George Shipperley on Pastel Brands

Plateau
Oil Pastel
George Shipperley



I recently contacted Oil Pastelist George Shipperley to ask him to share what OP's he prefers. It's always interesting and enlightening to find out how successful artists approach their work and what kind of materials and mediums they use. He was kind enough to send a few paragraphs that I posted below.........

Regarding your request as to which oil pastel brands I prefer, the following are my preferences.

1. Holbein (best quality) they make a less expensive pastel also, but ALWAYS buy the better.

This is my favorite because of the large selection of colors and user-friendly consistency. The colors have depth and richness unlike any less expensive brand. They also last longer because they’re not too soft. It is very important to keep in mind that an inexpensive oil pastel will not provide what you the artist are capable of doing, but a quality product will fulfill that requirement. We want depth of color and richness of color, not the look of crayons which is what you get with the cheaper brands. Holbein also works wonderfully with a medium.

2. Sennelier (both the regular and the Jumbo size) the regular are much creamier than Holbein but extra rich in pigmentation with a smaller selection of colors. It is important to realize you should not apply Holbein over Sennelier but Sennelier over Holbein. Sennelier is so much creamier and works beautifully as a last layer. Of course you can use it exclusively also.

The jumbo size is incredible because it lasts longer and is less creamy. Great for large pieces and a good color selection.

You will find that all three of these suggestions are more expensive than any other oil pastel brand, but the opportunities and results will be rewarding, and that's what were after. Someone once told me to paint like you’re a millionaire and by that she meant when you cut material costs you also are cutting yourself out of a quality piece of work. LIFT THAT RESTRICTION AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE YOUR CAPABILITIES. This is one time we should not cut costs.

Thanks Mr. Shipperley.
What OP brands do you prefer? I recently found an amazing artist who only uses Caran d' Ache NeoPastels but the work is very much realism. I think it depends on your style of painting in OP. Maybe Op's with a Little more waxy filler is better for blending (with a turp?) in a realistic style. I don't know for sure but I'm going to find out!

George Shipperley

Cherry Blossoms in Door County



















October Warmth



















Winter Green

I first heard about George Shipperley in my Introductory OP class. Many great things were being said about his work and passion for Oil Pastel. In my conversations about OP with other artists in the Chicago area his name would invariably come up. He has a great influence on my current OP teacher and that influence spills out into her teaching. After I saw his work I immediately knew why. This is an artist who paints with a fresh and vibrant style. His paintings convey great feeling and sense of place. One can see the immediacy in which they were created. I had a hard time deciding which paintings to post here. Mr. Shipperley was so kind to give me permission to do so and is very enthusiastic about promoting and representing oil pastel so please check out his website here to view his online galleries. Make sure to read his artist statement. It is really inspiring and is a testimony of a true artist. I hope I get the opportunity to take a class or workshop with him. He teaches at The Fine Line in St. Charles IL. I'm working on getting an interview set up with him that I will post here. So stay tuned! What do you think of this Artist?

Second Painting

Tiffany Quail

This bird is cooked! At least for now. I don't consider this to be done but I have to put it away for a while. I just thought I would share with you. The ability to be able to rework OP by scraping back and layering over can be a blessing and a curse. I did this on Museum Board
and basically started off by drawing a light outline and then filling in with shapes. After my dark shapes were finished I started the detail. It was so challenging trying to interpret feathers and ruffles in a painterly impressionist way. I'm having the most trouble with the middle body, trying to connect it to the rest of the piece. I do feel that I'm learning more about how I want to approach painting with OP and this bird is just one more step in the right direction. Please feel free to give me any suggestions.

Maureen Mckee

Prairie Path Peddler
























Lake Lecco
























Sunflower's


I first saw Maureen McKee’s art hanging at the Dupage Art League in Wheaton, IL. She had won 2nd place for the painting Prairie Path Peddler. As with most paintings, seeing it in person is so much different and of course, better than online. At first I thought is was soft pastel. I was so impressed with her use of color, bold strokes and the elegant and expressive quality of her lines. She describes her own style as abstract naturalism. She has won many juried awards and is a member of The Oil Pastel Society, The West Suburban Artists Guild, and the Chicago Artist's Coalition. Please check out her website here
What do you think of this talented Oil Pastelist?

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