6 Different ways to Blend Oil Pastels

As I had mentioned in my last post, we shall see different ways to blend oil pastels. Let us start...

There are couple of things you will need before you can follow the tutorial. All these materials are easily available at any art and craft store. You can order online so you don’t have to leave your house.

 

1.     Oil pastel set: You can refer to my previous post that will guide you to select the best from available options

2.     Surface for painting: This is also covered in the previous posts

3.     Blending tool: It will depend on the techniques you are comfortable with after reading this post.

4.     Organized work station: An organized work station is better as this will put your mind at ease. It will also get those creative juices flowing.

5.     Determination and creativity: These are not exactly tangible tools, but you’ll definitely need them when you start a new project. 

 

There are many methods to blend oil pastels, but these are some commonly used and easiest methods. Also, all the methods shall have different look/effect even if the colors used are same. Let us have a look:  

1.     Blending Oil pastels with Fingers

However, easy it sounds there are some things you should take care of. 1) Your fingers are dry as if they as it can mess up the colors. Also, use different fingers for different colors. Well, this is one of the most economical way to start with:p

2.     Tissue paper

This is the method I have used and is easier than the above one as the oil pastel sometimes can be harsh for the skin. Also, this is a less messy approach. Switching between colors is also easy. 

Q-Tips or cotton balls also give a similar effect like tissue paper and can be used as an alternative.

3.     Pastel on pastel 

This is something some of us have done in school. Blend the colors with the help of other colors. Back in school, I did not know I had learnt one of the methods of blending... We used to call it shading :)

4.     Blending stump

A blending stump is a stick of rolled soft paper with 2 pointed ends. However, the tip can bend when too much pressure is used. You can easily buy these online or in a store.

5.     Paint thinner and/or baby oil

It gives a wash like effect, but I would suggest to avoid using as some people say that the smell from this can irritate nose, eyes if used on high levels in closed spaces. However, a better alternative to this will be Baby oil. As it is not dangerous at all and, it is like a color enhancer as it makes them look smoother and brighter.

6.     Stippling

It is a method where you use small dots to create images/ patterns. Use small strokes to make sure you’re getting the stippling effect. The strokes should be choppy and uneven. People also usually use quick strokes to create additional color depth.

 

Here are few tips that will be helpful while blending:

 

1.     Apply pastels with consistent pressure

You should make sure that the pressure you apply is same throughout to make sure the thickness on the canvas is consistent. Uneven pressure will leave white spots which will be a problem when you start blending later on.

2.     Put colors close together

This will be helpful when you want to create gradation. You can even overlap the colors, it will make a smooth transition between colors. The color will look weird when you color but it will be fixed once you start blending. Applying the colors separately with space between them is okay if you actually intend to make harsh lines and distinctions. It all depends on what effect you’re trying to achieve.

3.     Blend with small, circular motions

After you overlap two colors, go over the overlapping part again with a pastel stick. Use small, circular motions to blend them together. This will make the color transition look more seamless.

 

I Hope you learned something new and picked up some tips and tricks you can use for your next art project!

As you can probably tell by now, there are so many different techniques and tools you can use to blend oil pastels. It’s good to be aware of all of them so that you can experiment and choose the ones that suit your style the most.