Oil Pastel Drawings with Shrushti

Welcome back!! In this post I will talk about how to create your own oil pastel drawing. As we have learnt about gathering the necessary materials like a canvas, oil pastels, blending tools and some tips like how to blend pastels and reduce mess. Let us now see how to start practicing… 1.     Choose a subject you want to draw a.     Well this step looks really basic as we all know that we need to choose a subject. But here, as you are trying it for the first time select something easy and basic. It will help you gain some confidence with the techniques. b.     Begin with images that contain 1 to 3 colors, and with these 2 to 3 colors you can create different shades so you will still have plenty to work with. 2.     Draw a rough sketch to plan your image a.   Don't draw too many details – focus on getting your outline and getting a feel for the paper.  b. Don't draw the sketch with pressure as it might not co...

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 t...

In my previous post I wrote about how oil pastels are for everyone and some benefits of using oil pastels. In this post I will be writing about some basics to follow as beginners.  Lets start with the basics..... What do you need to know? Artists new to oil pastels should strongly consider beginning with the best quality oil pastels you can afford. As the quality of oil pastels can really make a difference in the final work as there are number of factors like shades, quality, price. There are many different quality pastels available in the market that are broadly divided into "Artistic quality" and "Student quality".  If an entire set of high-quality oil pastels isn’t possible, the subsequent best thing is to get some individual sticks of oil pastels from an artist-quality brand. You could mix the two together as you work, and it also helps to draw comparisons between artist-quality and student-quality. I have seen beginners getting frustrated with using oil pastels...

My name is Shrushti Hathi and I like drawing with the help of oil pastels. Like many people, I was first introduced to oil pastels in elementary school art class  after which we were supposed to learn painting with water  colors. I have recently started drawing with oil pastels and I definitely  think it is worth the try..   When I show my drawings , people often have a hard time identifying the medium, and when I tell them, they’re still surprised.  Often, they’ll say:  “Oil Pastels? Aren’t those only for kids?"  Oil pastels are easy to use, and they’re not just for kids. Yes, there’s a learning curve- a drawing done in oil pastel usually needs a little development to look good, and that can scare people away. But there are huge benefits to using oil pastels. Oil pastels are cheap, easy to clean, easy to transport, easy to control, and perfect for artists of all ages and skill levels. Unlike oil painting, an oil pastel can be done quickly, with v...