In the woods again – with oil pastels
I did a bit of an investment and bought the 48 color neopastel set by Caran d’Ache, after I had tried the smaller one. An altered art book, overpainted with thinned oil color will suit me as support for a series of oil pastel sketches I want to do this year.
Drawing with oil pastels on a colored underground is great fun. The textures the brush strokes with oil colors created help to create interesting sketches. The random patches of color can be a great inspiration to try unusual color combinations. I apply the color with a very soft touch first to avoid that structures and other effects by the underpainting are not lost. I can always get the surface fully covered with oil pastel later by putting more pressure on the color sticks if wanted.
This is the scenery that I used for this sketch, picking some of the many elements seen .
How to draw a tree- Publication on Blurb
Forest diary- the sketchbook re-print on Blurb
Buy Print on Redbubble
on 1. May 2012
Fabulous idea! May I ask about the prepping process? Did you apply the thinned oil color directly to the page? And what did you thin the oil paint with? I love using oil pastels, but know very little about oil painting itself.
on 1. May 2012
Hi, thank you for your interest. I thin oil colours with bleached linseed oil. Oil colours are acidic and will finally destroy paper in maybe 100 years or so. If you want to do work that lasts very long it is better to prime paper in a similar way as other oil painting supports with a layer(s) of gesso that separates the oil color from the support. More of my oil pastel work at http://www.squidoo.com/oil-pastel
on 6. May 2012
Thank you, Martin! I am off to check out your link now and to experiment with this. I am very excited.
on 6. May 2012
I had to drop back to share that I am so inspired after perusing that link and your blog, that I have ransacked the house to find my oil pastels, a set of fifty that I was gifted. I finally found them a couple of hours later in the first place I looked!
My only experience with them was in a college drawing class, but the prof knew next to nothing about them, and we only used them for an abstract painting in which composition was being taught. I loved the tactile experience in using them as well as the vibrant color and texture.
When I stumbled across your blog while surfing I felt like I had found the holy grail! I am anxious to begin experimenting. I love the idea of prepping a sketchbook like you did and will do so, but while it is drying I am going to experiment with water based o.p.’s, gouache, and acrylic with a layer of clear gesso over top for under paintings.
Thank you so much for this inspiration and your generosity in sharing your knowledge!
on 7. May 2012
Hi Roxane,that sounds great. I am curious to see some of your experiments if possible some time.
on 7. May 2012
I would be happy to share. I will drop a note here when I have made some progress.