🌈What Are Oil Pastels?
- LaLa
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Oil pastels are sticks of pigment mixed with a non-drying oil and wax binder. They are:
Richly pigmented
Creamy and blendable
Slow to dry (which allows layering)
More saturated than crayons
More painterly than traditional wax pastels
They sit somewhere between drawing and painting.
Supplies You Actually Need
You don’t need much.
Essentials:
A basic oil pastel set (even student grade works fine)
Paper with some tooth (mixed media paper is a great inexpensive option)
Paper towel or scrap paper
Your fingers (you may want gloves though!)
Optional but helpful:
Palette knife or blending stump
Cotton swabs
Dark toned paper
Fixative (only if you plan to seal work)
Keep it simple at first.
Understanding Paper
Oil pastels need texture to grip.
Smooth printer paper won’t hold much pigment. Mixed media, watercolor paper, or toned sketchbook paper works better. Canson Mi-Teintes (medium tooth) is a top choice!
Tooth = grip = richer layering.
The 5 Core Techniques
🟧1. Blocking in Color
Start loose. Lay down flat areas of color without worrying about blending.
Think of this as your base layer.
📚2. Layering
Oil pastels layer beautifully. Add lighter colors over darker ones and vice versa.
Instead of mixing colors beforehand, mix them on the paper.
Layering builds depth.
🖌️3. Blending
You can blend with:
Your finger
A blending stump
A soft brush
Another pastel color
But here’s the secret: Don’t over blend. Texture is part of the charm.
🌗4. Creating Light & Shadow
To create dimension:
Add darker tones on one side (deep reds, purples, blues)
Add white or pale yellow for highlights
Leave small areas untouched for contrast
Oil pastels glow when you build contrast.
🖍️5. Texture & Mark-Making
Try:
Short strokes
Crosshatching
Scraping (sgraffito technique)
Dots and lines over layered color
Texture makes simple subjects look powerful.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Over blending until everything turns muddy
Pressing too hard too early
Using too many colors at once
Working on paper that’s too smooth
Keep your palette limited at first.3–5 colors is plenty.
Easy Subjects to Start With
Why Oil Pastels Are Great for Mood
If you lean toward atmosphere and emotion in your art, oil pastels are perfect.
They:
Layer richly
Create glow
Hold texture
Allow expressive strokes
You can focus on feeling first, details second.
🖍️ Final Thoughts
Oil pastels aren’t about perfection — they’re about presence.
You don’t need complicated subjects. A simple apple, a pear, a single piece of fruit can look powerful when you:
Block in bold color
Layer with intention
Blend selectively
Push contrast
Let texture show
