Oil Pastel, or wax oil crayon, is a common medium for drawing and painting which is similar to pastels. These are made of pigments combined with an oil binder and a non-drying wax which is different from the French and soft pastel sticks that are made by using methyl cellulose binder or a gum. The effects of oil pastel to the painting surface are less powdery but more difficult to put with a fixative. You can achieve the effects of a pastel chalk using oil pastel by applying it lightly while Impasto effect can be achieved by having heavy build-ups. Oil can be controlled by using a brush that is dampened with solvent or vegetable oil such as linseed oil and turpentine when already applied to the painting surface. Artists also have the option to oil the painting surface, or an artist can just immerse the pastel directly to the oil.

The Sunset on Oil Pastel Painting
Oil pastel is a fast medium which is handy to carry and much easier to paint. This one of the reason why it is used often in sketching because this medium does not completely dry out. It needs to be protected with fixative which is usually applied to the painting. Another alternative solution is to put the oil pastel painting in a frame. Oil pastel also breaks down the painting surface because it does not completely dry out and has some effects on the colours of the painting. Another possible problem that you may encounter when using oil pastel is that it has the tendency to make the paper brittle because of the stearic acid. Stearic acid is also susceptible to wax bloom in which the wax and the fatty acids build up into the painting.Oil pastels are usually used on paper but it can also be used in metal, hardboard, wood glass and canvas.
There are also some common painting techniques for oil pastel such as:
- Layering
- Underpainting
- Scraping down
Here are some websites that offer oil pastels:
- http://www.schleiper.com – A website that offers extensive collection of artist’s materials.
- http://www.millers-art.co.uk – A website that is a family owned shop which opened in1834 and provides a wide selections of oil pastel.
- http://www.chromosart.co.uk – A UK based website that also offers fine arts and craft materials.
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