Draw With Oil Pastels
Drawing with oil pastels is a fun activity. However, some people avoid using oil pastels, because they can be so messy. If you want to learn how to use them, follow the tips in this article, and you'll be making beautiful art in no time!
Steps
- Choose a subject to draw and how large you want it to be. You should start with an easy subject like a dog, a house, or a lake, if you're a beginner. If you're up for a challenge, you might want to choose something harder, like a person or landscape.
- Once you have chosen a subject, get out some paper to draw on. Depending on the size you want your drawing to be, choose a paper size that will fit your subject without leaving too much or too little space.
- After you finished that, try thinking what hue or texture you want the paper to be. This is optional, but good artists can use different paper hues and textures to create different effects for their drawings.
- Also, note the thickness of the paper. A fairly thick kind of paper is recommended, because you would need to press down a lot when drawing with oil pastels so thinner papers may rip under the force. There are many kinds of paper, so try choosing a kind that works best for your goals.
- Take two sheets of the paper you have chosen: one for testing on, the other for the actual composition. On the testing sheet, draw something smallish. Don't draw too many details, this is only for testing. It will help you get used to the feel of the paper and the pastels before you start your actual artwork.
- Lightly sketch an outline of the subject on the main paper with a pencil so that you can erase the lines if you made a mistake. Don't worry about the details yet. The details aren't so important at the moment, however, later they will make the drawing more beautiful! So try adding little details later!
- Add colors to your drawing with your oil pastels. Plan out your color schemes and which areas you would want to blend colors. Start out by coloring the drawing roughly, and adding more details as you go along.
- Add more layers of colors to blend them together. Also, try blending them with your finger or an artist's tool to move the oil pastels around the drawing. Using your finger is the recommended method.
- Have fun. Drawing with oil pastels may be hard, but you can have fun too! Don't think that if you failed you will never be able to make art. Remember that this was still your first attempt and that everyone needs practice to do something well.
- Finished.
Tips
- Make sure to wash you hands after smudging each color. Or you could keep a wet cloth close by to wipe your hands clean.
- Make sure to clean your oil pastels, because you wouldn't want to mess up your drawing with smudges of the wrong pastel.
- Always wash your hands after drawing with oil pastels, because they will be sticky from the residue.
- Be creative, and find the artist inside you! Don't be afraid to break any "rules" of art to find your creativity.
- Wash your hands between every smudge.
- Oil pastel drawing isn't very easy, so you should practice regularly.
- It's best to draw in a quiet place where there are no distractions.
- You can also smudge your pastels with a bit of paper ("stump") instead of using your finger, as it will help keep your work cleaner and let you not have to wash your hands every time you smudge (which is very annoying if you are not working right next to a sink).
- The place you are drawing in should have enough light.
Warnings
- Leave your art to dry for an hour before touching it.
Things You'll Need
- Oil Pastels
- Paper
- Pencil
- Blending stub (optional)
- Mop-haired brush (optional)
Related Articles
- Blend Oil Pastels
- Create Crayon or Oil Pastel Etched Art (for Kids)
- Use Pastels
