Difference between oil and dry pastels. Oil pastels: use

Pastel for drawing is an artistic material that was born much earlier oil paints. Such great artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Degas, Renoir painted their masterpieces not only with oils, but with pastels.

Artistic pastel (from the Latin “dough”) is a soft and pleasant material to work with. Usually comes in the form of crayons and pencils.

The composition of pastels is quite simple - pigment plus a binder. Adhesives such as wax, mineral oils or gum arabic can be used as a binder.

Pastels for drawing can be of four types:

• dry pastel (hard, soft, ultra-soft (soft))

Let us dwell briefly on each of the listed types of pastels.

Dry pastel

This pastel lays on paper easily and softly. Gives a stroke size from 2 to 5 mm. It can be shaded with your finger, turning the strokes into an even tone.

By overlapping each other, the colors are easily mixed and at the same time allow you to create new shades. Thus, even a small set of crayons will allow you to create a picture rich in color.

A good pastel should not scratch the paper, crumble or break during use.

Depending on the ratio of pigment and binder, dry pastel is divided into:

• hard hard
• soft soft
• super soft extra soft

The higher the binder content in the pastel, the harder it is. However, some types of pastels, the softest, can consist only of pigment. H They are often easy to distinguish by the shape of the crayons - soft pastels are most often made with round crayons, and hard pastels - with rectangular blocks.

Hard pastel for drawing it gives clearer and thinner strokes than soft. She is comfortable drawing the details of the picture. It crumbles less from the surface of the paper.

Soft pastel for drawing contains more pigment. It allows you to fill large surfaces with color and is easy to shade.

It is more pleasant to use, gives a beautiful velvety texture to the drawing, and makes it easy to create bright strokes.

However, it is not easy for novice artists to control this material - crayons break easily, the previously applied layer is smeared and crumbles. Drawing with soft pastels requires special care.

Therefore, when working, it makes sense to start a picture with a soft pastel in order to clog the pores of the paper, and finish it with a harder one.

Pan pastel (“ultra-soft” pastel) comes in special jars that are very similar to eyeshadow palettes. Each jar contains 35% more pastel than a regular pastel stick.

Pan pastel mixes well and gives the most accurate color rendition. Therefore, artists usually work with it using the technique of realism.

They draw with pastels using special foam sponges, mixing colors directly on paper.

This pastel is not yet very common and is rarely sold in Russia.

The most famous imported pastel manufacturers:

• French company Sennelier(produces a palette of 525 colors from high-quality pigment - this pastel is quite expensive).
• Good quality pastels are produced by companies such as
• Rembrandt,
• Schminke,
• Faber-Castell
• Talles(Holland)
• Korean-made pastels are no less attractive in quality. Mungyo, with a good palette of shades. Very reasonable in price, it is half the price of Faber-Castell, but no worse in quality.

More foreign brands producing pastels:

Koh-I-Noor (Austria, Czech Republic), Conte (France), Lyra (Germany), Caran d'Ache (Switzerland), Stabilo (Germany), Cretacolor (TM Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth, Austria), Derwent (England ), LeFranc&Bourgeois (France), Adel (Turkey), Jolly (Austria), Sakura, Daler Rowney (England), Maimeri (Italy), Bruynzeel (Holland), Apa-Ferrario (Italy), Bosung (China), Pentel (Japan) ), Titi (Korea), Crayon.

Common Russian brands of pastels:

• Podolsk-Art-Center
• Sonnet
• Aqua-Color
• Range

Pastel pencils

This is a type of dry hard pastel in the form of ordinary pencils. Such pencils have a number of advantages:

• convenient to use,
• Allows for more precise strokes
• don't get your hands dirty.

Indispensable when drawing small details and creating, for example, smooth textured transitions when colors are mixed with pencils directly on paper. They are best used for depicting animals and portraits of people, because you can draw hairs and feathers to make them more similar to the original.

Pencil Manufacturers:

• Faber Castell
• Derwent
• Cretacolor
• Stabilo

All of them also differ in hardness, for example, the most soft pencils- Conte. The hardest ones are from Faber Castell.

Oil pastel

Despite the fact that these crayons are also called pastel, this pastel has completely different qualities and, accordingly, methods of drawing.

Oil pastels are made from pigment with linseed oil by pressing. Her crayons are hard and kind of greasy to the touch. Over time, greasy stains may even appear on works done with oil pastels.

Oil pastel chalks leave bright, crisp strokes. The colors don't mix well with each other. Pastel strokes are almost impossible to shade with your finger.

The colors in oil pastels are not as matte as those in dry pastels. Also oil pastel differs from dry paint in that it practically does not get dirty, finished drawings are more difficult to smear and they do not require fixation.

You can draw with oil pastels on any surface. It does not require special paper like dry paper.

In addition, oil pastels can be washed out. Blur and shade the oil pastel with a solvent (special or for oil paints). To do this, use a brush or shading (a special stick made of pressed paper) dipped in a solvent.

As a result, the result of the drawing will look like a painting with oil paints, and not like working with dry pastels.

Manufacturers are basically the same as for dry pastels. The company is considered the best Sennelier.

Wax pastel

Wax pastels are created on the basis of wax (most often polymer) in combination with natural fillers.

Drawings made with wax crayons turn out juicy and bright.

Wax crayons can be used to draw on paper, cardboard and even glass. Wax pastels can be used in mixed media - painting on watercolors or gouache. Since water does not adhere to such pastels, using such crayons you can draw in the techniques of sgraffito, stained glass enamel, encaustic and frottage.

Wax crayons are similar in appearance to oil crayons. What's the difference?

Most often, wax crayons are a cheap material for children. They are harder than oil pastels, so they don't stain your hands. In the professional field, oil pastels are mainly used.

Watercolor pastel

Watercolor pastels also have a waxy, wet texture.

But this unique material. It combines all the advantages of pastel, and at the same time it contains water-soluble components.

A drawing made with such pastel is similar to an oil pastel drawing. However, it can be washed out and turned into watercolor!

If you have dealt with watercolor pencils, you will understand the principle of operation of watercolor crayons. Unlike pencils, crayons are softer and brighter, easier to paint over large surfaces and blurred.

Thus, the same word, , can mean completely different crayons.

I hope that after this article you will no longer be mistaken in choosing the pastel you need!

I will be glad to see your comments and will be very grateful for your reposts!

Italian drawing technique: watch the free video!

Oil Pastel is relatively new artistic medium, given the fact that traditional painting materials have existed and been used for centuries.

In 1921 two stepbrothers The Yamomotos, one an artist and the other a theorist, developed high-quality crayons that contained the softness and smoothness of paint, but at the same time the texture and appearance corresponded to traditional pastels. For some time they worked on improving the formulation of crayons at the Sakura Cryon company, where after a while the Cray-Pas brand was “born”.

The final recipe appeared in 1927, and was positioned new material Only for children's creativity. In 1947, artists Henry Goetz and Pablo Picasso approached Henry Sennelier with the idea of ​​creating a professional version of this children's product.

Picasso formulated his wishes something like this: “I want a colored pastel that I could use on any surface: wood, paper, canvas, metal, etc. without any preparation of the foundation." Henry Goetz wanted a pastel that could be used for underpainting oil painting. His request to Sennelier was as follows: “Pastel is most similar to a painting technique. This tool (chalk), unlike a brush, palette knife and palette, does not stand between the artist and his idea.”

Two years later, in 1949, at the instigation of two artists, Sennelier invented the first professional oil pastel. It had a creamy consistency and rich colors. An unusually wide palette of shades of gray was developed specifically for Picasso. Later, the range of crayons with decorative effects - iridescent and metallic - was supplemented with fluorescent colors. Sennelier was the first to produce large-sized crayons. The latest addition to the crayons range is the Le Grande pastel, which comes in the same color palette as the crayons. standard size. Years later, other companies began to produce oil pastels. The first oil pastel from the Caran d’Ache company appeared in 1981. In the early 80s, Holbein introduced two series of oil pastels to the market: student quality and professional. Then the companies Talens and Grumbacher mastered the production of oil pastels.

Oil pastels contain wax. Inert oils are used as a binder, due to which the paint layer does not turn yellow and acquires very good adhesion. All oil pastels are acid free. Oil pastel applied to the base does not harden, maintaining the flexibility of the paint layer, and, therefore, is not subject to cracking. What is the difference between oil pastels, soft pastels, hard pastels, oil bars and oil sticks? All of these materials are made from the same pigments that are used in the production of oil paints.

The difference is in the binder and the shape of the chalk. In addition to pigment, oil pastels contain wax and mineral oils. Soft and hard pastels have the same composition, the only difference is the hardness. Soft pastels are mixed with pigments and resin. Oil sticks and Oil bars are actually oil paints that contain pigments and linseed oil, coupled with a drying accelerator. Oil pastels can be used using the impasto technique. When working with oil pastels, mediums traditional for oil painting can be used, such as turpentine, mineral spirits and gloss additives, as well as non-water-based acrylic mediums. You can work with oil pastels on any substrate: paper, cardboard and canvas, as well as metal and glass.

The paste of this artistic material can be taken with a brush dipped in turpentine, white spirit, linseed oil or other oils and thinners. Oil pastels have a hard texture, but due to the presence of wax and oil in the composition, it never dries completely. Therefore, finished works need framed frames with glass. Some artists coat the finished work with acrylic varnish, then a film appears on the surface, which helps protect the paint layer. Varnished pastel painting You can even clean it from dust, although very carefully with a soft, dry cloth. Oil pastel is a material that gives artists complete freedom to express feelings and guarantees the safety of their works.

Today, oil pastels are made in stick form from pigments, a pure synthetic binder and mineral wax. The pigments are crushed with an inert binding agent, so it does not oxidize and has no effect on the stability of the painting, drawing, still life or landscape.

The oil pastel base is mixed with wax - which provides a unique oiliness and paste-like texture.

Types of pencils

Main types:

Dry

There are three main types - dry pastel, which uses gum arabic and tragacanth, water-soluble and fat and soft oil. Dry pastels include;

Soft

Soft Crayons – The sticks contain a high proportion of pigment and some binder, resulting in a more durable bright colors. When working with a landscape or still life, mixing occurs by rubbing into the surface.

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Solid

Hard crayons have a significant amount of binder and little pigment, so they are used for small details, sketches in a painting, drawing.

Leaded pastel pencils are useful for beginners in attaching small parts.
Water-soluble pastels belong to a special category, similar to the soft subtype, but contain a water-soluble component - glycol. This allows you to change color in still lifes and landscapes using water.

Properties

Oil pastels are distinguished by their soft consistency and intense oily palette. They are used in painting and graphics, where the medium has characteristics similar to pastel:

Unlike "soft" or "Japanese" pastel sticks, which are made with methylcellulose, oil crayons consist of pigment mixed with a non-drying oil and wax binder.

Paintings and drawings have a less powdery surface, but are difficult to protect with fixing agents.

Sanguina drawing with red crayons

Oil pastels provide a harder edge than "soft" or "French" crayons, are difficult to mix, but are diluted with solvents and do not require a fixative.

Wax and inert oils are used as a binder - as a result, paintings and drawings do not turn yellow and have excellent adhesion to paper, cardboard, plywood and other materials.

They are completely acid free and never harden or crack.

Oil crayons can be used on any paper, rigid support (wood, hardboard, metal, MDF, glass) or canvas - without technical restrictions, which provides the artist with complete freedom of expression while maintaining stability during storage.

How to draw correctly

In painting, oil pastels help create unique color in still lifes or landscapes. Many artists prefer to use them together with other paints. Oil chalks are similar to traditional dry chalks. Strokes can be layered, applied in stages, as with soft crayons, but only to a certain extent. If too much material is applied to a painting or drawing, the colors may become dull.

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The technique for working with oil crayons is similar to colored pencils:

• Creating underpainting for beginners helps highlight free zone and zones of local flowers.
• Multi-layered layers to achieve depth and shade.
• Slow step-by-step addition brush strokes will not spoil the shade.
• Cleaning up the edges of the background to define the edges of the imaged subject, the background.

Universal oil pastels adhere well to the surface of the painting. They respond to a wide variety of methods - from direct drawing to special painting techniques. They are rubbed in, used on a colorless base, washed with turpentine, and some areas are scraped off. They have a vegetable, mineral or synthetic base oil, rather than linseed, as in oil paints, and therefore do not require a primed painting surface.

Gouache painting technique

Combination with paint

It is easy to combine oil paints and oil pastels in the same painting, still lifes, but the paint should be the first layer. This is because oil pastels never really dry and always remain pasty, so a layer of oil paint on top of the pastel will be unstable.

An exception to the rule “paint with the first layer of paint” is if a sketch is made with pastels. The colors are bright or translucent, depending on the technique used to work with them.

Drying

Do not dry out by oxidation when exposed to air. Instead, they harden over time. Thin strokes in a painting dry quickly, but for heavier layers the process takes several months.

Surfaces

Almost any surface - canvas, wood panels, sheets of metal, watercolor paper, sanded paper surfaces or any other on which you can experiment step by step.

Dry brush technique in painting

Consolidation of work

A pre-made base of vinyl resin and alcohol creates a completely clear seal layer and leaves a clear film to protect the surface from dust and smudges. Several incremental coats increase shine but require sufficient drying time to avoid stickiness. The synthetic resin starter protector is suitable as a final or working sealer and has excellent oil adhesion. Multi-layer protector maintains satin texture.

In painting

Oil pastels are relatively new technology in painting:

• It was not until 1921 that it was developed by the artist and theorist Yamamoto.
• In 1947, artists Henri Goetz and Pablo Picasso proposed the idea of ​​developing a professional version of oil pastel.
• In 1949, the first professional oil pastels appeared with a brilliant color palette.
• The unusually wide range of shades of gray were specifically chosen by Picasso.

Pastel is considered one of the oldest materials used for creativity. Degas, Renoir, Leonardo da Vinci and other artists wrote their works with it. Pastel can be used as an independent means of depiction or as an auxiliary material in other techniques. The latter includes modeling from polymer clay and decoupage. Pastel stands out alive, bright colors, as well as a velvety structure.

Pastel is made from a coloring pigment and a special binder. The latter can be wax, mineral oils or gum arabic. In stores you can buy pastels in the form of rimless pencils or colored crayons. There are currently three types of pastels: dry, watercolor and oil. We will look in more detail at oil pastels, as well as ways to use them in drawing.

Oil pastels are similar to wax crayons, which are quite soft. In addition, the colors are highly saturated. Pastel crayons today are produced in the form of small bars with a round or square section. They differ from wax ones by the presence of many pigments, high elasticity and resilience. It is worth noting that oil pastels hardly get dirty; after applying it to the surface of the sheet, there is no need for auxiliary fixation in the form of varnish.

If you know how to paint with oil pastels for beginners, then you know that almost any surface is suitable for painting with such paint. The main advantages of this product include its good ability to blur. To do this, the artist needs to have a special solvent for oil paints, as well as a shading tool - a special stick made of pressed paper. The latter is dipped in a solvent and then washed out to obtain the desired shade. Painting with solvent must be done in a room that is properly ventilated.


The texture of oil pastels makes it possible to create effects that are simply impossible to achieve with other drawing techniques. For various decorative paintings oil pastels are often used. The technique of its application allows you to convey the deep and rich tones of the depicted object. It is recommended to store various artistic drawings made in this way in frames and under glass, and there must be a small gap between the drawing and the glass. This is necessary to preserve the image, since drawings made in pastels are highly susceptible to minor damage, shedding, and are easily erased.

Oil pastels require a rough base, as they do not adhere well to the surface. This technique requires special paper, for example, sandpaper, suede, canvas, loose fleecy cardboard, parchment or torchon paper. The advantages of the material in question include the ability to remove and cover several layers at the same time.

Oil pastels today are represented by many shades, of which there are over one and a half thousand. Such diversity makes it possible to bring to life virtually any creative ideas in different genres. The pastel technique has come quite a long way from the usual three-color drawing to real painting, which became especially popular during the Baroque period, and is now preferred by the Impressionists.

Drawing with oil pastels is enough interesting activity, which combines the characteristics of working with wax crayons and dry pastel. Although the final result can be very beautiful, using and mixing oil pastels on a sheet is a little more difficult than regular dry pastels. However, with the right materials, knowledge of proper painting techniques, and some effort, you can learn to create your own masterpieces using oil pastels.

Steps

Preparing the necessary materials

1. Choose paper for pastels or watercolors, cardboard or canvas. All of the above types of base are rough enough for pastels to stick well to them. For aerial drawings like sketches, choose 90 gsm paper. If you are going to draw something more saturated, take paper with a density of 160 g/m². Please note that the paper should be matte; pastels will not adhere well to glossy paper. Also, always choose a paper that is the right size for you so that there is not too much or too little free space in the drawing.

   • Do not use paper containing acids, as they will cause the pastel to discolor and crack.
   • Use paper that matches your design to achieve harmonious combination colors. For example, for natural landscape with lots of green tones, use light green paper.
   • To experiment with creating different moods and atmospheres in your drawings, try using paper that is a contrasting color to the pastel tones you are using. For example, if you are painting a blue lake with a black night sky, use purple paper to create a melancholy effect.

2. Purchase a set of oil pastels from a trusted manufacturer in the color scheme you need. Unlike other types of pastels, there are not many manufacturers producing oil pastels. And only a few brands offer professional, artist-quality pastels. For beginners, we can recommend oil pastel sets from Van Gogh. This company positions itself as a manufacturer art materials for study, but the quality of the goods allows them to successfully compete with pastel manufacturers professional quality. If you decide to purchase professional oil pastels, opt for one of the cheaper sets of professional artist quality pastels, or assemble the palette you need by purchasing crayons individually.

   • Think about what kind of images you will be drawing and choose pastel colors that match your ideas. Buy pastels individually and assemble a suitable palette.
   • Oil pastels can be purchased through online stores, specialty art supply stores, craft and office supply stores.

3. Choose both hard and soft oil pastels for more variety. Harder pastels are good for drawing out the finer details of a sketch and the first layers of a drawing, while soft pastels are good for painting over dense, rich layers of hard pastel. For example, professional artist quality oil pastels, in descending order of hardness from hardest to softest, can be represented by the following list: Cray-Pas Specialist, Cretacolor Aqua Stic, Erengi Art Aspirer, Caran d'Ache Neopastel and Holbein, and Sennelier Oil Pastels.

   • As you gain experience, try to pay attention to which brands of pastel you are most comfortable working with.

4. Buy accessories such as brushes, erasers, and shading pens. Brushes and sponges are ideal for rubbing oil pastels. To correct defects in the drawing, it is better to purchase a nag, which is an eraser made of plastic rubber. It can also be helpful to purchase different types of paper shading pens, including pointed and blunt ones, to blend and smudge pastel tones.

   • Pastel scrapers can easily be replaced with toothpicks (wooden or plastic) or a nail curette.

   Basic techniques for working with oil pastels

   1. Select an object to draw and decide how large you want it to be in your drawing. Start with something easy, like a dog, a house, a lake, or a simple apple. But if you are ready for difficulties, you can choose a more complex drawing object, for example a person or a landscape.

      • When choosing a subject to paint, consider the pastel tones you have available so you have all the colors you'll need for the job. If you're running low on flowers, see if you can't improvise a little with what you have.
      • Start with images that contain only 1-3 colors. Even with so many colors you can experiment, creating various shades, so there will be plenty of work.

   2. Create a general outline on a separate sheet of paper to help you plan out your drawing. On a separate sheet of paper (identical to the one you will use in your pastel work), draw something small and simple with pastels. Work with light pressure on the chalk. Don't draw too many details, concentrate on the general sketch and the feeling of working with this paper. Keep working until you are happy with your sketch.

      • Outline the specific colors you are going to use for individual areas of the design. For example, mark the ground with dark green strokes and the puddles with dark blue.

   3. Lightly sketch the design on a basic piece of paper using hard colored pastels. Choose lighter colors for your sketch and draw the outlines of the objects you are drawing with light pressure using the crayons. If you make a mistake, erase the mistakes and try again. Don't worry about the small details for now, leave them for later.

      • Avoid using black pastels to sketch to avoid distorting and contaminating other colors.
      • Draw vertical and horizontal lines of symmetry in your sketch to break up larger objects and shapes. This will help you distribute and blend the colors of the design properly.
      • For greater sketch accuracy, use hard pastels.

   4. Work from background to foreground. When working with pastels, it is better to draw objects sequentially from the background to the closest object in the foreground. With this approach, you will always draw the outline of the subject on top of the background, which will give you greater drawing accuracy. After filling in the background and foreground with the main strokes, move on to shading the tones with your fingers, a special tool or a paper napkin.

      • Design the background with a thick layer of pastel, working with moderate pressure on the crayons. But if you plan to draw something over the background, draw it with less pressure on the crayons.
      • Use hard pastels for the background and bottom layer of the drawing. For the foreground and additional layers, use softer pastels.

   5. Draw general outline main objects using their base color. An important part of painting with pastels is creating base layers. For example, if you are drawing a pear, draw its outline in a medium tone of green. Then start painting it with the same tone. When creating the base layer of the object, press down fairly firmly on the chalk.

      • Save the extreme tones (in this case light green and dark green) for later.
      • Blend the base color of the subject into its outlines to make the sketch lines invisible.

   6. Introduce additional tones into the drawing as a second layer. Start adding more details and colors to the object. If you are drawing a pear and have already painted it with base green, you can move on to using dark green on one side of the pear and light green on the other side. Work with the second layer using less pressure on the crayons.

      • Blend the colors with your finger, a blender, or a paper towel.
      • Use lines of symmetry to separate colors into zones and blend them at the point of contact.

   7. Mix different colors each other to create the effect of a smooth transition of tones in your drawing. When mixing colors, always start with the darker tone. Start by pressing firmly on the chalk and draw a line in the desired direction, gradually reducing the pressure. After applying the first color, take a second, lighter pastel color and next to the first line, similarly draw a second line in the direction from the lighter part of the first line to the darker one. Then use a blender or finger to gently blend the tones. This will remove the border separating them and create the effect of a smooth color transition.

      • Moisten cotton swab baby oil and run it over the strokes of the design to blend the tones without using your fingers.
      • For greater accuracy and better control over your actions, use special shading. They are ideal for shading small areas.
      • When mixing tones, work in a circular motion to create varying shades of color.

   8. Continue to paint over objects and apply subsequent layers of pastel. Use basic technique painting objects with layers of pastel wherever you can find a use for it in your drawing. For example, for a puddle, apply a dark blue layer on top of a light blue layer. Then scrape off sections of the dark top layer, exposing the light layer, to create a unique water highlight effect.

      • Don't use too many colors at once, as this can make them dirty. Show restraint. If something already looks good, don't add anything else!
      • As you add layers, work with soft pastels to make it easier to blend and shade the tones.
      • Drawing small parts, such as a pear stalk or leaves on a tree, use hard pastel.

   9. Practice more, but don't get overwhelmed! You won't be able to create a perfect picture right away. Take your time and experiment with various forms, images, colors and techniques. Remember that this is your first attempt and that everyone needs practice to get good at something.

      • Try drawing different types of scenes and objects to develop your skills.
      • Buy a variety of pastel colors and experiment with unique combinations.

   10. Fix your drawing with a special fixing varnish for oil pastels. Be sure to spray a thin layer of varnish over your work in a well-ventilated area. When the fixative dries (after about 10 minutes), the drawing can be left as is or framed. Be sure to use a thick backing around the perimeter of the design so that your work is located at a distance of about 5 mm from the glass in the frame and cannot smear.

       • For maximum protection, mount your design to a piece of wood before framing it.

   Advanced Drawing Techniques

   1. Layer multiple pastel colors on top of each other to create dynamic images. Start by applying a base color to the paper using firm pressure with the crayon. Next, create a layer of the second color by working with the wide side of the crayon. For example, if you are painting a sun, apply a layer yellow color as a base. Then fill in about half of the yellow area with a layer of red pastel to create a unique orange-red tonal mix.

      • Experiment with different pressure on the crayons as you create layers. For example, for a sun image, apply a moderate yellow base coat with light pressure using the crayon. Then complement it with light layers of orange and red to create different shades.

   2. Scrape off individual sections of varying and layered colors for unique effects. After creating two thick layers of different colors, use a pastel scraper, comb, or needle to scratch patterns into the top layer to reveal the layer underneath. This technique is most effective when the top layer of the design is darker than the bottom, such as gray or black.

      • Use this technique to complete your final drawing with lines of a specific color. For example, if you painted a pear and applied the last layer dark green color, you can scratch the lines, revealing a lighter green tone underneath.
      • Experiment with different tools, such as using a paperclip or a toothpick, to get different lines.
      • Use 3-4 layers of pastel to allow for varied results by scratching the lines.

   3. Cut out the stencil to create different designs for the outline of your images. On a separate sheet of paper, draw the outlines of a specific image, for example, a flower. Cut out the outlines of the image and attach the resulting stencil to a working sheet of pastel paper. Then paint along the inner edges of the stencil with your chosen color to create crisp outer lines of the image. As an alternative, you can apply a cut-out section of the stencil to pastel paper and paint the area around its outer contours to create an image with blurred outer contours and sharp inner contours.

      • When working with a stencil, blend the pastel with your fingers away from the stencil outline to achieve a smooth color transition.

   4. For convenience, first draw the outlines of objects with a pencil or light color pastels. Once you've mastered the basic techniques of mixing and layering pastel tones, start painting some images. Draw something simple first and create a general sketch first. Try drawing simple objects like the sun, a tree or an apple. Try first drafts with a simple pencil. Once you've got the hang of it, move on to sketching directly with oil pastels. Remember that you should draw a sketch with pastels with light pressure on the crayon and use the very tip of the crayon, and not the wide side part.

      • Break complex objects into simple shapes, such as circles, squares and triangles.
      • Do not use black pastel to sketch as it will ruin any colors placed on top of it.

   What you will need

   • Oil pastel
   • Paper
   • Pencil
   • Feathering (optional)
   • Bristle oil painting brush (optional)
   • Clean your oil pastel crayons regularly with a little baby oil and a paper towel. This will protect your work from accidental strokes of the wrong color.
   • After blending each color with your fingers, wash your hands or keep wet wipes handy to clean your hands. Or try shading the pastels not with your fingers, but with paper (in the form of purchased paper shading or rolled up paper yourself) to keep your hands clean.
   • Get creative! Don't be afraid to break the "rules" of drawing to find yourself.
   • Practice regularly, as painting with oil pastels is not easy!
   • It's best to paint in a quiet place where there are no distractions and good lighting.