I store most of my pastels in 2 large, wooden trays. If you are a pastelist, I cannot recommend doing this enough.

I consider myself a decent organizer, which probably isn’t surprising since I’m detail-oriented—a trait that naturally extends to my realism art. After all, detail and organization go hand in hand.

As I’ve progressed in my artistic journey over the past few years, I’ve discovered several tricks to maximize my art space. Optimizing my setup has allowed me to make the most of my limited creative time.

In this article, I’ll share some of the strategies that have helped me work more efficiently in a small space. When I say “studio,” I’m referring to a portion of my living room—but these tips can be applied whether you have a dedicated art room or just a small corner to create in.

Of course, how you organize your workspace will depend on the medium you use. I’ll focus on techniques for my primary materials: soft pastels and colored pencils. However, as I delve back into oil painting, I’m also considering how to adapt my space to accommodate that as well.

For this article, I’ll concentrate on the basics of setting up a workspace for colored pencils and soft pastels. These principles can easily be adapted to suit any medium.

Tools To Enhance Your Drawing Space

This is my “studio” set-up. It is a carved out space in my living room. This photograph shows the desk that I use and the other bits of older furniture that I have cobbled together to hold my supplies.

When I decided to take my art more seriously, I initially planned to use a guest room as my studio. However, I eventually settled on creating in my living room. The lighting in that space is fantastic, and it allows me to draw while watching TV and spending time with my husband. This setup works well, considering I usually work on artwork when I’m not at my job.

I also love incorporating antique furniture into my studio—it fits my aesthetic and holds sentimental value. Many of my pieces have been passed down from relatives who either no longer needed them or have since passed on. Because of that, I don’t have links to many specific pieces of furniture, but I will provide some other ideas if you are interested. (If you purchase anything from Amazon using one of my links, I will receive a very small affiliate percentage, which is much appreciated to aid my art supply addiction :) )

Drawing Surface

If you work with colored pencils or soft pastels, you have a few options for your drawing surface. You can create while sitting in a recliner (I used to do this, but I don’t recommend it because I noticed my pieces weren’t as accurate), work at a table, or use an easel. I prefer working at a table.

The table I use is the green antique one you see in the picture above. Note the black pastel smudges on the drawers- the telltale sign of a pastelist. It belonged to my great-grandfather, so it carries a lot of meaning for me. Plus, it’s a great size—large enough to hold my adjustable drawing board and some materials. A bonus is it has two drawers. Storage is essential when working in a small space.

If you’re drawing on a flat surface, such as a desk or table, I highly recommend working at a steep angle. Looking straight down at your artwork can distort proportions because the angle from your eye to the drawing surface shifts the further the paper extends from you. Ideally, your drawing surface should be as close to perpendicular as you are comfortable.

Here are a few options to achieve this setup:

Drafting Table – A dedicated drafting table allows you to adjust your workspace to an optimal angle. They come in different styles and price points, starting around $80. Here is an example.
Adjustable Tabletop Drawing Board – If you already have a desk, a more budget-friendly option is a tabletop adjustable drawing board. This is what I use, and I love it because its rubber feet keep it firmly in place. Plus, it can be adjusted anywhere from flat to almost 90 degrees. Currently, the cost is about $62.
Drawing Board – Sometimes, I tape my artwork to a portable drawing board so I can easily move it off my tabletop setup when needed. When working with colored pencils, I often use a portable board to set up my drawings, making it easy to take them with me when traveling or if I want to sketch while sitting on the couch.
I have purchased several of varying sizes from Hobby Lobby, but here is an example on Amazon: Drawing board.
H-Frame Easel – Another great option is an H-frame easel, which can be tabletop-sized or large enough to sit on the floor. Here is an example of a Meeden tabletop version, which costs about $108. These are a step up from the adjustable drawing board I use now.
In the future, I’d love to invest in a full-size H-frame easel to use for pastels and oil painting. I have my eye on this one by Meeden ($282). Meeden offers several versions that vary in size, features, and price, but I like this one because it’s large enough to accommodate any painting size. It’s also sturdier than lighter, less substantial easels, which helps eliminate wobbling. Plus, it has wheels for easy mobility.
Of course, there are plenty of other brands besides Meeden that sell quality easels. I’m choosing Meeden because it tends to be a bit higher-end than some of the lesser-known brands. When investing in art supplies, I prefer to buy something of decent quality upfront—otherwise, I’ll just end up replacing it later.

Lighting Matters

Lighting is crucial—without the right setup, it can negatively affect the outcome of your artwork.

I’ve covered different types of lighting and how they affect color perception in a previous blog, so check that out if you’re interested in a deeper dive into why it is important:

Color Theory in Action: 5 Techniques for Realistic Art

But for the sake of this article, I’ll keep it simple: The best lighting mimics natural daylight.

Ideally, I prefer to work in the late morning to early afternoon when natural sunlight is at its best. However, since I have a day job, that’s not always possible. To compensate, I’ve invested in a few artificial lights. It’s best to have at least two light sources directed at your workspace to minimize shadows.

When purchasing lamps, consider whether you want one that clamps to your desk or easel or if you prefer a free-standing option. No matter what type you choose, make sure it has a natural light setting. Alternatively, you can buy daylight bulbs to use in existing lamps.

My setup includes a desk lamp from Walmart, similar to this one on Amazon. It costs about $32, and it has multiple light temperature settings and brightness options. I also purchased a clamp-on lamp with similar settings from Amazon for about $36. The advantage of the clamp-on is that it doesn’t take up valuable table space.

These lamps are sufficient for me and serve their purpose. You could purchase higher quality ones if you choose, as there are certainly a ton of options out there. The brand “Daylight Company” sells higher quality lamps. I would purchase one of these if I had more money available after my cheaper one died.

In the winter, I add two additional, cheap clamp lights—also from Amazon—to ensure I can accurately see the colors of my pastels in low light. The pack of two cost $17. These fixtures don’t come with bulbs, so you have to buy them separately. You can find daylight bulbs in any store like Walmart or a home improvement store. This extra lighting makes a huge difference, especially when working late into the evening.

Organizational Tools to Enhance Productivity

I keep my art supplies organized to find the brand and color I need more quickly. I’ll discuss these below, but this collage shows the various glass jars, a pencil carousel, a 3-tier rolling shelf, and a wooden carrying tray with glasses, in clockwise order.

You can save a lot of time by keeping your supplies organized, reducing the time spent searching for items and giving you more time to create!

Here’s what I’ve found works best for storing colored pencils and pastels. I’ll start with colored pencils.

Best Storage Solutions for Colored Pencils

I organize my colored pencils first by brand and then by color. I keep the brands separate because each type of pencil has unique qualities. Depending on the effect I want to achieve, I may choose a wax-based pencil over an oil-based one or vice versa. I also select specific brands based on how they interact with the surface I’m working on, as each brand behaves differently on various papers and textures.

If you're unsure of the differences, I’ve written two blogs on wax and oil-based colored pencils. You can check them out here:

To store my pencils, I use these storage containers, which help keep everything organized and easily accessible. You might find one of these options useful, or perhaps this list will inspire you to find a storage solution that best fits your needs!

Bamboo Rotating Pencil Holder – I use this type of storage container for my Prismacolor Premier pencils. The bamboo version costs around $30, but there are plenty of other options available. The only downside is that I don’t store shorter pencils in it—they tend to fall to the bottom, making them easy to lose track of. I use shorter glass jars to solve that problem, which I discuss next.
Glass Jars – I only have one rotating carousel like the one I linked above, so I use glass jars for the rest of my colored pencils. My grandmother gave me a collection of aqua and clear Ball jars, and my aunt passed down several cobalt blue glass containers, perfect for storing shorter pencils, and serve as a nice reminder of my aunt and grandma while I create. I love having a variety of jar shapes and sizes for organization, and I’m always on the lookout for “good pencil jars” when browsing flea markets or antique stores—they usually have plenty to choose from!
I won’t link to any here, because mine are antiques and not on Amazon. But you can search for the Ball jars or cobalt jars on eBay or look in your local antique shop. If you keep your eyes open when shopping, you may find something that works even better.
Wood Carrying Tray with Glass Jars – I found this item at Beall’s, a local store similar to TJ Maxx. I love that I can easily pick it up and take it with me, whether I’m drawing on the couch or visiting my mom’s house. It comes with six small jars, which are perfect for storing and organizing some of my Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a link for anything similar, but I wanted to share it to give you some ideas. When I spotted it in the store, there were two—I wish I had grabbed both!
3-Tiered Rolling Cart – I picked this up at my local Beall’s, but here’s a similar version on Amazon: 3-Tiered Rolling Cart, which costs around $39. If you check discount stores, you might find one for as low as $20, which is what I think mine cost. I use mine to store jars of colored pencils, pastel pencils, pencil sharpeners, and other supplies. It’s great because I can roll it right next to my workspace while creating and easily move it out of the way when I’m done.

This collage shows how I store my soft pastels. The top image provides a view from above of the two trays where I keep my larger soft pastel sticks. The image to the right shows the trays placed next to my drawing area for easy access. The last image highlights the tray where I place the pastels I’m currently using for a specific piece.

The Best Way to Store Soft Pastels for Creating

Trays – This storage idea is likely shared by many artists, but I first learned it from Alain Piccard and Emma Colbert. It was a game changer for me, as it allowed me to free my pastels from their boxes and keep them more accessible.

Both artists recommend using trays, similar to those used for serving food, which can be found in a variety of places. Here are a couple on Amazon: 20-inch Acacia Wood Ottoman Tray with Metal Handle and Large Acacia Wooden Serving Tray with Handles 20 x 14. These cost around $40 each.

I’ve also spotted similar trays at stores like TJ Maxx and other home goods stores, often at a lower price.

I purchased three trays at a flea market store, each costing about $20. For reference, the orange tray measures 23” by 15”, and the wooden tray next to it is 20” x 14”. The tray with legs is a similar size, and it has paint on it, so I like to think it was once used by another artist, which adds a special touch.

If you're interested in a tray to hold your working pastels like mine that has legs, you might search for a TV tray similar to this one: C Table with wheels, which costs about $44.

To prevent the pastels from rolling around, I placed 1-inch foam in the bottom of the trays, which works quite well. Here is a link to the kind I purchased: 2-pack of Foam Sheets Unfortunately, these cost more than I thought they should. Each 2-pack costs $16, and I had to purchase 3 packs. Seems like a lot of money for foam, so hopefully you can find it cheaper elsewhere, but that’s what I did.

Once I bought the trays, I arranged my pastels by color and value as best I could, and this system has made my life so much easier while creating. Typically, I select a few sticks at the beginning of a piece and place them on the standing tray next to my drawing area. Inevitably, I need more colors, but it’s simple to lean over, survey my options, and grab what I need.

Pastel Pencils and NuPastels

I keep my pastel pencils organized in jars by brand and color, just like my colored pencils.

As for the NuPastels, I haven’t yet figured out a perfect storage solution for them, so they’re currently still in their box. Unfortunately, this means I don’t use them as much as I could. At some point, I may purchase another tray to store them properly.

If I’ve got you in the mood to explore more art supplies, here’s another blog post where I share my recommendations:

Artistic Allies: A Deep Dive into My Preferred Supplies and Tools

Conclusion

In conclusion, organizing your art supplies doesn’t just create a more efficient workspace—it can also inspire your creativity. Whether you’re storing colored pencils, pastels, or other tools, having a system that works for you can save time and make your process more enjoyable. I hope these tips help you set up your space in a way that enhances both your art and your creative flow! Let me know in the comments below if you like any of these suggestions or if you have any tips for me. Happy organizing and creating!

Creating an Inspiring Art Space: Tips for Organizing Your Studio