WE DO MAGIC, THEY SAY.

Introducing Pastels Simplified

An Online Workshop + Professional Materials Kit
with Marla Baggetta

Have you ever looked at a beautiful painting and felt that pull — that little voice that says, I wish I could do something like that? This workshop is a unique collaboration between Painting Lessons with Marla, Dakota Art Pastels, and Blue Earth Pastels. For the first time, an online workshop is being offered with a complete, purpose-built kit of professional materials designed from the ground up to work together. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced artist, I’ll hand you everything you need and walk you through nine beautiful paintings from start to finish. You don’t need a lot of colors. You just need the right colors. With a hand-selected set of twenty-eight professional-grade Blue Earth pastels, you can paint every subject in this workshop — and one of the most exciting things is discovering just how much variety you can create from the same focused set. Through over 10 hours of video instruction and a 100+-page illustrated eBook, I’ll show you how to draw each subject step by step, transfer your drawing onto pastel paper, and paint it from start to finish. Or skip drawing for now and use the prepared outline included with every project. It’s completely up to you. With lifetime access to every video and a private Facebook community of fellow students, you’ll finish with nine works you can frame and hang together on your wall — and I’ll teach you how.

Your Complete Pastels Simplified Experience

The kit and workshop are purchased separately so you can start your video lessons immediately while your materials ship.

Online Workshop — ~~$127~~ $97 Launch Price Lifetime access to 10+ hours of video, 100+ page eBook, and private Facebook community

Marla Basic I Materials Kit — $149.95 28 Blue Earth pastels, Canson Velvet paper, tracing paper, compressed charcoal — ships from Dakota Art Pastels

Your Total Investment — $246.95 + $14.95 shipping

[Step 1: Enroll in the Workshop — $97]
After enrolling, you’ll receive a private link to order your materials kit from Dakota Art Pastels.

Over 10 Hours of Video

We have worked hard to bring you high quality instructional videos that provide easy to follow, clear and detailed instruction. Each subject includes drawing, transfer, and painting demos so you can follow along at every stage. Every stroke is guided, and I show you exactly which stick to pick up and why, so you’re never left guessing. You’ll have lifetime access to all the videos enabling you to work at your own pace in the comfort of your own home from any device for a seamless and modern online experience.

Beautifully Illustrated PDF

Our 100+ page detailed coursework presents you with an illustrated guide to materials, techniques, and wisdom from an expert instructor and professional artist covering everything you need to get started with Pastels Simplified. Divided into 12 structured chapters, Marla will guide you through all of the necessary groundwork, reinforced with hands-on exercises and step-by-step painting demonstrations across nine subjects, providing you a roadmap to confident, beautiful pastel painting.

Private Facebook Community

You’ll also have access to a private Facebook group where you can share your progress, ask questions of Marla and a community of your fellow students who are also taking the course to keep you motivated and inspired along the way.

Course Contents

Each chapter focuses on a Study or a Step By Step Demo

Chapter 1:
Getting Started

Everything begins here. I’ll walk you through your materials, how to set up a clean workspace, and how to stay safe and comfortable while working with pastels. You’ll learn how to organize your easel, prepare a backing board, and build a simple dust catcher so you’re fully set up before you even open your pastels. Think of this chapter as the foundation that makes everything else easier.

Chapter 2:
Intro to Pastels

This is where you meet your materials. I’ll introduce the Marla Basic I Blue Earth set and show you how to create a swatch grid so you know exactly what each stick can do on paper. From there, we’ll dive into mark-making, the core vocabulary of pastel painting. You’ll learn how to use every part of the stick, from corner tip to long edge, and explore layering effects like glazing, hatching, stippling, and carving negative shapes. Then we’ll put it all into practice with a gradation and sphere exercise that builds real control. Finally, I’ll show you how to start a drawing and transfer it onto your pastel paper so you’re perfectly set up to paint.

Chapter 3:
Two Pears

Your first painting. This simple still life is designed as a clear, approachable starting point. With just two forms, strong lighting, and a quiet background, the focus stays on essential skills: blocking in shapes, observing light and shadow, and building form through layered color. The pears offer subtle variations in hue, temperature, and surface texture, allowing you to practice restraint while learning how color, value, and edge control work together.

Chapter 4:
Clouds + Sky

A wide open sky filled with layered, drifting clouds above a quiet field and distant tree line. The clear separation between sky and land makes this an ideal study for planning cloud shapes, building sky gradients, and using negative space to carve luminous forms. You’ll learn to work with subtle shifts in color temperature, value, and scale to create real atmospheric depth.

Chapter 5:
Green Marsh

A layered landscape of grasses, rocks, water, and distant trees unified in one scene. Clear value structure makes this ideal for practicing depth and composition. We’ll focus on building layered greens, warming foliage with subtle accents, and understanding how reflections shift and echo land values. Emphasis is placed on directional strokes for grasses, horizontal movement in water, and simplified rock forms.

Chapter 6:
Glowing Sunset

A brilliant burst of light at the horizon, with intense oranges, reds, and golds radiating through layered clouds and reflecting into the water. The strong contrast between the glowing sun and darker cloud masses makes this ideal for studying glazing and edge control. We’ll focus on building luminosity through thin layers of color, preserving clean highlight areas, and keeping the horizon as the sharpest edge in the painting.

Chapter 7:
Rooster

Bold color, strong silhouette, and painterly texture. Bright reds in the comb and wattle contrast with glowing oranges and golds in the neck, while deep blues and purples shape the body. We’ll build form with value first, then layer saturated color to suggest feather texture without over-detailing. The emphasis is on carving edges with the background, using stamping and glazing techniques, and capturing the rooster’s presence with confident, expressive marks.

Chapter 8:
Canadian Mountain

Cool alpine air meets glowing autumn foliage. A snow-capped peak rises sharply against a clear blue sky, framed by slender trunks and clusters of golden leaves. Below, still water reflects deep forest greens and hints of mist. We’ll focus on carving forms through negative space, building foliage in loose masses, and balancing warm foreground color against cool mountain blues to create depth and atmosphere.

Chapter 9:
Boat on a Tropical Beach

A study in atmosphere, layering, and clean structure. A weathered boat anchors the foreground while turquoise water and an open sky create depth and space. We’ll practice building a smooth sky gradation without heavy blending, layering blues and greens optically in the water, and keeping the horizon steady so the sea feels calm. The clear separation of sky, water, sand, and focal point makes this ideal for developing control, restraint, and luminous color.

Chapter 10:
Poppies

Bold color, strong value contrast, and expressive mark-making. Vivid reds against deep centers create immediate impact, while layered greens allow us to mix hue within shadow using both green and purple. We’ll concentrate on painting petals with directional strokes rather than flat color, carving shapes through negative space, and building form through layered reds, rust, and orange. The soft, abstracted background gives us room to refine edges and let the main bloom remain the focal point.

Chapter 11:
Orange Truck

Your final painting, and your most ambitious. Strong value structure, confident charcoal placement, and controlled color layering. The reference provides clear, graphic shapes in the truck’s body, cast shadow, and surrounding grasses. The contrast between vibrant orange and the muted background teaches temperature balance and color restraint, while chrome, glass, and painted metal offer opportunities to practice reflected light without overworking small details.

Chapter 12:
Wrapping Up

Your nine paintings are finished. Now what? This chapter covers everything you need to present your work with confidence. I’ll walk you through how to frame your pastels yourself, step by step, with a budget-friendly approach that looks beautiful. We’ll revisit the key concepts that will serve you as you continue painting on your own. I’ll share guidelines for honest self-critique, along with final thoughts on where to go from here. This chapter also includes all reference images so you can return to any project whenever you like. The end of the workshop is really just the beginning.

24/7/365 Lifetime COURSE aCCESS

Begin Your Journey to Mastering Pastels with the Pastels Simplified, an incredible Online Workshop! + Kit!

Beautifully Designed Ebook

100+ pages of in-depth content

In Depth Theory and Guidance

Marla breaks down the fundamentals of pastel painting into clear, practical lessons that any student can follow. From materials and mark-making to color relationships and layering techniques, each chapter builds on the last so you develop real skills in a logical sequence. You’ll understand not just what to do, but why, giving you a foundation that carries well beyond this workshop.

Step by Step Guided Demonstrations

Marla guides you through every subject from first marks to final highlights, showing you exactly which pastel to use for each stroke. Every color is identified on a simple grid so you can find the right stick in your set instantly, no guessing, no confusion. Every project includes a Do’s and Don’ts section so you know the common pitfalls to avoid before you begin. Whether you choose to draw along or use the prepared outlines, each demonstration is designed to build your confidence and help you develop your own voice as a painter.

A Lifetime of Artist Experience
At Your Fingertips

Over 30 years as a professional artist and teacher

Stunning Artwork, Photographs and Illustration

Following Marla's Instruction is a Pleasure and A Breeze
thanks to Creative and Beautiful Design

Marl a Has Thousands of Satisfied Students

What people say?

I am loving the Drawing and Sketching class. The course materials are all easy to access and use. Best of all I can go at my own pace. When life gets too busy work on my drawing, I can stop for a while and come back to where I was or repeat earlier lessons if I want a refresher. The FaceBook group is really supportive and even if I’m not working on the course at present, they inspire me to get back to it. I would highly recommend this course to others as I feel drawing is a foundational skill that will improve all my other artwork.

Laura

Sarasota

This is a amazing course for any level of artistry. Marla Baggetta’s Sketching & Drawing course that provides in-depth educational material and her live demonstrations to give students the opportunity to reach their optimum results.

Cheryll

Orlando

I have been so impressed with your online painting lessons. You put so much work into presenting the concepts clearly with your teaching, examples, and demos. There is so much content on your site and I’m still scratching the surface of your offerings but I feel that every exercise you suggest helps me grow in depth and breadth. Thank you for your commitment (and perfectionism) to giving us the best learning experience.

Francesca

Montana

World Class Video Instruction

Like having a teacher at the easel with you, no matter where you are

Fun and Easeful Instruction

With over thirty-five years of experience as a professional artist and educator, Marla brings an unparalleled combination of joy and wisdom directly to your home. We have worked hard to offer beautiful and clear video instruction, providing valuable education and insight, that will keep you inspired for months and even years.

Up Close and Personal at the Drawing Board

Following along while learning has never been easier! The demonstration view shows the progress of each painting, the reference photo, and your color grid right on screen, so you always know exactly which stick to reach for. You get to see how each piece is built from start to finish. Marla narrates her progress in real time as she is painting, so you won’t miss a thing!

24/7/365 COURSE ACCESS

Start Mastering Pastels with the Pastels Simplified, an Incredible Online Workshop!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's included in the workshop?

Lifetime access to over 10 hours of video instruction across 13 chapters, a 124-page beautifully illustrated eBook, and membership in a private Facebook community of fellow students. You’ll also receive a private link to order your Marla Basic I materials kit from Dakota Art Pastels.

What about materials? Do I need to buy them separately?

Yes. This workshop is built around the Marla Basic I Kit, which includes 28 professional-grade Blue Earth pastels, Canson Velvet paper, tracing paper, and compressed charcoal. The kit ($149.95 + shipping) is ordered separately from Dakota Art Pastels using a private link you’ll receive after enrolling. You can start your video lessons and review your eBook immediately while you wait for the kit to arrive.

Do I need any other supplies?

A few additional items like an easel, a backing board, and basic drawing tools are recommended. Chapter 1 of the workshop covers everything you’ll need and includes a video lesson on setting up your workspace.

Do I need to know how to draw?

Not at all. Every project includes a prepared drawing outline you can transfer directly onto your pastel paper. I show you exactly how on video. But if you want to develop your drawing skills, I also walk you through drawing each subject step by step. It’s completely up to you.

Is this only for beginners?

No. The workshop is designed for painters at every level. Beginners get a clear, structured path with professional materials from day one. Intermediate painters will find the structure breaks through the overthinking that comes with the plateau. And experienced artists will appreciate what a focused, well-chosen set of colors can do for their mark-making and fundamentals.

Will It Work On Any Device?

You need an internet connection to log in and access the workshop. Lessons are accessible on iPads, tablets, computers, laptops, and phones, any device that can access the web.

Do I need to be online at a certain time?

No. All lessons are available 24/7. You are not required to complete the course in a specified amount of time. Work at your own pace, stop and come back whenever you like. You get lifetime access.

What if I have technical problems?

Just email support@paintinglessonswithmarla.com and we’ll help you right away. We reply within 24 hours.

What if my kit is missing something or arrives damaged?

Contact support@paintinglessonswithmarla.com and we’ll get it sorted with Dakota Art Pastels right away.

100% Digital Online Course

Works With All Devices

24/7 Access No Matter Where You Are

Easy To Follow

Our Site has been carefully designed to be easy to follow. Our simple learning system tracks your progress and takes out the hassle, allowing you to focus on panting!

Introducing Pastels Simplified

An Online Workshop + Professional Materials Kitwith Marla Baggetta