Create Your Own Oil Pastel Art DIY
Let’s make art together!
Have you ever used oil pastels? If not, here’s your sign. If you have, then you know just how incredible they are. Oil pastels are super fun because they’re so creamy and rich in color. And, if you love bold colors and velvety textures, these are for you.
Okay, so what about making your own art? Have you done that before? Honestly, making art can feel SO fulfilling. And the nice thing about it is that anyone can do it. Yeah, that’s right. YOU! It’s all about practice makes perfect. The more often you work out what medium(s) you like, and how often you do it, you will become consistent and find your style. It’s so exciting!
Let’s get started.
Gather Your Materials
You will want to decide on the look and feel you’re going for. How many colors do you want to experiment with? There are oil pastel sets with as little as 6 colors, and as many as 120! So if you’re good with the basics, go for fewer, but if you want the variety with many different shades and tints, go for more.
While I make oil pastel art often enough, I still have a smaller set of 36 and it’s lasted me for a while. But I also make art with many other mediums, and I go for oil pastels specifically when I want that colorful creamy vibe. So it really depends on how much you think you’ll use them, and what colors are important to you. I have this set from Michael’s.
Then, you need to choose what paper you want to draw on. There are a few different papers to choose from, but you want to select either pastel paper, canvas paper, or mixed media paper. These all are a bit more hearty to hold the medium well. I chose this colored paper sketchbook from Amazon.
While this sketchbook paper is a bit more on the thin side, the colors are beautiful, and they hold my pastels well. Also, I like handmade paper for this kind of artwork. Handmade paper has a slightly brushed textured surface and each piece is unique. I found this handmade green scrapbook paper from Amazon, and I love it.
Make a Plan
Find your inspiration! Have you decided what you want to draw? Pinterest is a very good source for gathering a mood board. Look for anything that makes you feel a certain way: architecture, nature, travel spots, food, animals, and other oil pastel drawings... Anything!
For example, I was inspired by the season. Spring had arrived and Easter was in a few short weeks, so I knew I wanted to draw bunnies, prioritizing bold colors. So, my mood board was something like this.
So go gather some inspirational images!
Test it out
Whether you’re new to this medium or not, it’s always a good idea to experiment a little bit.
You can start drawing a base with a pencil if you want, but something that I find so helpful is to use your crayon as your pencil. It doesn’t allow you to erase, so this helps you discover so much about what’s natural for you.
It’s like doing an art study! Did you know that Picasso created his artwork this way?
He re-drew the same thing (while no two are truly the same) over and over again until he liked one!
By doing this, it helps you get used to the crayons, and know what colors and layouts you like.
When I made my Spring Bunnies, I started out doing it this way. I used my selected paper as my canvas, with the oil pastels, and just started drawing until I fell in love with one. Then, I re-drew it with a pencil to re-create it for my process video.
Do The Thing!
So now you have your materials, the colors you want to use and know what you want to draw… So it’s time to do it! You may already be at a stage if you did an art study.
Here are some tips and tricks when drawing with oil pastels.
Blend! Blending oil pastels can have many effects, depending on what you’re going for. There are a few techniques to blend oil pastels. You can use a tool like a tortillon, a brush with linseed oil, or even your fingers. But, I love using the white crayon to layer on top of the colors you started with. This blends the crayon on the paper, and gives the new colors on top such a vibrant look!
Wipe off dirty pastels. Keep a rag nearby to wipe off dirty oil pastels. They easily collect color from other pastels on the paper, so if you don’t want those old colors to go in a new spot on your canvas, make sure to wipe them off!
Clean your hands often. Oil pastels tend to stick to your hands as you draw, especially if you are using your fingers to blend the colors. Make sure to use a rag to wipe your hands as you go, or plan to wash your hands in between sections.
So there you have it! This is a great base for starting to make your own oil pastel DIY artwork. It’s so much fun to play around with and the result can feel so rewarding! Tell me what you think in the comments, and show me what you made, I want to see!