Trying Oil Pastels

Oil Pastels….

Some mediums feel familiar familiar immediately. Others feel intimidating before you even start. Oil pastels where one of those for me.

I'm usually drawn to mediums that it's easier to control for precision, sharp lines, controlled shapes, clean edges. Oil pastels are almost the complete opposite of that. They're soft, messy, and stubbornly resistant to clean details. Instead of focusing on the details, oil pastels helped me worked on the overall shape of the reference.

Unexpected Learning Curve

When I first started using the Pentel pastels, I noticed something immediately: they were harder than I expected.

To blend colors together, I had to press pretty hard on the paper. It worked, but it took a lot of pressure and effort.At the same time, I kept watching videos of artists blending oil pastels effortlessly. Colors seemed to melt into each other with barely any force.

Meanwhile I was sitting there wondering…Why is mine so difficult?

Eventually I realized that not all oil pastels behave the same way. Some are firmer and more waxy, while others are softer and creamier.

Curious to see the difference, I bought a set of Meeden oil pastels. The difference was immediate.The Meeden pastels were much softer, and suddenly blending became much easier. Colors layered and mixed more naturally without needing to press so hard.

It was a good reminder that sometimes when something feels difficult, it’s not always a skill issue — sometimes it’s just the tool

What I learned:

This experiment ended up being less about oil pastels and more about how I approach making things.It reminded me that sometimes the best way to grow is to work with tools that challenge your habits.For me, that meant:

• Thinking in shapes instead of lines

• Letting edges stay soft

• Focusing on the whole composition, not just the details

Oil pastels forced me to loosen up a little, and that was probably the most valuable part of the experiment.