Q&A for How to Draw With Oil Pastels

You can use turpentine or other plant-based oils like walnut, linseed, or sunflower oil for a smoother transition. Just put a little oil on a cotton swab, Q-tip, or cloth and rub it along the drawing.

Yes, because if you want more than twelve shades, you can make them by mixing colors. Just apply one color on top of another one and blend.

Yes, you can blend the colors with cotton.

Not really. You can just blend them with your finger like the article says. Plus, if you're not careful you could get the paper wet.

Contrasting colors like orange and blue look good in one picture. Or you can use black, white, and one other color such as purple. Cool tones look good with other cool tones, warm tones look good with warm tones. Look at the color wheel to make nice looking combinations.

Draw small things first and use minimal pastels. As you improve, draw larger objects and beings, slowly increasing the size and amount of pastels being used. In time, it will become easier, provided you're not trying to do too much too soon. It's an art style that must evolve gradually, in its own way.

Yes, but they are often much more expensive and extremely messy. The color may smear and blend together. Also be aware that not all oil pastels are non-toxic, and some may be unsuitable for children.

Just as descibed above. Be aware that it will take much more time and effort for the color to blend thoroughly. Copy paper is smooth, and will hold less pigment from your pastels.

Try buying a good set of pastels, or just rub and make the pencil marks light before covering them with the oil pastel.

You should start with the darker colors first and layer different colors on after that.

Apply a small amount of bleach water on the spot. Rub with an old toothbrush for few seconds. Then wash it with water.

Bad pastels may mean cheap ones...Buy the best you can afford and persevere.

Oil pastels typically work the best if you use them on paper.

You don't have to use sanding paper; you can simply wipe off the "stump" with a paper towel or old rag.

If you want the text on top of the oil pastels, you could use a white oil pastel. Otherwise you could lightly outline the letters in pencil and then color everything but the letter space, leaving just the white background of the paper to serve as the text.

In my classroom, we have had good results spraying clear sealer on the oil pastel drawings.

It could be useful to do that if you want it to stay for a long time without smudges.

Try using a piece of cotton or a piece of tissue if blending with your fingers is difficult.

Erase your pencil marks before you start using the oil pastels.

Not at all! Whether or not you blend the colors is entirely up to you, depending on what you want your final piece to look like.

No, that just worsens the quality of the oil pastel.

Tissue in this context refers to Kleenex.

If you put on lighter colors first, it'll be even worse. Maybe you aren't using the right blending techniques or you need to press harder (but not so hard that you break the pastel).

Hold it at a 30-degree angle, pointed down at the paper. If you want more color, hold it sideways.

I would recommend sketching a little bit lighter. If that doesn't work, you may want to try another kind of pastels.

Try to let either your hands or your drawing heat up a little bit. Don't make it too hot, but a little heat will allow the pastels to smear.

Select three colors: your "main color" (for example red for a strawberry), a color for lights (perhaps yellow for our example), and color for darks (the complement of red, which is green). Layer, layer, layer the colors. Start with a layer of red, add the yellow highlights and green shadows. Finally, layer the red back on top of all of it to blend.

No, because it will not adhere to the smooth surface. You can always use a rough paper so that it will stick well.