How to Use Oil Pastels

Oil pastels are uniquely versatile and can actually work in different methods. Their appearance matches with regular crayons, however, they are oil-based instead of wax-based. You can freely blend different colors of oil pastels together, unlike certain crayons. Using oil pastels for making colorful art is a wonderful way for kids or beginners to create their work. The results of using oil pastels are much more smoother and brighter, as compared to crayons.

History can date pastel art back to the 16th century, when artists like Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Whistler, and Degas would use them to create their art. The oil pastel sticks and pencils found in the market today come in vivid pastel colors which help make the entire drawing look more impressionable. There are three types of pastels used such a soft & hard pastels, which is the most common. The second type are pastel pencils, which look pretty similar to the hard pastels. And the third type are oil pastels that have similar pigments but are bound in oils and waxes. Since the purpose of this article is limited to oil pastels - how to use them, we won't go further into details about the other types of pastels. So let's take a look at how to use oil pastels and their basic techniques.

Using Oil Pastels

Now before we begin to make drawings of different sizes, shapes, or colors, you should know what type of paper is to be used. Although every artist has his/her favorite paper, acid-free paper is always a must. It helps in preserving the drawing for a longer time and ensures the stability of the pigment on the paper.

Once you have understood about what type of paper you will need, let's talk about the pastels again. As there is a wide variety of brands in market competing to generate the best oil pastels than the next company, you will have to choose the brand wisely. Don't purchase a huge number of pastels in the beginning. All you need is a set of 24, which is usually enough to get almost all the necessary colors. Once you have the bare essentials ready, get into the practical aspect of using oil pastels.

• First thing you do is get thick layer of color over the paper. To achieve this, select a dark color and draw light layers. The idea is to fill the area on the paper but making the color barely visible. Now add different dark-colored pastels over it, using the same technique. As the layers keep growing, the final color will look rich and blended well with vivid colors.
• The second step to understanding oil pastel techniques is to scrape that extra color off the paper. Scrape the excess layers of color that you have built on the paper to get an even, smooth layer. The color combination formed underneath will give a vibrant effect and texture to your drawing.
• Blending the colors with each other besides drawing them into layers. Use your fingers or paintbrush with a bit of turpentine to dissolve the pastels into one another. Think of which oil pastels will go best together and make your drawing look more alive.

You too can become an expert by taking a pastel drawing course. These courses will provide you with complete details about pastel paintings, blending, and specific techniques. Plus it will help you keep a regular practice of this style of drawing and perfecting the art. You can also purchase a book from a local bookstore or borrow it from a library to understand the basic techniques and strokes. Mimic the paintings that are given in the book and you too can create your masterpiece!