How I got rid of the smell of Pentel oil pastels

I like the challenge of trying different things
and wondering whether it’s going to work
or whether I’m going to fall flat on my face.
Johnny Depp ❤️

I’ve been trying out a bunch of different brands of oil pastels lately to see what is going to work best for me. I want to give myself some time before I write a post about all of the ones I’ve purchased, but I am going to talk a little about Pentel oil pastels today.

After watching other portrait artists draw with Pentel oil pastels on Youtube, and seeing their fabulous results, I figured why not give Pentel a try. The price is affordable, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Even if it turns out I dislike them, at least I gave them a try, right? 

First off, the rumors are true. Pentel oil pastels STINK. It’s like a giant oil field when they’re pumping oil kind of smell, which sent my olfactory system into a tizzy. Since I get migraines from using oil paint mediums, I had an immediate reaction..I sat back away from the box, and thought I can NOT work with these pastels. I was afraid to touch them, tbh, and didn’t, at first.

ChewyBarka Boo Boo approved

I’ve seen artists on youtube get a whiff of these pastels, put the cover back on the box, and never use the pastels. Some throw them away.

I hate to waste art supplies & money, so I decided to leave the pastels sitting to air out without the cover on the box for a few days. I don’t smell them anymore. I mean, I’m not sticking one up my nose or anything, but keeping normal distance between the pastels and me – the strong smell is no longer there. I highly suggest this trick if you buy Pentel pastels. 

Edited: I just found out that the pastels DO still smell if I put the cover back on the box. The smell isn’t as bad as when I originally opened it, but it’s still strong. So, the best thing to do is leave them uncovered, I guess? 

I hope you have a lovely creative day. If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below.

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