What I’ve learned about oil pastels so far

I just started to draw with oil pastels back in the spring, so it’s still very new to me. I’m sure I will learn more as I go, but I thought I’d share what I’ve discovered so far using this medium. 

The photos here are macro shots I took of the bottom of my oil pastel box. I thought the little crumbs were pretty, the colors – vibrant, so I grabbed my phone before I vacuumed it out. Everything looks huge here on the screen, but it’s deceiving. 

Because oil pastels are soft, they break very easily, usually into tiny pieces. Some artists break the sticks into smaller pieces before using them to avoid breakage as they’re working. I’ve done it both ways. They still break and crumble as I’m drawing. 

I’ve found out that fine motor skills are necessary to use oil pastels. Most, if not all, of my drawings were created using my left hand. I’m able to grip, hold, smudge, blend, and control the tiny pieces of pastels better with my left hand for some reason. My right hand is (usually) dominate when I’m painting, tho. 

Oil pastels are extremely messy! It’s a constant battle to keep them clean..again, because they’re so soft. They pick up each color they bump into in the box and on the drawing itself. Plus, any smudged pastel on my fingers is immediately transferred to the pastels – wearing gloves makes it worse because the pastels stick to the gloves. I always keep paper towels and sandpaper (very fine) nearby to clean the pastels off as I draw. It’s a constant, messy ongoing process. 

I used a palette knife to scrape the sides of these pastels
before wiping them with a paper towel. 

I’ve learned to keep at least one spare unopened box of oil pastels around. As soon as I open a new box, I order another one because I know it’s just a short amount of time before I’m running out of my favorite colors. I can use up an entire stick quite fast, which is something that surprised me. I didn’t know I would have to replace them as often as I do. If you’re going to use oil pastels regularly, be prepared to purchase a lot of them. 

I don’t know if any of this is helpful to anyone, but I thought I’d share anyway. I hope you have a lovely creative day. If you like this blog post, please share it using the buttons below.

Artists I’ve been admiring lately: 

Inside the sketchbook of Frances Ives – some day when I grow up, I hope to make sketchbooks as lovely as hers. 

Btw, does anyone else look forward to receiving Jackson’s Art emails as much as I do? They have a way of photographing, and marketing art supplies, eh? I eagerly open every email they send me, knowing it’s an ad in my inbox. 

Antti Rautiola paints beautiful children figure paintings

Alice Tye – Her paintings give me a 70s vibe. 

Reading:

I’m still working through the reading challenge I signed up for back in January on Good Reads. Finding time to read over the summer has been challenging, but I think I picked the right number of books for me this year. 

I’ve been enjoying listening to David Sedaris’s hilarious book Calypso, and reading Shirley Jackson’s book Hangsaman. I’m still trying to get through Nudge: The Final Edition, but find it hard to relate, so my mind wanders constantly or I fall asleep while listening. I don’t think I’m getting much out of it, tbh. 

 

Sign up now to get my blog posts delivered to your inbox for free.