Horses in Art Magazine - Art for the Horse Lover

A New Generation of Oil Pastel

by Linda Shantz

Subtle Majesty — Oil pastel on colorfix, 12 x 9, by Linda Shantz that won Second Place, Pastel, Art at the Classic, Draft Horse Classic, 2005.
For many artists, the mention of oil pastel conjures up memories of grade school and those hard, waxy sticks of color that were a step up from crayons. Not only were these pastels difficult to manipulate, they raised questions about the medium’s longevity which perhaps inspired concerns in the artists’ community about oil pastels as a legitimate fine art medium.

As a teenager, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a decent artists’ quality product that I was able to work with. I’ve always shied away from the dusty art products – charcoal and soft pastels, specifically – so for me, oil pastels were a natural graduation from pencil drawings to the world of color. Now, oil pastels are emerging as a viable fine art medium with some very reputable manufacturers promoting high-quality products.

The key to professional quality oil pastels is the use of inert oils in their manufacture. Pigment is bound by a balance of oil and wax, allowing application to a variety of grounds. While one of the concerns arising with oil pastel is the fear that the oil will react with and break down paper, the use of inert oils used in professional grade products prevents this problem.

The manner in which oil pastels can be used depends only on the creativity of the artist. A number of grounds are commonly used, from traditional pastel and sanded papers, to gessoed canvas or even wood surfaces. Oil pastels work well in combination with other media – an underpainting of water-based media is possible, or conversely, they can be used with oil paints. They work particularly well with colored pencil, as both use wax as a binder. The medium can be manipulated by a finger covered with cloth, with tortillons (also known as stumps), and various solvents can be used to move the pigment around to create different effects.

In most cases the end product needs to be framed behind glass, but some artists have experimented with the use of acrylic medium that allows the finished work to be displayed as an oil or acrylic would. Oil pastel artwork should never be sprayed with fixative. Not only is it quite unnecessary (as it binds readily with the ground and does not lift off in the way soft pastels do), it will leave an unsightly film.

In 2004 the Oil Pastel Society was created in order to educate both the art-buying public and artists to dispel some of the myths associated with this medium. Many of its members are former soft pastel artists who were driven to find something new due to allergies and problems that developed from working with the pigment dust.

Traditional pastel artists still debate the use of the word “pastel” to describe the younger, oil-based medium. They claim it should be reserved for the original clay-based form. Oil pastel artists, fuelled by the Oil Pastel Society, continue to grow and educate others about oil pastels.

The argument as to whether oil pastel should or should not be grouped with traditional “soft” pastel is sure to continue for many years to come. With the availability of high-quality artists’-grade products however, the concerns as to the archival attributes of oil pastels should be laid to rest. We are sure to see more of this versatile medium as it continues to gain acceptance.

For more information on the Oil Pastel Society visit, www.oilpastelsociety.com To view more of author/artist Linda Shantz’s work visit www.lindashantz.com.

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