Unlike other media, layers of pastels can not be built up indefinitely because the pigment adheres to the texture of the painting ground. Oil pastels feel like a soft pastel, but look and act like oil paints. Most commonly, the pure color of oil pastels are layered and blended using the same techniques as soft pastels.
Getting started: When choosing colors for your painting, work from light to dark. The first color will stain the paper, which creates a light base or underlay for your painting. If two colors are mistakenly blended together, layer white over the colors to neutralize them.
However, oil pastels are more versatile than soft pastels and can be used in a combination with a variety of media and techniques.
Combining with other media:
· Oil pastels can be used over oil paints if the paint surface is thoroughly dry. Apply retouch varnish to the dried oil paints to ensure that the pastels adhere to the surface.
· However, oil paints should never be used over oil pastels because oil pastels never dry out. The oil paints will not adhere to the underlying pastel surface. The exception to this rule is the use of a oil pastel wash on primed canvas as an underpainting. Oil paints may be safely painted over this initial layer.
· Oil pastels can be used as a resist with water-based mediums such as watercolor or acrylic because oil pastels will not mix with water-based paints.
· Use oil pastels in conjunction with colored pencils.
· They can be used with printmaking inks to create monotypes.
Techniques:
Oil pastels can be applied with a palette knife to achieve impasto effects. Oil pastels can be heated or melted to obtain a smoother, creamier or even fluid medium.
Basic oil pastel techniques, tips and a demonstration of some of the versatile ways in which this medium can be used.
Oil Pastel Painting
Oil Pastel Painting --the basic materials that you need to begin learning to paint with oil pastels.
Basic Oil Pastel Techniques On-line Painting Supply Resources
More Pastel Painting Resources
Oil pastel painting is one of the simplest and purest method of painting using pure color. Mineral and organic pigments are mixed with a non-drying binder, and then combined with wax. The colors are transparent and the color of your painting ground will effect the color of the pastel.
The keys to mixing pigments and achieving exactly the color you wanted is dependent on having a basic knowledge of color theory and experience -- regardless of the medium you use for painting.
Oil pastels feel like a soft pastel, but look and act like oil paints. They are less fragile than traditional pastels and can be used to create heavy impasto effects, or combined with oil painting mediums for glazing and wash techniques. Oil pastels never completely dry but can be sealed with fixative.
Very similar to soft pastels, the greatest advantage to artists is that unlike soft pastels, they do not create hazardous dust.
Oil pastels are sold in a variety of qualities, from student to artist grade. Buy a variety of colors because you will be working with pure color but try to limit yourself until you master the techniques of oil pastels. Using too many colors is one of the most common causes of muddiness in the paintings of beginners.
Basic Palette:
White Ivory Black Light Red
Vermillion Cadmium Reds Alizarin Reds
Burnt Sienna Phthalo Blue Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue Cerulean Blue Raw Sienna
Raw Umber Burnt Umber Burnt Sienna
Yellow Ocher Cadmium Yellows Chrome Green
Phthalo Green Viridian Mars Violet
Oil pastels are often sold in sets featuring a full range of colors or smaller sets within a color family, e.g., raw umber, burnt umber, burnt sienna, yellow ocher, cadmium yellow deep. Color mixing is done on your painting ground, so a wide range of pure color is recommended.
Painting Grounds: One of the beautiful aspects of oil pastel paintings is texture. Typical painting grounds include:
· fibrous drawing (minimum 100-110 lb.) and watercolor papers (minimum 140lb.) with a slight texture
· museum board, illustration board, or any acid-free paperboard stock
· rigid supports such as wood, Masonite, glass, ceramics or metal.
· soft supports such as canvas of cotton, linen, or polyester can also be used although it is usually recommended that a coat of gesso be applied to the canvas prior to painting
· other natural and synthetic fabrics.
All papers should be acid-free to ensure the permanency of the painting. Papers are available in all weights but heavy papers will withstand heavier applications of pastels, more vigorous blending and are a more stable surface if you plan to include other media or use mediums in your oil pastel painting.
Other Materials:
· paper blender, pastel shaper, brushes or cotton balls for blending
· soft hair brush to brush away excess pastel particles from your painting
· oil pastel extender -- a colorless oil pastel which will blend smooth color transitions
· oil painting mediums such as turpentine, paint thinner, or oil painting oils to produce glazing, scumbling, or wash effects.
· palette knife for impasto techniques
Fixative: To protect an oil pastel surface from dirt and dust, apply a fixative 8 to 10 days after the work is completed. Spray your painting on a flat level surface such as a table or floor, in a well-ventilated area. The fixative will not dry the work. A final varnish spray can be applied to seal the surface permanently, but this may adversely affect future restoration possibilities.
Storage: Oil pastels should not be subjected to extreme temperatures. The ideal storage temperature is 75º. For optimum performance while painting on location, avoid exposing oil pastels to heat, sunlight or cold -- covering the pastels with a towel will give them protection from the elements.
Toxicity: Use fixatives, and paint, adhesive or varnish sprays in a well-ventilated area or while wearing a respirator mask.
Different techniques in the art of pastel drawing
Pastels are one of the most immediate and satisfying mediums to work in. They are, in
essence, sticks of pure pigment held together with glue binding. There are different grades
of pastel depending on the strength of the binding. It is essential to experiment with different
degrees of hard or soft pastels if one is to understand the medium, Very different effects
can be created with hard as opposed to soft pastels.
Soft pastels are made with artist's pigments that are mixed with a solution of gum
tragacanth or gum arabic. Hard pastels are made with the some pigments, but contain more
gum binder. Hard pastels also have the advantage of being able to be sharpened and
shaped to achieve more precise effects. One can also buy pastel pencils that are encased in
wood. These pencils can also be used with watercolor and for detailed drawing techniques.
Supports
Texture is a crucial element in choosing a support, as the pastel needs "tooth" or textural
areas on which to adhere to. There are a number of surfaces on which you may choose to
work, including pastel boards and paper. However, almost any surface that has sufficient
texture can be used, including canvas. One of the disadvantages of pastel papers is that the
texture may be shallow and a second or third layer of pastel may not adhere well to the
paper. Of course, the choice of a surface depends to a large degree on the subject matter
and the style of the envisaged pastel work. If you are considering a simple sketch then
a daily smooth surface will do. If, on the other hand, you wish to create a work that has
color and spatial depth, you may need to choose a support with a more intense texture
Making your own support for pastel
Here is one method of making a surface for pastel drawing that can be adapted to your
needs. Take a piece of hardboard or strong paper and cover it lightly with wood glue or an
acrylic adhesive. Before the glue dries, take some fine sand and sprinkle it over the paper
and glue. The amount of texture that you wish to achieve can be regulated by the amount of
sand you apply to the surface. Once the glue is dry, take the support and tilt it so that the
excess sand falls off. A textured surface remains on
which you can start drawing. You can even take sandpaper at this stage to even out or
reduce the textured surface.
Creating a colored background
A pastel painting if often enhanced by beginning with a wash of color as an underling
background to your drawing. Choose the color of this wash carefully as this color will
serve to "pull" the different elements of the drawing or painting together. For example, a
warm color like orange can be used to give an overall tone and mood to your drawing. The
underpainting can be allowed to show through the final drawing, and in this way, a sense of
unity can be achieved in the composition of the work.
One of the easiest ways to create a background is to crush some soft pastel into it power
form and to mix this with water. This essentially makes a watercolor wash and a large
brush can be used to spread the color on the surface. Alternatively, a normal wash of
acrylic or watercolor can be used. One can also create a background by rubbing the dry
pastel into the surface of the support with a cloth. This tends to give a very smooth and
even texture to the background.
Drawing techniques
Pastel sticks are normally used in the same way that you would hold a pencil. You can also
draw with the sides of a pastel for broad strokes. Pressure is all-important in practicing
pastel techniques. The amount of pressure that you apply on the paste will determine the
richness and depth of the pastel color. I suggest that you experiment with pastels on
different grades of paper and various supports, until you have become used to the way in
which pastel adheres to the surface under different conditions. Experimentation with pastel,
using hatching, dabbing and other techniques cannot be overemphasized. Many artists find
pastels difficult simply because they have not spent the time to become acquainted with the
medium.
There are two basic drawing techniques to begin experimenting with. The first is to use the
point of the pastel and experiment with line and degrees of line thickness. The second is to
use sides of the pastels and create short sharp marks known as hatching marks.
Layers
Pastel work achieves its depths and wonderful glowing quality from the application of
layers of pastel pigment over each other. Each layer adds to the overall richness. Layering
means that you add a layer of form or color to a previous layer. Usually with soft pastel,
the layer that is being covered over has to be "fixed". This means the layer has to be
sprayed with some form of fixative so that the next layer will not disturb the powdery pastel
to any great extent. When starting with pastel have a look at some of the great pastel
masters, like Degas. You will notice the rich texture and the depth of some his works.
Degas used the layering technique extensively and is also said to have used a special
binding liquid, partly made from tealeaves, to achieve his effects.
As discussed, the support you use should have enough texture, or " tooth" to hold the
layers of pigment. However, as one builds up layers of drawing and color it often happens
that the texture of the support is not sufficient and the pastel power begins to fall off the
support. In this case special fixatives are needed which are produced by all major art
manufacturers to
" fix" or adhere the layer of pigment to the support. These fixatives are sprayed on, but a
word of caution here. Use fixatives sparingly. There are a number of reasons for this.
Firstly, the beginner is inclined to want to fix his or her drawing too often. Fixatives can also
detract from the natural beauty of the pure pigment and, if sprayed too harshly, will tend to
darken the natural colors. Each and every pastel drawing should be given a light fixative
spray on completion in order to preserve the work. Try to avoid the use of fixatives if you
can by preparing or choosing a support that has sufficient texture.
Soft edge and hard edge
Another technique that is often used in Pastel drawing and painting is to soften the edges of
object to give the illusion of space and distance. Foreground details would be treated with
a more hard-edge technique. In other words, the artist would emphasize the outlines of the
foregrounded figures with distinct outlines, while blending the edges of distant objects.
Blending
Blending and manipulation of pigment is part of the beauty of this medium. Pastel is a very
direct medium and a number of methods can be used to create transitions of shape and
color very easily. A special tool called a torchon, which is tightly rolled paper usually
ending in a point, can be used to make subtle blends. Pastel can be blended easily using
tissue or even the fingers to achieve subtle gradations of shape and color very quickly.
It should not be forgotten that, although pastel colors are usually applied directly onto the
rface in using the pastel sticks, one can also mix pastel colors using the same principles as
in oil or acrylic. For example, one can blend red and yellow immediately on the surface of
the support to achieve various shades of orange. A major part of the attraction of pastel is
this immediacy and innovation that occurs pontaneously as one draws and paints in this
versatile medium.
Painting with pastels
Pastel as an art medium for drawing has some advantages. This article serves to introduce the basics of pastel drawing and painting.
How can one paint in pastel when pastel is essentially a medium used for drawing? The answer to this question lies in understanding the richness and versatility of pastel.
Firstly, pastels are essentially sticks of pigment of powdered color held together by a binding medium. This turns it into a stick of color. There are a great range of pastels with dry pastels being the most common type There are also different grades of pastel form very hard to soft. A soft pastel is the best to begin with as it allows the most drawing flexibility.
What do you need to begin?
Firstly, you should have a fairly wide range of colors. Although you can mix colors as you do in painting, yet most brands offer a huge range of different colors and shades and one needs a variety of these colors to begin. A suggestion is to buy the basic colors, red, blue while, black, blue yellow umber, ochre and sienna and add different shade to these as you need them.
Next you need something to draw or paint on. The usual support for pastel is pastel paper manufactured by many well-known suppliers. This is good quality paper with a slight texture. The texture is important as this is what " holds" the pastel powder to the surface. You can use smooth paper for pastel work, but this will not be able to retain the same amount of pastel and your work might look a bit thin. Watercolor paper can also be used for pastel as this usually also have varying degrees of texture. One could even make one's own paper by using cheap cardboard and white glue. Bu rubbing the glue on the cardboard and then pouring fine sand on the surface a very durable surface is created. Turn the cardboard upside down after a few minutes letting the excess sand fall off. Once the glue has dried one is left with a textured surface that can easily retain pastel. However, to begin with purchasing ready-made pastel paper is possibly the best method as this allows you to begin exploring pastels right away.
To stretch or not to stretch
One can begin by placing the paper on a board with a clip. This is the " dry" method. However, if you were to wet the paper then it would curl and not be suitable for framing. The other method is to stretch the paper on a piece of hardboard that is a few inches larger than the paper. First of all, wet the paper by dipping it into a bowl or bath of water. Do not soak the paper, but ensure that it is equally wet throughout its surface. This causes the paper to expand. While wet, take the paper and lay it on the hardboard. Take some packaging tape, wet the sticky part of the tape and attach the sides of the paper to the board. The paper should now be firmly attached to the board along the entire length of its four sides. The paper will dry and shrink so that it pulls taught and will form a flat surface that can be worked on with water mediums.
Painting
Pastels are usually worked using the dry technique. In other words, begin by sketching your subject with the black and then work into the subject with the other pastels. To achieve intermediate tones use your finger or a tissue paper to spread and mix the pastels on the paper. You begin painting with pastel when you introduce brush and water. Wet your brush very slightly and apply to the paper. You will see that the wet brush acts just like watercolor and blends and moves the pastel power around. This technique takes some time to get used to and you should not wet your brush too much until you have become accustomed to the way that the pastel and water react together.
Another way of painting with pastel is to use other mediums such as watercolor and acrylic. Make a wash of acrylic or watercolor in a small bowl and using your brush apply this to parts of the pastel. Once again this takes a lot of time and experimentation to get used to and you should expect a few " mistakes" at first. You will soon begin to see how versatile and expressive pastel can be.
Finishing your Work
Pastel is essentially powder and is therefore very vulnerable to the elements. Framing under glass is essential for all pastel works. You should also " fix" your pastel before framing. This means applying a medium that ensures that the layers of pigment do not fall off the paper. There are many sprays and fixatives specifically designed for pastel work. Apply a gentle spray of fixative to you painting before framing. Once it is firmly mounted and framed under glass, you will be astounded by the rich depth that a pastel painting can produce.
