Painting can be a very overwhelming process, particularly if you are just starting out. In such a scenario, oil pastel painting could well be the respond to the question. Pastel painting is easy to create and not disordered like the other forms of paintings; in fact it is fairly easy to start with. And while it might seem that you can go on to other forms of painting having mastered this one, you really don't require to. This is because using oil pastel techniques can turn the paintings into real masterpieces, while allowing expressing effectively.
Oil pastels are the perfect selection one can make if drawing is their first love. Since oil pastel techniques do not need the use of water or brushes or any other such (sometimes messy) contraptions, the artist can continue to draw and at the same time, get the look of a painting in his work.
Oil Pastel Techniques
Choosing Pastels
The first thing that requires to be done is choosing the pastels. There are several brands in the market that recommend these pastels in different sizes. Some is going still up to 120 shades or more in a set. However, if you are now starting out, opt for a set of 24. These will be sufficient, for they supply all the shades necessary for experimenting and yet there aren't too many to confuse you. After considerable practice, however, one can move on to a wider variety of pastels.
When preferring these pastels, always look for their appearance. Pastels which are broken down or have small craters and holes in them are of poor quality. Always select a set that is even and shiny. Pick for artist quality pastels; as opposed to student grade ones. Student grade pastels tend to be really waxy and make it harder for blending. In spite of all this, it is mainly through experimentation that one can establish the type of pastels that interpret their style best.
Choosing a Canvas
A canvas is the surface on which one will draw their paintings. Choosing a surface that will best portray the artist's skill is therefore very essential. There are several varieties of paper present in the market. Different artists select different types of paper, according to their needs. Many artists prefer using pastel paper that is of weighty grade. The cause being that it has a scratchy surface that holds the pigments of oil pastels. Some others choose the normal oil painting canvas because of its raised grain - this makes it perfect for grabbing the layers of oil pastel. Some other alternatives of canvas paper are sanded paper, archival paper, hot pressed paper and cold pressed paper.
Sketching the Painting
Once your paper and pastels are in place, you can initiate sketching the painting. The pressure of strokes and the roughness of the canvas are the two most important things to remain in mind when starting to sketch. The pressure that we use will choose the intensity of colors. More the pressure used, more intense the colors and vice versa. Similarly, a smooth surface of the canvas will result in a less broken appear as opposed to a rough surface.
To start with, sketch the drawing on the canvas paper with a lead pencil. Let the sketching be in gentle strokes and not with pressure, so that it does not cause indents on the page. If indents are formed then that section of the paper gets a depression and when you paint, the indented part won't catch the color, thus giving the entire painting an uneven look.
Next, recognize the color that you want to use in a particular area and sketch over the penciled lines with it. Then, fill in the color in the whole area. The first layer of color needs to be laid down on the canvas later. Since this layer is light, it might provide a transparent appearance and you might be able to see the canvas through it. However, this 'transparent' area on the canvas will be covered by successive layers of colors.
Layering
Always has a clear idea of what the final product will be, before start painting. There are some techniques using oil pastels that can create a work of art. They are so easy that they show to be useful oil pastel techniques for older beginners:
Different Tones
Layers can be included in different ways, either by adding light colors over dark or dark over light. However, it has been noticed that it is easier to revolve dark colors into light rather than the other way round. It is simpler to keep the white areas in the painting free of any pastels to provide that whitest white feel.
Using the Side
Using the side of a pastel crayon will permit to cover a broader area of the canvas, thereby retaining an amalgamated feel to it without causing a displaced effect.
Using Linear Strokes
Linear strokes (lines) can be applied for drawing outlines, adding details, hatching (drawing lines, especially parallel lines for engraving and marking) and cross hatching. This allows controlling the shapes and saturation of the colors improved.
Even Tone
It is essential to maintain an even tone if one wants to keep a particular area dark or extremely light. In this case, darker colors should not be shaded with lighter ones or vice versa. They ought to be colors of a like tone.
Using Turpentine
Turpentine is applied to soften or flatten a painting. So, when one needs to merge pastels together on paper, oil pastels become very soft and start to dissolve when you dip them in turpentine. Thus, they can be manipulated according to the wanted density. Alternatively, the tip of a brush can be immersed in turpentine and then used to drag the pigments across the canvas - this will form washes. Likewise, several layers of washes can be created this way. The intensity of the colors can be varied by varying the quantity of turpentine used.
'Sgraffito' Effect
The 'sgraffito' effect is a technique whereby the color beneath is revealed by scratching the top layer of the color. It plainly means 'to scratch’ and to do this, a razor, a knife or the other finish of a paint brush can be used.
Ghostlike Effect
Using a razor to scrape areas in a painting will guide to a ghostlike or fuzzy look. Sometimes, the addition of too many layers can provide the painting a very heavy look; this can be resolved by using this technique.
Cotton Swab
When one adds layer upon layer, it might lead to a very disjointed appearance. To solve this, one can apply a cotton swab or the fingers to blend the different layers. This will then offer the painting a very wholesome feel.
Correcting Too Many Layers
Adding too many layers in the painting can deliver the canvas unable to grab any more pastels (muddying the surface). In case this happens, one can use a dry cloth, wrap it around a finger and then wash out the affected area.
After one has finished painting, it should be permitted to harden. The time taken for the painting to harden will depend on the amount of layers that are used in it. The life of the painting can be expanded by adding a fixative to it. Also a mat spacer can be added, so that you can enclose the painting with glass, without it affecting the pastel.
Oil pastels are the perfect selection one can make if drawing is their first love. Since oil pastel techniques do not need the use of water or brushes or any other such (sometimes messy) contraptions, the artist can continue to draw and at the same time, get the look of a painting in his work.
Oil Pastel Techniques
Choosing Pastels
The first thing that requires to be done is choosing the pastels. There are several brands in the market that recommend these pastels in different sizes. Some is going still up to 120 shades or more in a set. However, if you are now starting out, opt for a set of 24. These will be sufficient, for they supply all the shades necessary for experimenting and yet there aren't too many to confuse you. After considerable practice, however, one can move on to a wider variety of pastels.
When preferring these pastels, always look for their appearance. Pastels which are broken down or have small craters and holes in them are of poor quality. Always select a set that is even and shiny. Pick for artist quality pastels; as opposed to student grade ones. Student grade pastels tend to be really waxy and make it harder for blending. In spite of all this, it is mainly through experimentation that one can establish the type of pastels that interpret their style best.
Choosing a Canvas
A canvas is the surface on which one will draw their paintings. Choosing a surface that will best portray the artist's skill is therefore very essential. There are several varieties of paper present in the market. Different artists select different types of paper, according to their needs. Many artists prefer using pastel paper that is of weighty grade. The cause being that it has a scratchy surface that holds the pigments of oil pastels. Some others choose the normal oil painting canvas because of its raised grain - this makes it perfect for grabbing the layers of oil pastel. Some other alternatives of canvas paper are sanded paper, archival paper, hot pressed paper and cold pressed paper.
Sketching the Painting
Once your paper and pastels are in place, you can initiate sketching the painting. The pressure of strokes and the roughness of the canvas are the two most important things to remain in mind when starting to sketch. The pressure that we use will choose the intensity of colors. More the pressure used, more intense the colors and vice versa. Similarly, a smooth surface of the canvas will result in a less broken appear as opposed to a rough surface.
To start with, sketch the drawing on the canvas paper with a lead pencil. Let the sketching be in gentle strokes and not with pressure, so that it does not cause indents on the page. If indents are formed then that section of the paper gets a depression and when you paint, the indented part won't catch the color, thus giving the entire painting an uneven look.
Next, recognize the color that you want to use in a particular area and sketch over the penciled lines with it. Then, fill in the color in the whole area. The first layer of color needs to be laid down on the canvas later. Since this layer is light, it might provide a transparent appearance and you might be able to see the canvas through it. However, this 'transparent' area on the canvas will be covered by successive layers of colors.
Layering
Always has a clear idea of what the final product will be, before start painting. There are some techniques using oil pastels that can create a work of art. They are so easy that they show to be useful oil pastel techniques for older beginners:
Different Tones
Layers can be included in different ways, either by adding light colors over dark or dark over light. However, it has been noticed that it is easier to revolve dark colors into light rather than the other way round. It is simpler to keep the white areas in the painting free of any pastels to provide that whitest white feel.
Using the Side
Using the side of a pastel crayon will permit to cover a broader area of the canvas, thereby retaining an amalgamated feel to it without causing a displaced effect.
Using Linear Strokes
Linear strokes (lines) can be applied for drawing outlines, adding details, hatching (drawing lines, especially parallel lines for engraving and marking) and cross hatching. This allows controlling the shapes and saturation of the colors improved.
Even Tone
It is essential to maintain an even tone if one wants to keep a particular area dark or extremely light. In this case, darker colors should not be shaded with lighter ones or vice versa. They ought to be colors of a like tone.
Using Turpentine
Turpentine is applied to soften or flatten a painting. So, when one needs to merge pastels together on paper, oil pastels become very soft and start to dissolve when you dip them in turpentine. Thus, they can be manipulated according to the wanted density. Alternatively, the tip of a brush can be immersed in turpentine and then used to drag the pigments across the canvas - this will form washes. Likewise, several layers of washes can be created this way. The intensity of the colors can be varied by varying the quantity of turpentine used.
'Sgraffito' Effect
The 'sgraffito' effect is a technique whereby the color beneath is revealed by scratching the top layer of the color. It plainly means 'to scratch’ and to do this, a razor, a knife or the other finish of a paint brush can be used.
Ghostlike Effect
Using a razor to scrape areas in a painting will guide to a ghostlike or fuzzy look. Sometimes, the addition of too many layers can provide the painting a very heavy look; this can be resolved by using this technique.
Cotton Swab
When one adds layer upon layer, it might lead to a very disjointed appearance. To solve this, one can apply a cotton swab or the fingers to blend the different layers. This will then offer the painting a very wholesome feel.
Correcting Too Many Layers
Adding too many layers in the painting can deliver the canvas unable to grab any more pastels (muddying the surface). In case this happens, one can use a dry cloth, wrap it around a finger and then wash out the affected area.
After one has finished painting, it should be permitted to harden. The time taken for the painting to harden will depend on the amount of layers that are used in it. The life of the painting can be expanded by adding a fixative to it. Also a mat spacer can be added, so that you can enclose the painting with glass, without it affecting the pastel.
