OIL PASTEL

Oil pastels are sticks of pigment mixed with oil and a wax binder, giving them a smooth, creamy consistency. Some manufacturers produce water-soluble wax pastels, which are not as creamy but can be used to create watery blends. Oil pastels are richly pigmented and allow for a combination of expressive mark-making and blended areas of tone.

RECOMMENDED SUPPORTS

• Any drawing paper

• Canvas

• Wood panel

• Stone, metal, glass, fabric, and even plastic!

Note: You can manipulate the consistency of oil pastel with linseed oil and solvents used in oil painting. However, be sure to work on primed canvas, board, or sized paper.

Shown is a small range of oil pastel sticks. A set of 24 colors offers a good starting point for beginners, covering the spectrum of color plus white, black, gray, and browns.

OIL PASTEL

Oil pastels harden but do not dry or crack as time passes, and they are compatible with almost any support. They are often used to accent or supplement other media; you can use them in conjunction with oil paint, as they respond to solvents, or even over dried acrylics or watercolor. However, you can also create wonderful works of art using only oil pastel.

PAPER TEXTURES

Oil pastel is very responsive to the texture of its support. Shown here is oil pastel on rough paper, laid paper, vellum-finish Bristol board, and toned pastel paper.

Rough Paper

Laid Paper

Vellum-Finish Bristol Board

Toned Pastel Paper

OIL PASTEL TECHNIQUES

Stroking

You can create a variety of expressive strokes with oil pastel, from tapered lines to stippled dots. Press and spin the end of round sticks for circular marks. Use the broad side of a pastel stick to create wide strokes that capture the full texture of your support.

Smudging

Use a clean finger, blending stump, tortillon, or a chamois to smudge the pastel into smooth coverage.

Scratching

Scrape away lines and designs in already-applied oil pastel using a sharp, stiff point such as the end of a paintbrush handle or a palette knife. You can “erase” oil pastel by scraping the color off the canvas.

Blending

You can blend colors by stroking one color vigorously into the next, overlapping strokes where the colors meet.

Working over Other Media

Oil pastel works well as a textural accent over other media such as watercolor (shown at left) or acrylic washes.

Working over Toned Paper

Applying oil pastel over toned paper unifies the drawing with a hue and creates rich colors quickly without too much buildup.

You may have to warm up your sticks before a drawing session to help the oil pastel spread smoothly on your support. Try warming them in your hand or holding them near a candle flame.