Part 1: Oil Pastels - Myth Busters
I am excited to be writing this blog because as an Oil Pastelist, I myself only know of one or two others who use and love this medium. I may have a few ideas why this is so, given that at the beginning of my art journey, I almost did not continue to become an Oil Pastelist. Let’s explore some reasons why this may be.
Myth Buster 1: “It is a medium only for kids!”
You remember that you may have used them in art class, remember the frustration of the waxy, hard crayon-like, chemical smelly thing and think “Oh no, not that!”. You are right! It is not that. Well, the stuff used in art class is, but not all oil pastels are created the same. See, in the beginning I too thought that oil pastels are oil pastels, and it was this very misconception that almost led me to chucking it all in the bin.
“How so?”. There was a video creator who posted how to make oil pastel art and I was mesmerized. Excited, I hurried my hubby to get us to the nearest stationary shop to get some pastels and board and practice what I saw in the video. Got home, got the tutorial going and whipped out my goodies that was to bring me the joy I was seeing is possible, only to be met with frustration. So much so, that I thought that I had bought a bad batch, went back and bought another one but it was the same. Still persistent at that point, I had decided to try out but another brand and was puzzled as to why what I was doing was not working out. It hurt my confidence thinking it was user error and I felt that I was hitting my head against a brick wall.
I was eager to understand why. Afterall, I was seeing others create art with this medium effortlessly and they were breezing through what I was battling with. Upon doing research I learned a few things that made absolute sense as to why I was struggling. Here is what I learned about what was affecting my brick wall experience:
There are different grades of pastels (well, most mediums).
Student Grade:
These are for kids; they are hard because kids tend to press hard and are sometimes rough so it was built for durability. It is made up of a ratio of more (wax) binder, and a small amount of synthetic pigment. Think candle! Frustratingly, this is what’s available on the shelves at stationary shops. That is what we are exposed to when we first try to experience this medium.
The lack of information and what was easily available (and affordable) to me contributed to why I almost quit, up until I learned about the next grade.
Professional Grade:
For amateur, beginner and seasoned artists; now these are designed with a minimal amount of (oil)binder and a huge amount of pure pigment. It is student grade turned upside down.
Oil based binder means that the pastels consistency is pleasantly workable.
Pure pigments derived from elements of the earth means that the colors are intense and vibrant.
Those two components put together gives you a pastel that glides, blends beautifully, allows for layering and color that are so rich that if you lay white over black, it shows up.
This grade allows one to bring their vision to life, there is no fighting against the medium to achieve that vision. It is an experience that is the difference between driving a cheap car vs a performance vehicle. As with anything of quality, it is a pricey investment, but you get to choose your experience, joy vs frustration.
After many hours of research, hundreds of Rands wasted trying out different brands and paper, I finally found the perfect Oil Pastel and Paper Pairing. (More on that in the next blog!)
Myth Buster 2: “It is restrictive in application or in genre!”
On the contrary, it can be used to create impressionistic and abstract art, as an underpainting, a sketch medium and so much more. Personally, I have found this medium to be highly versatile. I found that I could create art across most genres even up to realism. While the colors are vibrant, there are many muted shades that allow one to blend to whatever value or tone is required. Vibrancy just means that the colors are opaque (saturated enough to show up against the previously laid color because the pastel was designed to have a high pigment payoff).
Myth Buster 3: “It is intimidating to work with!”
If you are using student grade materials and supplies to achieve artist level art, yes it will be! If you think that it is restricted then, yes it will be. As artists, when we try a new medium, we explore, experiment with different methods and techniques to find our personal style. Perhaps this medium is a little gem filled with potential and possibilities. It took for me to think out-of-the box to achieve what I achieve, and I did so with the intention of wanting people to get excited about this medium. To draw attention to it and revive its status so that more people give it a chance. As creatives, creating art is more than just applying color to canvas, there is a creativity in our methods too. This is what I personally exploited and I am still unlocking all the potential that this medium has to offer as it is so diverse and versatile.
To achieve something that has not yet been achieved, you have to think about it in a way that others have not yet thought of, unlimiting, unbound and that is where the possibilities get unlocked! Well, that and quality materials.
Look out for Part 2 of this series where I get into the juicy stuff that I hope you will find useful
Artsy Regards
Sarika Purchase
