🎨 What Are Oil Pastels?
Oil pastels are a type of crayon made with pigment, wax, and oil. They’re smooth, vibrant, and versatile—great for layering, blending, and bold mark-making.
🧰 What You’ll Need:
- Oil pastels
- Paper (thicker, textured paper like sketchbook or pastel paper works best)
- Optional:
- Blending tools (cotton swabs, tissue, fingers)
- Fixative spray (to prevent smudging)
✏️ Basic Techniques:
-
Layering
Start with light colors and layer darker colors on top. Oil pastels are opaque, so you can build up rich color. -
Blending
Use your fingers, a tissue, or a blending stump to smooth colors together. You can also blend with a small amount of baby oil on a cotton swab for a painterly effect. -
Sgraffito (Scratch Art)
Layer one color over another, then use a toothpick or paperclip to scratch through the top layer and reveal the color underneath. -
Scumbling
Use short, broken strokes to build texture and mix colors directly on the paper. -
Gradients
Blend two colors together gradually for a smooth transition (great for skies and shading).
🌟 Tips for Success:
- Work from light to dark.
- Clean your pastels with a tissue if the tips get messy.
- Use fixative spray if you'd like to preserve your artwork without smudging.
🧑🎨 Fun Starter Projects:
- Draw a vibrant fruit bowl or sunset.
- Recreate a famous painting like Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”
- Make an abstract piece focusing on color and texture.
