Oil Pastel Techniques – Painting on a Photo

Oil pastels are quite versatile and can be worked using a variety of different techniques.  You can thin them down with a paint thinner just like oil paints to create washes or you can apply them thickly as an Impasto.  Like any other medium however, they can be a bit tricky to work with in the beginning.  It is often helpful to observe other artists using oil pastels to help inspire you to develop your own unique style.

I found some really interesting videos today during a Google Video search.  In the following two videos, the artists demonstrates a really cool technique that I never thought to try myself.  She takes a regular digital photograph printed on paper and instead of using the photograph as a reference, she draws directly on the photograph, sort of  using it as a guide.

It really is an excellent way to gain immediate experience handling and using oil pastels.  Enjoy!

How To Draw – Creating Flesh Tones in Pastels

This is a quick tutorial on how to create a basic flesh tone using four colors:

* Brown
* Red
* Blue
* White

Originally this video was going to just be a private video for one of my good YouTube friends to help him learn how to make a general flesh tone, but then I figured no guts, no glory – I might as well put it up for all in case it helps someone else along the way. (So please forgive the lack of slick editing and the jumbled narration).

Pastel Drawing Techniques : Pastel Drawing Complimentary Colors

Complimentary colors in a pastel drawing will help foreground objects pop. Learn how to utilize complimentary colors with tips from a professional artist in this free instructional art video.

Pastel Drawing Techniques : Pastel Drawing Contrast & Depth

Using contrast in a pastel drawing will create depth between the objects you are rendering. Learn how to create depth using contrast with tips from a professional artist in this free instructional art video.

Get Started in Pastels: Deborah Secor Paints the Landscape

From ArtistsNetwork.TV: Deborah Secor walks you through the essentials of the pastels—different brands, useful strokes, papers and blending tools—and then shows how to cut, mount and tone your paper. She demonstrates how to use the medium to paint a landscape—from first sketch to first layers of pastel—providing plenty of tips on composition and value along the way.

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