Paint like Pissarro

Optical Color Mixing Like Pissarro: A Pastel-Focused Approach to Light and Landscape

Camille Pissarro’s paintings pulse with vibrant energy—and his optical color mixing technique is at the heart of it. This bundle invites you to experiment with layering color visually through pastels, learning to create rich depth and luminosity without ever blending a single pigment.

GENERAL INFO:

Optical color mixing is a technique that uses small multi-colored dots placed side-by-side rather than blending colors physically together.

Pointilism is the impressionist interpretation of this and practiced by the likes of Pissarro and Seurat.

When viewed at a distance the human eye and brain unites the dots together to perceive blended colors.

HOW TO ACHIEVE COLORS FROM OPTICAL MIXES:

The neat thing about pointilism is that you only need a basic set of primary colors - the dots will do all the rest!

Take the colors you would normally mix together to create another color, but instead paint a pattern of dots placed side-by-side.

PISSARRO EXERCISE:

INCLUDED IN THE BASE KIT:

Canvas Pouch With Zipper Closure, Black, 12" x 19'', 100% Cotton
This kit comes with a cream colored canvas pouch with zipper.

Pastel Pencils - Set Of 12 Colors in Vinyl Pouch
An expressive medium that blends the control of pencils with the softness of pastels.

🌟 How to use it:
Use short, light strokes to layer colors side-by-side. Don’t blend with your fingers—stand back and let your eye do the mixing. This optical trick is exactly how Pissarro built his glowing meadows and misty skies.

Pastel Paper - 25 Sheets, 5 Colors, 180 gsm, 8" x 11"
Textured paper with a gentle grip that helps hold pastel pigments in place.

🌟 How to use it:
Use each sheet to try different color combinations. Lay down warm tones like ochre or rust next to cool ones like blue and violet to see how they interact from a distance.

Kneadable Eraser
Includes a kneadable erasers.

🌟 How to use it:
The kneaded eraser lifts pigment without damaging the tooth of the paper & to causes minimal to no smudging.

Sandpaper Stick Block
With many sheets included that you can just rip off when used up.

🌟 How to use it:
Use it to sharpen pencils to a precise point, refine the edges of your sketches, or clean your blending stumps, this tool delivers exceptional performance.

Tortillons - Set of 6
One-sided thin blending stumps.

🌟 How to use it:
Versatile Use: Ideal for fine details, shading, and smooth transitions.

SUGGESTED ADD-ONS (AVAILABKE ON-SITE):

Aluminum Table Easel:

Soft Handmade Pastels:

Korean Synthetic Hog Hair:

100% Cotton Canvas Pad, 9" x 12", 300GSM, 10 Sheets:

Aluminum Brush Washer & Holder with Sleeve:

Viewfinder:

Mini Ceramic Palette (Set of 2):

TIPS & TECHNIQUES - PAINTING WITH OPTICAL COLOR MIXING:

Use short, broken strokes—your eye will do the blending.
Focus on complementary pairings (e.g. orange next to blue) to enhance visual energy.
Layer warm and cool tones to create depth and light effects.
Step back often to see the full effect.

Try this setup: Sketch out your scene lightly with the pastel pencils. Then begin layering short strokes of color, starting with the mid-tones. Use accessories like a color shaper or blending stump only for minor tweaks. Finish with bright highlights and darker accents to create contrast.