Have you seen those beautiful Sennelier colors yet? Or maybe you remember them from high school, those Wasco or Panda oil pastels. They were never my favorite materials before. Now that I have become acquainted with several brands, techniques and all those colors: it is becoming more and more of a favorite! Although my techniques still need some refinement, I have already learned a lot about different oil pastels.
What are oil pastels?
An oil pastel consists of a mixture of pigment, a stabilizer and a binder. The binder is often a wax or an oil. It is a material that only came into use in the early 1900s, as an expressive tool for artists.
You can use oil pastels on different surfaces without having to prepare them. My favorite way to use oil pastels is on canvas, with an abstract painting.
The special thing about oil pastels is that this material never dries up. It therefore always remains 'open' and available to start work again. You can continue to mix all the colors together.
It is possible to fix oil pastels, then you apply an extra layer over the oil pastels. This is the protective layer that seals the oil pastel. This allows you to frame a work or hang it on the wall, or, for example, apply an extra layer of oil pastel (or other material).
Different brands and types:
Each brand has a different composition. Some brands have multiple ranges, which have different compositions.
My favorite: Sennelier
Many people remain the Sennelier's favorite, this is also my favorite! Due to the composition of the fine waxes, this oil pastel almost resembles a lipstick. Full of pigment, but with exactly a fine density. They are wonderfully smooth and creamy. You can find Sennelier's oil pastels here.
Before I started selling Sennelier in the shop, I tried out quite a few brands. As with other materials, it is often the case with oil pastels: the more expensive the better ;). In addition to Sennelier, there are some other great brands that I would like to share with you. these brands are a bit friendlier to your wallet.
Pentel
This is a super affordable set. For about €15-20 you can get a set with 50 different colors. The pastels themselves are slightly smaller, but that means there are many different colors in the set. They are nicely pigmented and creamy enough. They are a bit smelly, but are great to start with. You can find the set here .
Jaxon & Derwent were disappointing
Jaxon is also an affordable brand, but is a lot less pigmented and therefore less opaque than other brands. I didn't really like Derwent's pastels. The colors in the set of 24 were disappointing, as was the price-quality ratio.
And there are several more brands. I have not yet tested other brands such as Caran d'ache Neocolor, Gallery, or Van Gogh oil pastels, so I cannot say anything about them.
View all oil pastels here.
NeoColor II by Caran d'Ache
A very nice variation on these oil pastels are the Neocolor II from Caran d'Ache. These look very similar to oil pastels, but are soluble with water! The pastels do not feel greasy and can also be used as a watercolor paint. Naturally, they are made with strong and lightfast pigments. And bonus tip: because of the shape you can also sharpen them in your regular pencil sharpener :).
View them here .
What is your favorite (oil) pastel?
Love,
Judith
