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If you think that oil pastels are just a pricier version of
the wax crayon, this book will show you how they have really
come of age. From their invention in the early 20th century
to the acid-free and non-yellowing type we use today, they
are surprisingly versatile and mix well with other art media.
I confess to having no idea of their origins, so found the
short history very interesting. This book will particularly
appeal to anybody who possesses existing art skills (and materials)
but wants to discover how to incorporate oil pastels in their
work. It is a beginner’s guide to this and not a primer
on how to draw and paint. Discover what brand the author buys
and what else he suggests you can use. A surprising array
of different materials and tools come into play, from a hairdryer
to a scalpel, acrylic and watercolor paints, and inks, encaustic
iron, hot glue gun and many more.
Prepare a variety of surfaces and work through
several exercises on mark making, graffito, stenciling, masking,
using solvents, working with other types of paint and more.
Each exercise will produce a painting, the best way of learning
any art technique. After the basics there are several projects,
which show in classic Search Press style (i.e., many captioned
photographs for a foolproof learning experience) what to do.
Paint flowers, a street scene in Venice, trees, a harbour,
a dog and a country cottage. Learn, too, how to frame your
work and look after it. It shows how art doesn’t have
to be about just one medium, but mixing it up a bit can produce
some excellent results, and also how versatile modern materials
can be.
If you cannot find a good range of oil pastel painting materials
locally try http://www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.
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