Oil Pastels, Tips and Techniques

Have you ever used oil pastels as a medium? If not, they're well worth a try. It's important to realise though,that they are very different in texture than soft pastels, and when applying them, the whole process feels different. Oil pastels are bound with oil instead of gum. Whereas soft pastels are very crumbly and can be crushed to a powder very easily, oil pastels are stronger and have a waxy feel. They cannot really be used alongside soft pastels because of the difference in their makeups, but it is possible to obtain wonderful effects with with them.

They can be painted on lots of surfaces including paper,but secure the paper when using it. One impressive method is to add some turpentine or white spirit once you have drawn something with your pastel, and this enables the pastel to become a kind of wash. When blended with a brush, it enables you to fill a block of colour which can then be drawn over with another pastel or even wet-painted again. Experiment with different colours to get exciting effects. You can even dip your oil pastel into some turpentine and then use it and the colour will blend more easily.

One slight disadvantage could be that they do not respond well to heat, and for that reason, it's not very advisable to sit out in full sun for a long time when you're painting. On the other hand, I find them less messy to use than soft pastels.

There are several good makes of oil pastel. Sennelier have a professional range which are available as singles or in sets. The sets include "Still Life, Assorted, Portraits, Landscapes and Iridescent." These are a good idea if you are just starting out and you're not sure about which colours you're going to need.

Sennelier oil pastels are combined with a unique blend of pure pigment, oil and acid free mineral wax. They have the appearance of oil colours. Although they don't need fixing the same way as soft pastels do, it is a good idea as they don't dry completely. Of course, unlike soft pastels, they don't have a tendency to flake, so that could be seen as an advantage.

Sennelier oil pastels come in a wide range of colours. They also make oil sticks which are compatible with oil colours but they are more expensive. Daler Rowney produce a good affordable range and oil pastel pads are inexpensive so you don't need to spend alot of money at the outset while you experiment to see if you enjoy using them. Personally, I prefer soft pastels because I love the way they blend, but don't forget with oil pastels, you can get wonderful effects by creating a wash for the background and then applying different colours on top when it is either dry or wet.

Imagine creating a blue wash for the sea and then painting over that in places with a green and then highlighting with white for the crest of the waves. Or maybe taking a green and spreading it on the paper with a little white spirit. Bring in a deeper green for some blades of grass, and maybe some yellow and while it was still wet, the colours will blend and give a wonderful effect. When dry, draw in a few lines for other blades of grass. You then have an interesting mixture of effects. You really can have fun painting with them, but it is best to fix your painting when you've finished. It's best to protect it within a mount, frame and glass, because apart from showing the painting to its best advantage,you can choose frames and colours of mounts to fit in with your decor and the painting is completely protected.
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