Expressive Oil Pastels Workshop

About

Age group and abilities to be taught        

• 18 years and above.
• Suitable for all abilities

Course aims and skills/knowledge to be taught

• To encourage the use of oil pastels in your work.
• Exploration of technique and different mark making.
• How to use different grounds to shape and influence the drawing.
• A basic understanding of colour principles and relationships – and how to use a limited colour palette.

Course outline for Expressive Oil Pastels Workshop

Morning activity

• Through a series of studies participants will explore various oil pastel techniques, working on different grounds. Suggestions to bring along with you are:
  • oil pastel paper, mounting board, watercolour paper, cartridge paper, sugar paper, newspaper, ) to create exciting and vibrant paintings.
• Oil pastel gives immediate results so the student can concentrate solely on the exploration of colour and technique.

Afternoon activity

• The afternoon will be spent putting into practice what has been learnt in the morning, to work up a finished painting, using images supplied by the student.
• The group will discuss their work together.

Materials and equipment required by workshop students

• Oil pastels, to include a good variety of colours. When buying oil pastels the best ones on the market are Sennelier, it’s expensive as it contains a high proportion of pigment, but it has a lovely creamy quality which is malleable and enables you to experiment a wide range of techniques. Pentel do a less expensive oil pastel. Make sure you buy oil pastels and not oil crayons (Caran d’Ache for example are oil crayons).
• A variety of paper e.g.oil pastel paper (Sennelier); bright coloured paper (Cass Art do a brilliant A4 pad called Kids Coloured Paper in red, yellow, green, blue, and white, which is great to use oil pastels on): Cass Art also does A4 bright coloured card in packs of yellow, red, green, blue, and orange, 210 gsm; smooth cartridge paper e.g. Daler Rowney Smooth – Heavyweight paper 220gsm; newspaper.
• Oil fixative (optional)
• Putty rubber
• Masking tape
• Turps substitute (low odour) – I use Zest-it
• Old credit card or store card
• Craft knife
• Sketchbooks to work colour ideas on.
• Masking tape.
• Reference material – eg. Participants own photographs, magazine cuttings, etc.
• Participants may find wet-wipes useful for cleaning hands. 

Materials and equipment provided

While materials and equipment are to be provided by the participants there may be an opportunity to try some of the tutor’s materials should they wish to.

• Easels and drawing boards

Methods of assessing outcomes

• Group discussion and tutor feedback
• Completion of the evaluation form