one another.
Finish your picture by outlining parts that you wish to emphasize with a dark pencil or charcoal stick. This will give your work a polished appearance.