Part 2: Oil Pastels – Informed Decisions: Brands and Papers
Journey from almost Giving up on Oil Pastels to Mastering it.
For every Artistic person, there is an art medium that will set that person’s soul ablaze and there begins a passion affair, it takes trying new mediums to find out what that is though. For me that happens to be oil pastels. Why oil pastels though? I mean we hardly hear of many people use this medium. Well, I suspect that from my beginner experience I can say that I almost did not become an Oil Pastelist myself.
When we try new mediums, we are inclined to trying student grade materials just to test it out and see if we would like it. It did not occur to me that not all brands of oil pastels are created the same or that there were different grades. Having started off with student grade materials, I almost tossed that venture away altogether. I found that I was fighting against the medium. That the vision I had in mind was a struggle to achieve and intuitively I believed that making art should not feel frustrating but therapeutic and rewarding. Upon doing some hardcore research of the best oil pastels in the world, I had come across a Swiss Brand - Caran d’Ache Neopastels. There weren’t too many reviews out there but the few that I did see, I felt convinced that it would be at least better than what I was using, and so I took the plunge and bought the biggest box set that I could find. That turned out to be one of the best decisions that I had made.
That is when my art journey changed!
It is a beautiful experience when you open that box, made so thoughtfully, sturdy, with a slot to hold each individual pastel, you get that grounding, earthy smell. Your eyes are thrilled by the rainbow of possibility that this one gift to yourself affords you. I love how the set of 96 is presented in two trays, and it has these practical velvet tabs on either side to pull out the first tray (which you can lay inside the lid and save table space). The first tray is filled with bright, vibrant colors. The second tray filled with what I would say are the muted, natural and neutral colors. The sticks are a nice width that fits comfortably in one’s hands and upon laying the first stroke on a test paper, I remember how velvety it felt. Somehow, everything screams, “Luxury experience, money well spent, love at first stroke!” Ok, enough of memory lane, let’s get to why you are reading up on Oil Pastels.
Why Oil Pastels?
This medium is really versatile, offering a lot of flexibility in its application and achievable outcomes. It is immediate pigment to surface, no hassle, mixing, worrying about things drying or being wet, you can start a piece and work a fast pace, layers upon layers or come back to it after even years. It can be applied dry or wet by using it with solvents on a brush and achieve a painterly look. You can achieve many styles and genres, from abstract, oil painterly, fantasy, impressionistic to even realism. Achieve bright art to monochromatic, structured or lose, whatever your heart desires. Great for plein-air as well as these Caran d’Ache Neopastels do not melt in the sun, do not get hard in the cold, wet in the rain or ever dry up when left open!
If you are new to the medium, chances are that you will explore and figure out what style you would prefer or if you have a favorite subject or like diverse subjects. I found that this medium can accommodate for almost anything that I had in mind. The best part about Oil Pastels is the immediacy and intimacy that is afforded in the sense that you could use your fingers as a “brush” to blend colors, pull, push, smooth out like finger painting (optional not necessary). It offers a thrilling tactile experience of directly imposing your vision onto your preferred surface (which is not restricted to paper or canvas but even glass, metal, or even leather. There is a real appeal to that for me, to directly create. It is also easy to clean up mistakes and rework an area if required. There are ways of getting clean lines like breaking a pastel and using the sharp edge, or using the edge of a thick board for straight lines, creating a cut out template and much more.
What tools are used?
Caran d’Ache Neopastels:
I am passionate about this Swiss brand, as I have used others, even ordered other international options that are now just collecting dust because my primary work horse pleases every single time. Yes, it is pricier compared to others but take a moment to understand why. It is professional grade made for Artists. What’s the difference you may ask or why is it important? It is the difference between whether you may end up loving or hating the medium. Whether you are an Artist exploring this medium for the first time, or a Beginner, I learned that it makes sense to give ourselves the best chance of succeeding. Oil Pastels are created with the main ingredients being pigment and a type of binder. Affordable, student grade pastels use more binder(wax) and less pigment. The pigment is unflattering and your art will fade, look dull and waxy, and you will struggle because of the high binder content, application will be harder and frustrating. When you invest in professional grade, there is very little binder (oil as opposed to wax) and more pigment, pure pigment as it is mined from the earth (probably why it smells so earthy, the smell just before it rains but nicer). This allows for effortless application of color, smoother blending, with the highest pigment payoff. It is wise to consider things like lightfastness, the ability of the pigment to endure harsh UV rays and extend the life span of your work by not fading. Each Caran d’Ache Neopastel color stick has an individual lightfast rating. It has some of the best ratings amongst top brands.
Its consistency is a balance between medium and firm for precision. Some colors are softer than others and that is common amongst professional grade pastels as each color is made up of pure pigments, that means that the consistency tends to vary as each stick has its unique formula. I have not found that to be a problem as there is always a creative workaround and sometimes is an advantage. I love that it is not too hard, when you apply pressure or it accidentally drops on porcelain tiles, it survives in one piece (Tried and tested, accidents happen!). Also, that it is not so soft that holding it for a few minutes in your hand, it starts to melt. Personally, I found it hits the sweet spot!
This brand creates their products the way that we artists create art. When you use any of their products, you sense that a lot of thought, testing, perfecting, precision and so much more went into it so that you, the artist can have a passionate experience creating. I feel strongly about quality because, the lack of quality almost had me not explore this medium. It is a make-or-break situation. I would advise that if you feel that you are unsure if you would be interested in this medium, to rather try a smaller set of 12 Caran d’Ache Neopastels or purchase some lose ones rather than to settle on a larger set of something student grade. I was there, when my first student grade material did not perform, I bought another one thinking that it was a bad batch, only to find out that it was the same, and bought a few more other types only to have a similar experience of fighting with the medium and application. I now have a pile of sitting ducks that ended up being a waste of money. Perhaps this is the reason that there aren’t many Oil Pastelist around, people almost quit before they start and do not discover its potential. Now I am fighting not against my medium but against limitations, which is exercising another level of creativity and I think I am winning, and you can too!
One of the other advantages of using Pro grade stuff like the Neopastels is that you have the option to purchase individual colors and top up on colors that you see you are running low on because it is also sold open stock as well as in sets. It would be impractical to buy a whole set just to top up a few colors so. That, in my books, is an absolute and practical win!
Fabriano Papers:
Paper is as important as quality oil pastels are (yes, I sing this song a lot!). These Italian papers play so well with oil pastels. Paper preference, is a very subjective choice depending on what one wants to achieve. The rule of thumb with this medium is to choose a paper that has a textured surface. That is called “tooth”. It is like hills and valleys in the paper that allows the pastel pigment to grip and hold on to the paper. The more layering that is requires, the toothier the paper needs to be. If you choose to experiment with solvents, then you would need to consider using a paper that can handle wet application as well. So far, there are two types of paper that I favor for using Oil Pastels (after sampling many others).
Fabriano Mixed Media 250gsm Paper: The name says it all, it can handle both wet and dry applications. It has a medium tooth to it and is sturdy. It also has the benefit of being versatile in application so if you wish to explore with multiple mediums, this is a great choice. It is also durable enough to handle masking, erasing, scraping (basically harsh treatment) and is Acid free.
Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Cold Press 300gsm Paper: This has a rougher but uniform tooth to it compared to the Mixed Media, but has the advantage of being 100% cotton. There is something about cotton paper that screams, “Premium” to me! I enjoy the way it feels and responds to layers of blending oil pastels. It also handles masking, erasing and scraping and is archival.
Why is Acid Free Paper Important?
Well, I like to think of paper as a foundation and I recommend to start on a great foundation to create great works of art. You spend hours creating your masterpiece, pour yourself into your art piece and want it to last a long time without worrying about the paper degrading over time. Acid and paper are enemies. If you are just starting out, Acid free paper is great. If you want to sell your art and have them last a longer time, then 100% cotton paper or high cotton contents paper means that because it is made out of cotton pulp (organic), it is naturally acid free. It would have a longer life span and take a few centuries before seeing signs of deterioration (acid burn, yellowing, thinning). Both papers can be purchased in pads, sheets or rolls. I found that I enjoy using sheets as I can really customize what size art I want to create and cut the sheets to size, leaving enough space for framing.
That covers the most important part, look out for Part 3 for more on all the tools I use.
Happy Creating Friends!
Artsy Regards
Sarika Purchase
