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Painting with Oil Pastels
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THE NATURE OF OIL PASTELS
 Unlike
chalk pastels and watercolours, which have existed for centuries,
oil pastels are a relatively new medium. Whereas normal pastels
can be diluted with water, oil pastels are soluble in turpentine,
and can even be used in conjunction with oil paint. The advantage
of oil pastels is that they are completely dust free, and form
a strong, durable bond with the paper. This gives the finished
piece a waxy sheen, which is quite different to the matt, powdery
look of a traditional pastel drawing.
The strong, vibrant colours are ideal for creating quick, impressionist-style
work and can be used both for drawing and colouring. The density of colour is
determined by how lightly or heavily the artist applies the pastel to the paper.
Oil pastels can be applied straight from the stick, or they can be blended together
to create new colours and tones. It is possible to use the length of the pastel
stick to create broad slabs of colour, or the tip, to draw as you would with
a pencil. Choice of paper is an integral part of oil pastel technique. Textured
and coloured paper will help to add interest to your work.
PREPARATION
Oil pastels create very little mess, and are not dusty like soft pastels, so
they are very practical for use in the home. Ideally, your paper should be taped
onto a drawing board, which can then be angled to suit your posture. You may
need a jar of turpentine, a small brush and perhaps a knife for scraping the
picture, depending on the techniques you use. If you are indoors, make sure you
have enough light to the front or side of you.
BASIC EXERCISES
 Before
you begin a picture, it is best to practise a few basic exercises. An oil pastel
stick is a very simple drawing tool, yet it is amazingly versatile.
Colour can be applied in broad slabs by using the length of the stick, or in
delicate, thin strokes with the tip or corner of the stick. Colours are blended
by using a variety of tools, such as burnishers, spoons, ballpoint pen caps etc.,
depending on what effect you wish to achieve, or colours can simply be laid on
top of each other to create new colours and shades.
When dipped into turpentine, oil pastels dissolve and become very soft, making
blending easier.
Turpentine washes are similar to watercolour washes, but dry very quickly. Surplus
colour can be scraped off using a palette knife or similar, either to remove
mistakes or to create highlights.
Practise blending and overlaying colours, and also try to achieve a full tonal
range from a colour, from very pale through to full strength, by gradually applying
more pressure to your strokes.
Once you are familiar with how your oil pastels perform, the next stage is to
begin a composition.
COMPOSITION
 Choosing
subject matter is a very personal thing. If you are inexperienced, avoid complex
compositions. You will become frustrated and abandon the picture! It is better
to tackle a simple scene and do it well. Before committing yourself to paper,
consider the scene from different angles and distances until you settle on the
best viewpoint. Work out which section of the scene you are going to draw and
sketch out the basic lines of the composition with the tip of your oil pastel.
You can use one pale colour to do this (as in the illustration below) or change
colours according to what you are drawing. i.e. A blue outline for a blue book,
a yellow outline for the lemon etc. Alternatively, you can use a normal graphite
pencil. Do not concern yourself with too much detail at this stage. Correct any
mistakes with a soft putty eraser to avoid scuffing the paper surface.
DRAWING
Whether you are drawing a still- life, a figure or a landscape the same rules
apply. The pictures opposite show how a traditional oil pastel picture is built
up in stages.
| 1. Simple sketch of the composition, using a yellow ochre
for the land and a pale blue for the sky area. The artist
has made a feature of the dramatic sky by keeping the horizon
line low in the composition. The farm building provides a
useful focal point. |
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| 2. The sky area is blocked in using pale blue and yellow.
Areas of darker blue and purple are sketched in on top of
the pale areas, and the whole of the sky is blended together
by using the white oil pastel. The basic tones of the trees,
buildings and foreground are blocked in. The distant fields
were blended with blue and white to give them a soft, out
of focus look and a lightness of tone, to make the middle
distance trees more prominent. |
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| 3. Finishing touches are added to the large tree and the
buildings, using a sharp corner of the pastel for detail.
The white fencing, and various highlights on the buildings
etc. were created by scraping off the pastel with a sharp
craft-knife, or similar. |
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| 4. More texture and colour has been added to the foreground
and path by using a sketching, rather than a blending technique.
This adds interest to what could have been a very flat area
of the composition, and contrasts with the out of focus,
blended look of the distant fields. |
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FINISHING TOUCHES
Oil pastel pictures are traditionally framed under glass, with a bevel-cut mount
card. This prevents the surface of the picture from touching the glass and causing
damage. Most professional artists allow a margin around their work rather than
drawing straight to the edge. This space is useful for testing colours prior
to drawing, and also helps the framer to site the mount.
CARE OF OIL PASTELS
Oil Pastels are very easy to look after. Simply keep them in their protective
box, and try not to drop them, as they break very easily! Avoid extremes of temperature,
especially heat. |
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