I just had a birthday, so I treated myself to Mungyo Gallery oil pastels. I wanted Sennelier, but they’re super expensive. I feel I should know more about the basics of oil pastels before investing in those. It seems like Mungyo is good for learning.
I got everything I needed from Amazon, almost. I already had these brushes, mainly from an Artally box I got. The red one is a mystery and also crappy.
The best blending stumps a gal could ask for. I saw a girl using these on Youtube after I bought them. Apparently, an artist can use the black end, too.
I’ve used linseed oil for oil paints and I recently heard it’s a good medium for pastels as well. At this point in the post, all I can say is it’s going to revolutionize the way I make pastel drawings.
I finally got the right paper:
I can’t find my sketching charcoal, and never took a pic for this entry, and it’s probably for the best. I’ll give it another shot, but it was too permanent, if you know what I mean. I couldn’t wipe it away. I think I just got the wrong thing, as this product had great reviews. Comment below if I bought the right or wrong thing.
Finally, we have the box itself. It was so pretty, I didn’t want to open it.
And when I did open it, I didn’t want to use the pastels. Again, they are pretty.
I got them before everything I needed arrived, and once I got over how beautiful they were, I couldn’t wait to swatch.
I think swatches work best over video, but here’s a pic of my swatch sheet.
In this shot, you can see the charcoal. You can also see the tape I used to give it a border. I forgot the name, but this is great tape. With my watercolor paper, it doesn’t peel off well. There was hardly a problem in the end with the paper. A tip from Donna Lexa Art Centers? Always make it less sticky by pressing the sticky side to your pants. I forgot to do that with this sketch we’re looking at, but still had success.
My preliminary drawing. See the right eye? I couldn’t wipe the charcoal away.
Other than the eye being slightly off, I feel I got it down. I will not show my reference because my art teacher in high school said nobody needs to see that. That teacher also encouraged us to use models, which is what I plan to do. For now, I am planning on using photos from the public domain, particularly the Library of Congress for vintage photos. I especially want to draw black people. Black people are a bit harder to draw, but it’s very necessary. I have always loved drawing Mexican people. I went to a high school with a lot of Mexican students and I loved their skin tones to paint. I’d be lying if I said black people don’t challenge me. I’ve been truly inspired by Amy Sherald, lately. Diversity is so important. I don’t know how it feels to walk into an art museum and not see my race represented. Below is an example of me trying to draw black people. I think it really turned out. I got permission first. I made her non-natural colors because I tend to be a Fauve. I recently drew another black person, but that’s from a secret project. I have two secret projects, both of which I can’t wait to share on Bleeding Acrylic. For now, enjoy this black goddess, Anijah.
I have a few more. Maybe I’ll do a post full of diverse beauties as a motivator to draw diverse people.
That’s a tangent. Let’s focus on the oil pastel I did this week. This was the final result:
One of my last oil pastel drawings was in late 2022.
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This is Carly. She’s a Facebook friend who let me use this pic of her. Yes, those are her real eye colors. I’ll paint her one day, if she allows. How have I improved so much, without practicing? I practice portraits with Sharpies, Number 1. It’s a very unforgiving medium. Number 2, I have added linseed oil to my practice. It makes me use less of the actual pastels. It extends the pastel’s life. Number 3, It’s juicier and less grainy
What our my final touches?
For the highlight in the eyes, I used these:
I filled in the parts where I didn’t get pastel with my watercolor pencils. They were a lovely birthday present from my friend, Hannah Maye.
I am also going to do a huge post of all my known oil pastel drawings and the stories behind them. I didn’t do a Sketchbook Sunday today because I’m resting a cold away. For Sketchbook Sundays and other entries, click the link below: