Layering Colors When Painting With Oil Pastels
Painting with oil pastels is similar to drawing with colored pencils except your finished product is similar to an oil painting. Some of the same layering techniques used with pencils, such as cross hatching, are used for oil pastels. An oil pastel is a medium that can be used on canvas, paper or prepped hardboard. Oil pastels can't be mixed before applying to the canvas or paper, so you have to use them in layers to achieve color variations and shading.
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Cross Hatching
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Layering oil pastels can be done by a technique known as cross hatching. This is where you apply the oil pastel over another color in thin, angled lines. You work the layer over the first color by sweeping it across diagonally. This technique is used to liven up dull, flat colors on the artwork. Heavier cross hatching in certain spots of the painting can shade and shadow items in the foreground. Artists also use a cotton swab or a finger to blend layered cross hatched spots on a painting to smooth and blend the colors.
Color Washes
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When applying two layers of oil pastels to the artwork, you may use rubbing alcohol or odorless mineral spirits to create a color wash. The technique creates the same effect as diluting an oil paint to have lighter variations of color on the painting. The oil pastel colors blend smoother when using a color wash than when you use your finger. Dip a paint brush into the alcohol or mineral spirits and tap off the excess solution. Run the paint brush over the layered area you wish to color wash. Work in small areas so you can control the moisture on the painting and keep the paint from blending into the next section.
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Scumbling
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Scumbling, also known as glazing, can help you layer your oil pastels to create a haze over an opaque color. The second color highlights the base color without masking it or covering it up. Scumbling is often done with only two colors to keep the translucent effect. Adding more oil pastels may cloud the colors. Scumbling is frequently used to create a background or to give the painting more of a mystical ambiance. To scumble your layers, apply a base color oil pastel to your painting. Gingerly drag the broad side of the second oil pastel over the base color.
Sgraffito
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Sgraffito is a way to layer oil pastels and produce fine details in your painting. To use the sgraffito technique, you need to thickly layer your oil pastels and scrape away the pastels with a toothpick to create detail. If you would like your fine lines to be white, use a white oil pastel before layering the color. To create a leaf, you would layer a white pastel, then a series of greens and browns. Drag a toothpick on the leaf to create vein lines. Clean the end of the toothpick frequently with a paper towel when removing the pastels.
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References
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