Anna Koliadych - Oil Pastel Masterpieces in 4 Easy Steps: 50 Beginner-Friendly Projects Anyone Can Do

Oil Pastel

MASTERPIECES IN 4 EASY STEPS

ANNA KOLIADYCH

Author of the bestselling 15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces and founder of DearAnnArt

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TO MY SWEET SON, LEO.

You are my love, universe and the biggest inspiration.

Hello, my name is Anna. I am an illustrator, artist, art teacher and also a very happy personand already a mom of one little boy. My artistic journey began six years ago when I first picked up watercolor paints. From there, it only continued to grow as new mediums became available for me to explore. I havent stopped creating since thenthe world of art exploration just keeps getting bigger every day! This book covers everything you need to know about how oil pastels work and how to get started with them yourself. Oil pastel is my new passion, and I believe it will be the new trendy medium in the future.

Why oil pastel? I was looking for a new medium to try because I love to explore new mediums, techniques and styles. When I first tried oil pastels, it took me by surprise! Its absolutely different from watercolors and gouache, which is what I had been working with before. I wasnt sure at first whether the material would be right for my work. But I didnt give up and kept trying. After months of learning, looking at millions of works done by other artists with this material and practicing a lotthe techniques finally clicked! Today, oil pastels are a huge source of creativity for me. This medium is amazing! Its easy to draw with, and the colors are so varied that your eyes run wild when you see a box of yummy oil pastels. All it takes to get started drawing with this medium is patience, a little guidance and practice. And if you hold this book in your hands, then you are on the right track.

What is the book about? This book will help you get started drawing with oil pastels if you are a complete beginner. It includes 50 easy projects that can be done in four simple steps and mastered by anyone, even if youve never tried this medium before. With the projects in this book, you will learn to confidently practice drawing skills with oil pastels. Youll be able to discover for yourself what its like to use these materials and quickly see that theyre not difficult at all! The best way is always through practicing something newso give it a try. If you are an artist in other mediums, this book will be interesting and helpful. If youre looking to try something new or gain inspiration for your current work, give it a read.

The format of the book is straightforward and easy to follow. The first part contains all the techniques you need when working with oil pastels, including a list of tips and tricks that will come in handy later on. I have tried my best to keep explanations simple without any unnecessary fluffonly important information! The second part of this book is about practice projects. There are six chapters with different themes, from stunning landscapes (). Each project contains step-by-step instructions and color schemes, so you wont get lost in the creative process. Art is not just a form of expression, its the way to heal and grow. Allow yourself to make mistakes and experiment. Enjoy each moment you will spend with this book because its going to be a lot of fun! I hope youll love oil pastels and that it will bring joy into your life.

With love,

Anna

Oil pastel is incredibly versatile and has beautiful, vibrant colors. I really appreciate this medium due to its unique texture, soft application and rich color quality. As an artist, it took me some time to understand this medium, but once I did, I fell in love working with it. Oil pastel is a graphic medium formed from colored round or square sticks or pencils with pastel cores. Another name for pastel sticks is pastel crayons. Here are the specifics you need to know about oil pastels:

Its a very versatile medium: it can be used for sketching, but also for sustained works in different styles. Oil pastels can be applied to a range of papers, such as drawing paper, special paper for oil pastels, mixed-media paper or watercolor paper.

You can draw with oil pastels on white, toned or even black paper.

Oil pastels are considered a fast medium because they are easy to draw with and convenient to carry.

Oil pastel can be blurred on paper or other surfaces.

Oil pastel colors can be blended easily.

Oil pastels are a water- and light-resistant medium.

You can work in two ways with oil pastels, from light to dark layers, or from dark to light layers.

Oil pastels can stain your hands and other surfaces. And the crayons themselves can be stained with residues of other colors, so be sure to have a paper towel at hand at all times to clean your hands or the oil crayons.

When drawing with oil pastels, the transparency of the layers can be set by the force of pressing the crayon on the drawing surface.

Oil pastel can be used along with other mediums, such as watercolor, gouache, acrylic and colored pencils.

These are just some points that might help you tiptoe into the world of oil pastels. Further along, it will be more interesting, as we consider all the techniques and features in detail and definitely get some practice by actually drawing full-fledged projects.

In this section, I will introduce some techniques I use when drawing with oil pastels. Each of these methods will help you create a beautiful final project and learn more about this amazing material in general. Try each technique before you go on to the following chapters.

I assure you that taking the time to study and practice the techniques in this book will make you feel more confident with your drawing abilities using oil pastels.

NOTE: The names of these techniques may differ from those used elsewhere.

Blurring is a basic and effective technique of drawing with oil pastels and I use it all the time. In essence, this technique means blurring one color. As I mentioned earlier, oil pastel is a drawing medium formed into a stick. Its possible to draw directly on the paper, but you get a rather textured stroke. Which is fine if you want something like that. However, oil pastels have the ability to be blurred on paper. For this purpose, you can use a blending stump or cloth, your fingers or paper towels. Lets try this technique (see ).