The Secrets to Drawing: Oil Pastels

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Lesson Discussion

  1. Hi Matt!

    Really liked this video :), I just have a problem: after like more or less 3 layers of oil pastels my paper just seems not to be able to hold more.

    But I can see in your video that this does not seem to be a problem for you. Do you have any trick?Any paper you advice for oil pastels?I was using mi-teintes canson with van gogh pastels.

    Actually the same also applies for soft pastels, so I’m probably doing something wrong also there….

    Hope you see my comment and thanks for the awesome videos!

    • Hi Joana,

      That is curious for sure. There’s not necessarily a trick. Here are a couple of things you can try though…
      1. Try layering lightly at first. That way you’ll get some of the color within the layer without much of the binder.
      2. Try using a different brand of oil pastels. I’ve never used the Van Gogh brand, but a different brand may produce different results.

      I hope this helps.

  2. Hi Matt,

    I am using Mi-teintes Canson paper. I started with the rough side but i really had to press hard in order to fill the gaps of the paper. So I started using the light texture side and I still have the same problem.

    You recommend Joana to start layering lightly but if i do so, in the back of the oil, the paper still shows. In your video it seams that your first layer covers completely as if it was a pencil colour not showing any spaces of the paper. If i cover it completely in the first layer, i find it hard to barnish. How can I solve this problem?

    thank you!

  3. Hi Matt,

    Sorry for answering so late to the comment, but I didn’t receive any warning of the comments (so I actually though no one had actually had answered). I did a few things that worked for me:

    1. I started to use Canson Mi-teints Touch (looks a bit more like sand paper), I think it’s a lot better then the normal one.
    2. I warm up a bit my oil pastels before using them (usually I put them close to the heating)
    3. While using Canson mi-teints I try to use the smooth side instead of the rough side and use a light hand (indeed helps).

    This helped me out and I hope it helps someone else too.
    Thanks!

  4. This is the most information I have been able to find on oil pastel sticks. I have made several drawings of landscapes with the medium but they didn’t turn out like the one in the video. They were great, but I smudged with my fingers and others means to mix the colors. The effect is totally different but nice. This video showed me the classic way to use them and I learned a lot!
    Aria

      • Hi Matt,
        Have just finished your Oil Pastel Landscape and I really enjoyed it and have learnt a lot about Oil Pastel and am now feeling a lot more confident with the medium, can’t wait to find one of my own photos to have a go at. Thankyou very much
        Doreen

  5. I’m a beginner in painting and I have been learning so much from The Master Series. This was a great video,like all the videos. My question is, How do i protect the painting after i finish it? and because its an oil pastel, how long does it take to dry?

  6. Thanks for the video. I purchased cheap oil pastels and they are terrible. The white doesn’t mix at all. I’m going to make sure I invest in decent drawing materials from now on. 🙂

  7. Just started my first oil pastel landscape after watching this vid… Something about this medium is strangely amusing and fun to play with. How ‘mushy’ and ‘creamy’ the pastels get when you layer them is very fun and allows for so many possibilities. I will post the picture in the forum when I am done! Patience is definitely important here like you mentioned.

  8. I actually got a pack a small boards for this lesson, I’ve not done this lesson yet.
    Its a pack of five 9×6 inch oil pastel board by Reeves and I bought set of Faber Castell oil pastels.
    When I’ve done this lesson, I’ll post feedback on what I thought of both the boards and oil pastels 🙂

  9. That is a beautiful drawing. I am unfamiliar with pastels, and do not do as well as with graphite and colored pencil. I do have oil and chalk pastels. Not my favorite medium. Do not like the dust. But i do want to try to get better and really give them a try because I like your finished result!

  10. Wish you could do more oil pastels demos. Just started using them this week after watching your series on soft pastels. I have used soft for many years, and have learned a great deal from tutorials! I did a bunch of small landscapes this week in the oil pastels, and I really like it. Most of my work has been portraits for the last 10 years.

  11. Hi Matt! I just started your video courses this year and It has helped me improve my work a lot! Thank you so much!!!!! I was wondering with the oil pastels, does the type of paper or the brand of oil pastels have a different effect on the drawing? I used a Pro Art drawing pad and some of the colors did not want to blend well.

  12. I am really enjoying the lessons. Having the photo reference you are using would be a big help. I like the detailed drawing tutorials you send out. I was expecting more of that in this course.

  13. Hi Matt,
    Not sure if you are still monitoring comments but it would be helpful on the tutorial to know what size the drawing is, especially when the photo reference is no longer available. The ebook frames appear to have a 1:2 ratio but the finished drawing looks more like a 4:5. Not knowing, I am going with an 8 x 10 & hope the proportions work out.
    Thanks for another great tutorial.

  14. Hi Matt,

    this is really great!
    I would love to try some oil pastels.
    Can I draw first with the pencil and then on top of that with the oil pastels?

  15. Hi Matt,
    Can you please advise what kind of paper is suitable for oil pastel. I have attempted with sketch paper and water colour paper and they don’t work. Perhaps the oil pastel I have is a cheap one, my kids’, any recommendation? Thanks.

    • Hi Faith,

      Any pastel papers will work just fine. Cold press watercolor paper should also be more than acceptable. I like Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper for oil pastels.

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