Pastel Landscape Mastery: Oil Pastels

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This course features:
3 Hours of Instruction
15 Videos
14 eBooks
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Lesson Description

A look at using oil pastels in a pastel landscape. In this lesson, we create a landscape painting of a stream with rocks with oil pastels.

Lesson Materials

Pastel paper, oil pastels, drafting brush (optional).

Lesson Resources

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Reference Image

Course Curriculum

Lesson 1: Introduction and Materials (4:34)Lesson 2: Landscape Structure and Atmospheric Perspective (13:52)Lesson 3: The Sky (8:08)Lesson 4: Trees and Foliage (31:59)Lesson 5: Rocks in the Landscape (22:58)Lesson 6: Architectural Elements (18:57)Lesson 7: Water (20:23)Lesson 8: Silhouettes (16:06)Lesson 9: Technique - Dry Wash (9:33)Lesson 10: Technique - Wet Wash (10:04)Lesson 11: Technique - Scumbling (11:24)Lesson 12: Technique - Feathering (13:48)Lesson 13: Oil Pastels (26:23)Lesson 14: Matting and Framing (10:54)Lesson 15: Conclusion (2:21)

Lesson Discussion

  1. I love the videos but I need to see your picture reference at the beginning and also throughout in order to know where you are going in the drawings.

    • Hi Dixie,

      I would suggest opening the photo reference in a new window on your computer while you play the video. That way you can see the photo reference for the entire video, if you like. You can use the “ctrl +” (“Command +” on a Mac) function to zoom in on the reference image as well.

  2. I like to watch the video right through, then look at the photo reference, then replay it and try to emulate the instructor. My efforts are usually inferior but I find it easier to follow if I have some idea of where everything is going , especially layering. Thank you.

  3. I heard that cheap costing oil pastels can be a turn off and discouraging for the beginner. Can you tell me what brand you recommend? Also, is it true that the drawings with oil pastel will stay wet? So how is it best to store these paintings? I would like to try these oils but not sure if it will be too messy?

    • Hi Thelma,

      Using any cheap materials can be discouraging. If you are just starting out, I would recommend “Expressionist” Oil Pastels by Sakura. They are inexpensive, but fairly good quality. These are the oil pastels that I use. The binder never evaporates completely, so yes the painting “stays wet”. I would suggest storing in a drawer with a cover sheet. Oil pastels, I feel, are far less messy than soft pastels. I love oil pastels – you should give them a shot and see if you do too.

  4. I’m getting a huge amount from your tutorials thanks, but one thing I’d like explained a bit further is the colours that you use to start with and why. Often they seem very strange, almost ridiculous, but always turn out right. I’ve only just joined, so I’ll probably find a course on the subject if I dig deeper:)

  6. So beautiful! I love oil pastels.

    I’d like to add that always carrying some paper towels to wipe off your pastels is a good idea. Especially when you’re done, you want to wipe off whatever colors are stuck to them.

    I wish we saw you use the pigment-less blending pastels–those can be really effective. Though you got by *just fine* without them 😛

    • Hi Hira,

      All mediums will look a little different from each other when the art is finished, but there is a lot of overlap with oil pastels and colored pencils. So, yes a similar result is possible, but you may yourself adding more details with colored pencils.

      • Thank u
        I was trying the over lapping technique with colour pencil when drawing the rocks but having trouble by adding the lights on top please if u could help in that

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