working in larger size – Katie Jeanne Wood

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.