Using Seccorell Pastels in the Classroom

A Year 4 Waldorf Art Project by Andrea Reiss

At Conscious Craft, we love art materials that invite children into a slow, sensory process. Seccorell pastels are one of those materials. Soft, luminous, and deeply satisfying to work with, they are especially suited to nature studies and animal form drawing in the Waldorf classroom.

This beautiful octopus project comes from Andrea Reisse, created with a Year 4 Waldorf class. It is a wonderful example of how Seccorell pastels can be used in a structured yet creative way, allowing children to explore form, colour, and movement while building confidence in their artistic skills.

Below, Andrea’s process has been gently simplified and broken down into clear steps, making it easy to follow at home or in the classroom.

Materials

• Seccorell pastels in red, blue, yellow, and orange tones

• Rubbing block

• Firm paper for the stencil

• Epoch booklet or good quality drawing paper

• Small scissors or a craft knife (adult use)

• Fingers, cotton pads, and cotton buds

• Eraser stick

• Scrap paper for excess pigment

Step-by-Step: Creating the Octopus

1. Make the Template

Begin by drawing an octopus shape onto a firm piece of paper. Keep the head rounded and the tentacles gently curved. Carefully cut out the shape using small scissors or a craft knife. This creates a stencil or negative shape.

2. Position the Stencil

Place the cut-out template in the centre of a clean page in the epoch booklet. Hold it steady so it does not move while colouring.

3. Add the Base Colour

Rub a red Seccorell pastel onto the rubbing block to create colour powder. Using a soft brush or your finger, lightly brush the powder into the open areas of the stencil.

4. Shape with Your Fingers

Gently rub the colour into the paper with your finger. This is where the magic happens. Soft gradients appear, and the octopus form begins to emerge. When the pigment is well worked in, the surface becomes smudge-proof with a velvety sheen.

5. Remove the Stencil

Carefully lift the stencil away. Using a cotton pad, wipe off any loose powder onto a piece of scrap paper and rub it in so no pigment is left floating on the page.

6. Add Light with an Eraser

Once the surface is smudge-proof, use an eraser stick to lift out light areas. A small oval can be erased for the octopus eye. Highlights along the tentacles can also be added in this way.

7. Refine the Details

Rub a pastel stick at an angle on the rubbing block to create a sharp edge. This is ideal for defining contours and detailing the eye.

8. Create the Suction Cups

Mix a bright orange on scrap paper using red and yellow pastel powder. With a cotton bud, dab small round dots along the tentacles to suggest suction cups.

9. Build the Underwater World

Using only red, blue, and yellow, mix greens for aquatic plants by combining blue and yellow. Add a little red for darker tones like rocks or shadows. Sprinkle the powder loosely where you want plants, stones, and water movement.

10. Rub and Shape

Gently rub the colours into the paper using fingers or a cotton pad. Vary pressure and direction to create depth, flow, and texture in the underwater scene.

11. Finish and Fix

Finally, use a clean cotton pad to remove any remaining loose powder. At the same time, this helps set the pigment into the paper, leaving the surface soft, even, and durable.

The Result

A richly layered, glowing octopus surrounded by a sense of movement and life. The finished picture feels calm, alive, and deeply satisfying, both to make and to behold.

With thanks to Andrea Reiss @ Seccorell for sharing this thoughtful and inspiring classroom project. It is a beautiful example of how carefully chosen materials and a clear artistic process can support children’s creativity and confidence, especially within a Year 4 Waldorf setting.

If you are exploring animal studies, ocean themes, or simply want to introduce a new art technique, Seccorell pastels offer a truly special way to work with colour and form.