How to Use Oil Pastels

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose a Set of Oil Pastels for Beginners

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   Pick a set of oil pastels and two kinds of paper. The video uses the cheapest set available, a box of Artist's Loft pastels for about $3, to show they still work. Cheaper sticks are waxier and blend less easily, and pricier ones blend more. A mid-range set is the sweet spot. Grab smooth drawing paper and some textured pastel paper so you can compare.

   Tip:

   Keep baby wipes nearby. Your fingers are the main blending tool and they get colorful fast.

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   Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels setStrathmore 400 series drawing paper pad

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2. 2

   Step 2: Scribble Color Into the Oil Pastel Flower Petals

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   Draw a very light pencil sketch of a flower. Go over the shapes with white oil pastel first. White gives the colors something to blend with. Then scribble color into the petals. The video uses orange here, with loose strokes that do not need to be neat. You are blocking in color that you will smooth out later.

   Tip:

   Press lightly on this first layer. Heavy pressure fills the paper texture too soon.

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   Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels set

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3. 3

   Step 3: Outline the Oil Pastel Flower in a Darker Color

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   Add a second color where the light would hit, like yellow in the center of each petal. Then outline every petal in a darker color. The video uses red. The outline gives the shape a clean edge, and some of it will blend into the orange later for a warm shadow. Cover the whole drawing before you start blending.

   Tip:

   Lay down more pastel than looks right. You need enough color on the paper to push around.

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   Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels set

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4. 4

   Step 4: Blend the Oil Pastel Petals With Your Finger

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   Now rub. Use your fingertip to smear and blend the colors together until the scribbles melt into smooth color. To keep things bright, use one finger per color: one for yellow, one for orange, one for red. That stops the colors turning muddy. A paper blending stump works too if you prefer clean hands.

   Tip:

   Blend from light colors into dark ones, not the other way, to keep highlights clean.

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   Used in this steppaper blending stumps and tortillons setunscented baby wipes

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5. 5

   Step 5: Scribble an Oil Pastel Background Around the Flower

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   On white paper, a background helps the flower stand out. Scribble green around the edges of the flower. Then add a second green, lighter or brighter, so the background has something to blend with. One color smeared alone looks flat. Two colors smeared together look painted. Blend the background until most of the white paper is gone.

   Tip:

   Use vertical strokes for the background so it reads as leaves and grass.

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   Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels set

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6. 6

   Step 6: Add Oil Pastel Detail Lines Over the Blended Layer

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   Go back in with more color for a second layer. The artist adds red lines along the petals, darker accents and a few white dots for the stamens. Blend some of them in. Leave others as crisp lines. You do not have to smudge everything. Keep going back and forth until you are happy with it.

   Tip:

   Stop when it looks good to you. Overworking a waxy layer can lift color off.

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   Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels set

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7. 7

   Step 7: Start the Whale With White Oil Pastel on Pastel Paper

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   Now try textured pastel paper. The video starts with a light sketch of a whale on gray paper. Start the same way, with white oil pastel over the belly and lighter areas. Look closely and you will see a tiny pattern in the surface. That texture grabs pigment and holds more layers than smooth paper does.

   Tip:

   Toned paper means you can skip the background later. The gray already does the work.

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   Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels set

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8. 8

   Step 8: Block In the Whale With Blue Oil Pastel

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   Outline the whale in blue and start blocking in the color over the white. Fill the space fully so you have enough oil pastel to blend. The pastel catches on the paper texture and leaves a speckled look at this stage. That is normal. It smooths out once you blend it.

   Tip:

   Use two blues, a dark one along the back and a lighter one near the belly.

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   Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels set

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9. 9

   Step 9: Blend the Blue Oil Pastel Whale With Your Fingers

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   Push the color around with your fingers, the same way you did on the flower. Even on textured paper, oil pastel blends well. Work the blue into the white to get a soft gradient from back to belly. Then go back with a second layer, adding color where you want it and blending only where you want to.

   Tip:

   Wipe your fingers before touching the white belly so it stays clean.

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   Used in this stepunscented baby wipespaper blending stumps and tortillons set

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10. 10

    Step 10: Add the Final Oil Pastel Details to the Whale Drawing

    Watch this step · 5:48

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    Add the finishing details last. The artist draws a dark string from the whale's fin and colors a red and yellow balloon at the end. Small bright accents on top of a blended layer bring a drawing to life. On toned paper you can leave the background bare. It looks finished as it is.

    Tip:

    Practice every other day. Scribble a few colors and blend them to learn how they mix.

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    Used in this stepArtist's Loft oil pastels set

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Keep going

How to Paint Snow in Watercolor: Snowy Evergreen Branches

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