oil pastels good for sketching

[jackiesimmonds]

Thought you might like to see these pages from my sketchbook. Each figure is sketched very roughly and quickly, using Caran D'Ache oil pastels, the colour only there as a suggestion, rather than a fully-worked painting.

This is a good medium for quick sketches. You can create sensitive, broken lines, but also quickly whack in areas of colour if you want to.

I could have made the colour areas even more positive with heavier pressure on the sticks, but I thought it would make a change to have something UNDER-worked!!
I like the sketchiness of these.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/06-May-2003/1805-op_sketches.JPG

Here is the whole double-page spread:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/06-May-2003/1805-opsketchesdoublepage.JPG

and a close-up to show the technique:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/06-May-2003/1805-dancer_close-up.JPG

Taking a small set of oil pastels out on a sketching trip would clearly be quite a good idea!

Jackie
www.jackiesimmonds.co.uk

[Sueb]

An excellent idea! Oil pastels are very versatile and portable. And I too highly recommend the Caran d'Ache.

Sue

[angeline]

Even your sketches look fantastic!
Are these just for studying the dancers or will you use them for a bigger picture?
Just trying to see how you do things(nosey me!....lol)

[jackiesimmonds]

Hayley - you aren't nosy at all. I sketch sometimes for the fun of it, and sometimes just to "get to know" my subject matter - which was the case here.

I might occasionally use a figure in a picture, but most of these will just stay in my sketchbook.

Jackie

[Andrew]

They are a terrific drawing and sketching medium. And those dancers look great too!

Andrew

[meowmeow]

THese are wonderful Jackie! It's a great idea too! I have been keeping a little sketchpad in my car but just a pencil. This is a much better idea!


Sandy

[BTDogMom]

Jackie - u always blow my mind - these r stunning- even if they r just sketches!!:clap: :clap:

[Artaholic]

Thank you for the tip. I have an old cheap set sitting around that could be used. Your sketches are great.

Gerry

[SabZero]

These are truly nice! I wonder, however, if the pages wouldn't stick together? Do you have spacer pages or something in your sketch book?:confused:

Hope you don't mind me asking, I'm just starting out so to say ;)

[jackiesimmonds]

Well, the oil pastel is applied very lightly, and these op's are quite dry, so I dont think I will have problems with the pages sticking together. But there is no guarantee of that, I guess - I will have to see over time.

One answer to that is to use a sketchbook which has glassine interleaves - we certainly have them on the market here in the UK, so you probably have them in the US too - and hopefully in Portugal!.

Jackie

[Smudger]

Jackie - I'm sure if you had sketched them using mud and your finger they would still be stunning... you're so talented:clap:

[jackiesimmonds]

Thanks Smudger, but I am not really.......I have just worked darned hard over many years, It's all about the three P's - Patience, Perseverance and Perspiration!!

Jackie

[SabZero]

Originally posted by jackiesimmonds
Well, the oil pastel is applied very lightly, and these op's are quite dry, so I dont think I will have problems with the pages sticking together. But there is no guarantee of that, I guess - I will have to see over time.

One answer to that is to use a sketchbook which has glassine interleaves - we certainly have them on the market here in the UK, so you probably have them in the US too - and hopefully in Portugal!.

Jackie
Thanks for the answer! I'll remember to look for these interleaves... Cheers! :D