© Katie Jeanne Wood
Lemondrop Girl
Oil pastel drawing
9×12 inches on 135# watercolor paper
Available here
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.
***
My artwork can be purchased here on my site, Etsy, and in my eBay store. I’m accepting orders for custom paintings, and drawings. As always, if you want to say hello or have any questions you can write me here. I love getting email, and hearing from you.
Although I mostly hang out here on my own website, there are other places to find me online. I’m most active on Twitter, so please follow me there.
Sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.
Redheaded woman oil pastel portrait drawing wip
Katie Jeanne Wood
9×6 Oil Pastel Portrait Drawing
It’s been raining here for 3 days now.. mostly a cold, endless pouring rain. We’re finally going to see the sun later this afternoon, and I can’t wait! I bet it’s going to look as bright as this woman’s hair..
Katie Jeanne Wood
9×6 Oil Pastel Portrait Drawing
May 2022
No 6
WIP
May you have a bright sunny day, but don’t forget your umbrella, just in case. ☔︎ ☂ I’ve got to catch up on other work, so I’ll see you next week. If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below.
***
My affordably priced artwork can be found here on my site, and in my eBay store. I’m accepting orders for custom paintings, and drawings. Plus, lots of new items are available in my Etsy shop, and more are being added daily – coffee mugs, postcards, notebooks, iPhone cases, tote bags, throw pillows and blankets.
Although I mostly hang out here on my own website, there are other places to find me online.
Sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.
Pinocchio’s nose – art journal pages
Have you been watching the Johnny Depp trial? I saw a funny video last week of Amber Heard on the stand, and she had a long Pinocchio nose. It instantly reminded me of this art journal page I create a couple months ago.
© Katie Jeanne Wood
art journal page
This is how I felt after listening to the trial.
Zombie eyed.
Have a lovely peaceful creative day, y’all. If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below.
***
My affordably priced artwork can be found here on my site, and in my eBay store. I’m accepting orders for custom paintings, and drawings. Plus, lots of new items are available in my Etsy shop, and more are being added daily – coffee mugs, postcards, notebooks, iPhone cases, tote bags, throw pillows and blankets.
Although I mostly hang out here on my own website, there are other places to find me online.
Sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.
1980s Glam Girl – oil pastel drawing
80s Glam Girl
9×12 on 60 lb construction paper
Oil pastels & ink portrait drawing
This was such a fun drawing to create. I’m a big fan of glasses, probably because I’ve worn them since I was a kid. I need to get me some like hers, tho.
close up shot
This girl came straight from my imagination, not a reference photo. She was living happily inside my head with all her friends.. until that day she started banging on the bars of her cage, and begged to be let out. And now she’s here, and she bought her polka dot glasses along with her. Yay!
Available here
If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below.
***
My affordably priced artwork can be found here on my site, and in my eBay store. I’m accepting orders for custom paintings, and drawings. Plus, lots of new items are available in my Etsy shop, and more are being added daily – coffee mugs, postcards, notebooks, iPhone cases, tote bags, throw pillows and blankets.
Although I mostly hang out here on my own website, there are other places to find me online.
Sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.
Summer Project
Oil pastel portrait drawing
6×9 inches
135 lb watercolor paper
I usually pick a project to focus on over the summer months. Last year I chose to paint abstracts, and I loved it so much I didn’t stop in the fall. I’ve continued to focus on abstracts throughout the year.
I’ve been thinking about what I want as my summer project this year. I’ve been asking myself what it is that I love to create most of all – what brings me the most happiness, and sense of fulfillment as an artist?
Portraits came in at number one every time. I absolute LOVE painting, and now, drawing human emotion. It absolutely fascinates me.
Since I’ve taken a long break from portraits, I’m feeling refreshed, and ready to get back to what I love to create most. I think, since I’ve found such enjoyment in drawing with oil pastels that I’ll most likely be focusing on that. I’ll leave the door open for mixed media collage portraits, oil portraits, and anything else that comes my way. We’ll see.
She looks like my aunt when she was younger.
Still a wip.
Needs to get cleaned up a bit.
Waiting for a package of Paul Ruben white pastels
to arrive today before I finish it.
How it all started
How it’s going
LOL
Whatta mess.
I realllly need to clean my oil pastels.
I’ve been a drawing fool.
I’d like to say I can’t wait to get started, but I think that happened a few weeks ago already. lol Cheers to the warmer months ahead! What are you going to create this summer?
If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below.
***
My affordably priced artwork can be found here on my site, and in my eBay store. I’m accepting orders for custom paintings, and drawings. Plus, lots of new items are available in my Etsy shop, and more are being added daily – coffee mugs, postcards, notebooks, iPhone cases, tote bags, throw pillows and blankets.
Although I mostly hang out here on my own website, there are other places to find me online.
Sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.
Feeling Sassy – oil pastel drawing of a woman
This is how the last drawing I posted yesterday turned out. After I drew it, I let it sit for a couple days to dry out a little, and then went in and changed the shape of her face, and hair. She had not enough face, and too much hair, imo.
I’ve read that oils pastels don’t ever dry completely. However, I’ve learned that when I reach that point in the drawing where I’m making a muddy brown mess, and layering is impossible because the pastels smear, it helps to let a drawing sit out in the open to rest for a few days. It does seem to firm up the pastels enough so they hold another layer on top instead of just smudging and smearing.
I was able to go in and widen her face, and I used Gamsol to erase some of her hair to make it more manageable.
I think she looks a bit like Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars. I wasn’t using a reference photo when I drew this portrait, and it’s been years since I saw the show..but there’s something about this drawing that reminds me of Lucy’s character standing in the classroom flirting with Ezra. Maybe it’s just me?
Feeling Sassy
Acrylic mixed media
9×12 inch watercolor paper
Available hereSOLD
This is a mixed media piece – the face, neck and hair were drawn with oil pastels. The rest of the painting was painted with acrylic paints. It recently dawned on me that I can clean up the background smudges and fingerprints with acrylic paint..that I don’t have to fill the entire paper with oil pastels – I don’t like having all that blending to do, so painting the background or any large area works better for me. I love discovering new things as I go along.
I hope you’re having a peaceful, creative Thursday. If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below. Also, if you haven’t done so, sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.
Figuring out what size paper works best for oil pastels
© Katie Jeanne Wood
9×12 Oil Pastel Portrait on watercolor paper
May 2022
No 3
Since I started to draw portraits with oil pastels, I’ve been playing around with different sizes of watercolor paper to use. I’m kinda surprised to find out I prefer larger sizes, such as 9×12 inches now. That probably still seems small to some artists, but I have pretty much stuck to miniature or small 6×6 or 5×7 paintings for a while now. I enjoy working small for a few different reasons.
9×12 Oil Pastel Portrait
Close up shot
May 2022
I had a stack of 9×12 watercolor paper sitting in my studio, and figured since I was trying something new, I might as well try a different size, also. At first, I was intimidated by the larger size, but I quickly found out that it’s actually easier to draw with oil pastels on larger paper.
When I’m painting, I can change the size of the brush I use, but I can’t change the size of the oil pastels. I mean, yeah, I can break them in half or if I press hard enough they break on their own..that’s about it.
I’m finding it difficult to get the pastels into smaller spaces..drawing eyes is particularly difficult on smaller paper. Luckily, I have some small tortillons to help blend the pastels into those little nooks and crannies. I’m still trying to figure it all out, and see what works best for me.
9×12 Oil Pastel Portrait on watercolor paper
WIP
May 2022
No 09
This one has changed a lot since I took this photo.
Can’t want to show you more.
I hope you have a peaceful creative Wednesday. If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below.
***
Lots of new items are available in my Etsy shop, and more are being added daily – coffee mugs, postcards, notebooks, iPhone cases, tote bags, throw pillows and blankets.
Although I mostly hang out here on my own website, there are other places to find me online.
Sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.