How to use oil pastels: beginners' guide!

I love to use oil pastels, it's one of my favorite materials. In fact, it was when I discovered the existence of this material that I decided to evolve my artistic aptitude.

These materials are increasingly popular. If you want to learn how to use oil pastels and create beautiful paintings, this guide is ideal for you!

How to distinguish oil pastel from wax crayons?

I think it's important to start here because, at first glance, they are very similar. However, its composition is different. Wax crayons are mostly made of wax, but oil pastels have oil in their composition. This may seem pretty obvious, but for beginners, it can be confusing because they really are identical.

Crayons require more effort to cover an area with colour, because they are harder. On the other hand, oil pastels are silky, shiny, creamy and smooth.

What are the great advantages of using oil pastels?

• They are good for beginners as they can be used on many types of paper.
• They can be used directly on paper, there is no need for other means or brushes.
• They don't mess up the painting space, like watercolors or oil painting, where there can sometimes be splashes of paint.
• They don't create so much waste compared to other media. For example, soft pastels create a lot of dust while in use.
• They are water resistant.

Before starting to paint

Choose the size and theme of the design. If you're a beginner, you can opt for an A5 sheet, for example, and a simple design like a silhouette of a bird with a gradient background or a house.

Start the work with the oil pastel

To start using oil pastels, you can replicate something simple, like a fruit or vegetable. You can use any type of paper, but thicker sheets of paper will work better.

To start using oil pastels, you can replicate something simple, like a fruit or vegetable. You can use any type of paper, but thicker sheets of paper will work better. I started to use oil pastels to create gradients, especially in the backgrounds. To create a gradient, apply the first color and then the second right after. A good trick is to apply a little bit of the second color on top of the first in the area that will make the gradient. I advise you using a piece of kitchen paper to fade the colors, it will help a lot. It doesn't take a lot of pressure. If the brand you are using is creamier, you can use your fingers, but with kitchen towels it will be easier and you won't get so dirty.

If you want to make a drawing with silhouettes, use a graphite pencil, between 8B and 10B. See the examples below.

In these paintings, I used oil pastel to create the background and then with graphite pencil I created the silhouettes.

Cares to be taken

Oil pastels must be kept clean, even while working with them. This is especially important when blending with other colors. It turns out that when you use one color over the other (in the case of gradients, for example), the pencil will have the other color at the tip. If you use that color again, you will end up with spots of the other color that was left on the tip.

For example, imagine that you are going to create a gradient of yellow with red. First you put yellow and then red. When passing the red over the yellow, to blur it, it will have a little yellow on the tip. When using red for another part of the job, that yellow stain will spoil the paint job.

But don't worry. If that happens, you can remove that stain with a sharp object. However, it may not be removed entirely and care must be taken not to damage it. It's best to keep everything clean to avoid this extra work.

Can I frame it?

Oil pastel paintings must not touch the glass in the frames because they will most likely stain the glass. The frame should make room for the painting. Therefore, you can opt for a glassless frame or an appropriate fastener for this material. When using a fixative, there is no risk of staining the frame glass.

List of materials to start my painting

These are the materials I usually use when creating my paintings. I will not write brands, because it is up to you which brand you should use. But keep in mind that cheaper brands are more difficult to blend and use.

• Oil pastel set - I usually use a set of 48 colors, but for a start you can use 24 colors.
• Paper over 100 g/m² - thinner than this won't do very well.
• Kitchen paper – mainly for blurring, but also for cleaning the tips of oil pastels whenever they change colors. To create the gradient, you can also use cotton swabs or blending stumps.
• Masking tape – it's not mandatory, but I use it a lot to create margins and also for more security if I want to create a gradient background.
• 8B, 9b or 10B graphite pencil – if you want to create silhouettes over the background, this pencil is ideal.

Don't be afraid to get started! If you still don't know how to use oil pastels, just start. With time and practice, you will get to know these materials better.