Oil Pastel papers and surfaces

For the beginner the type of paper or surface you decide to paint on is something you just have to experiment with. Because of the OP's versatility (you can paint on paper, wood, glass) it opens up a lot of surface possibilities. In my first painting it was suggested to me to try printmaking papers. I really liked the way the OP absorbed into the surface and allowed me to build up layers while retaining vibrancy. I have been experimenting with different weights and brands of these papers and find myself favoring the heavier ones. Some OP artists like smooth surfaces such as Arches hot press watercolor paper or smooth illustration board. This is a great option for smoothing out the pastel such as one would do in portraits and fine detail. It all depends on how you want to approach your painting. I realized quickly that I like to paint more aggressively and really layer the color up to a point of thick impasto. So as a result I keep seeking out heavier papers to hold the OP. I'm also starting to discover that I should be moving toward a paper that has a toothier surface. I really like the effect of scumbling in OP and can imagine it would be even more pronounced with a rougher paper. Ultimately you will have to decide what surfaces suit your style of painting. I just bought a piece of Colourfix paper and have yet to try it out. What paper or surface do you like best? I'm open to suggestions! Below I'm going to list some papers that offer different qualities that that are desirable for oil pastel.

Pastel Paper (a good site to research and buy these papers is online @ Dakota Art Pastels)
Printmaking Papers (you might have to search a little harder for these. Try camera shops)
Mat board-acid free
Illustration Board
Colourfix ( these are coated papers that you can get in many colors)
Wallis Sanded Paper
Watercolor Paper
Museum Board

Contemporary Fauve Artist

Just a quick notice to let you know about a great OP artist I found on the web. Jane Aukshunas paintings are so vibrant and colorful. In the artist statement on her website she says her work is inspired by the European Artists "The Fauves" which include Gauguin and Matisse. Check out her website here

Happy Holiday!

I hope you enjoy the works of my latest featured artist. I plan to do a short interview with Mr. Berridge in the future along with more features from other amazing oil pastel artists. So stayed tuned for that. Hopefully, I will finish my 2nd oil pastel over the weekend and will post it here asap. I'm actually painting two simultaneously. So we will see which one makes it first. Soon, I would like to talk about surfaces and would love to get some feedback on what other OP artists are using.

Julia

David Berridge

The Hills of Warren, Arizona with Valerie



















Cypress Creek










Shadow'd Grasses

I'm very pleased to be able to feature the work of an artist who I find so talented and inspiring. David Berridge placed 1st in the Oil Pastel Society's 2005 show and has published works in the July 2005 issue of "The Artists Magazine" and the October 2005 issue of "American Artist". He is a self taught artist who began his artistic endeavors 30 years ago. His latest work is a homage to early California Impressionists. The recent paintings show rich, earthy sepia and gold tones, dramatic landscapes and the depth and skill of artists from that movement. Mr. Berridge states on his website "I want viewers to have more than a pleasing image to look at. I want them to experience what I felt in the creation of the work". I think he does. His work is a great example of how the oil pastel lends itself to creating that wonderful rich and broken color. He was kind enough to send me an example of his process and we see that he lays down his initial drawing in sepia. Ive included that here along with a couple of my favorites. Please visit his website here.

Carol Zack

Relaxing at The Biltmore
Oil Pastel 2007
Artist's private collection

Carol Zack is a Chicago area artist who works in OP's. Her work is vibrant, painterly and shows the versatility of the medium. She states on her website that she is "inspired by the Impressionist artists with their spontaneous use of broken color" and it's clearly evident in her use of color and bold expressive strokes. She has a special and unique technique that she employs in some of her work that incorporates torn tissue paper with oil pastel layered on top. It gives her pieces an exciting, colorful textured look. Carol is also an instructor in the Chicago area and teaches at the Fine Line in St. Charles IL and at the DuPage Art League in Wheaton, IL. Please check out her website.

Oil Pastel Brands

After my initial introduction to various brands of OP's it was very clear that the front runners were Sennelier and Holbein. Sennelier was the first oil pastel ever made. Pablo Picasso and Henri Goetz approached Henri Sennelier in 1947 with the idea of designing a pastel that they could use directly on the canvas without it being primed. Picasso particularly wanted to be able to use it on any surface such as wood, metal, paper, etc. The Sennelier has a texture more like a dry lipstick and I find it's best for blending, realism or final touches. The Holbein is drier in texture and acts more like a soft pastel. It's easy to put this square stick on it's side and apply color in bold strokes. I personally prefer the Holbein. At least that's how I feel at the moment. I'm still in the newbie stage with these sticks. It most definitely is something each artist will have to experiment with and work out for themselves.

First oil pastel

Herrick Park 2007
Printmaking paper

Although there are some things I like about this painting, in general I am very unsatisfied with it. It really was just a learning process, teaching me what the OP can do. First I created a dark underpainting using the resin gel, then working from a digital photo I had taken from a local forest preserve I started applying color. I just started making marks, scratching into the pastel and scumbling to add texture. The tree was the part that gave me the most trouble. I reworked it countless times. But..... that just shows you the OP versatility. How many mediums can you rework until your satisfied. There are some restrictions to this but in general a very flexible medium.

Underpainting

One of the first things I learned in my oil pastel class introduction was how to create the under painting. There are various ways to go about an under painting in oil pastel but the easiest and most immediate is to block in shapes with color, use the side of the crayon and apply the color all over the surface. Next, use a non-toxic product called "Res-n-Gel" available at most art supply stores. Take a clean paper towel and just rub in a small amount over your blocks of colors and eventually it will all smooth out and create a wash effect. The colors should dulled or grayed down at this stage so you can apply brighter colors on top. I find it's very important to use your darks at this stage because in this medium you usually want to work from dark to light. I have seen some artists use turpenoids to create under paintings and washes. They seem to really break down and smooth out the OP's, but they are toxic. I personally think that the Res-n-Gel does what it needs to without the toxic effect.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. My intentions are to discuss every aspect of the "oil pastel" and try and bring as much information about it to one place. If that's what your searching for I hope this blog will be of value to you. I plan on including paintings of my own along the way in an effort to show technique and hopefully my own personal progression. I also anticipate gleaning advice from more advanced oil pastel artists through interviews, links to other blogs, websites and authors.