Oil Pastel Basics for Beginners: Blending with Fingers to create a Smooth Gradient

1. Introduction : Are you ready to dive into the most vibrant, creamy and fun art medium out there? Say hello to oil pastels. I know what you're thinking. They can be messy, and getting a smooth blend can feel impossible. But what if I told you the best tools for blending are already in your studio or even on your hands? Hi, I'm Smitha, and I welcome you to this oil pastel series on Skillshare. This beginner friendly series of short real time classes, we will demystify blending using only the simplest tools, your fingers, cue tips, and blending stumps, nothing fancy. In our very first class, we'll create a simple, smooth, analogous color gradient, and the only tool you need is your finger. If you're short on time, but big on creativity, these quick real time lessons are the perfect way to fit professional blending tips into your busy day. To get started, just grab a couple of oil pastils, a suitable paper, and a tissue for cleanup. All the exact material details are waiting for you below in the projects and resources section. Ready to make some creamy magic, let's jump in. 2. Blending with Fingers (Demonstration): Pick any two shades of oil pastels that are closer to each other on the color wheel. I chose a darker shade of green and a lighter shade of green. Use a paper that is suitable for oil pastels. I used this shade of paper from Canson. This paper has a smoother side and a slightly textured side. I used the smoother side. You can use a toned paper like I did or even use a white one. You will also need a tissue for cleanup. Before you begin, make sure the pastel tips are clean. Start with a darker shade of green by roughly covering the first half of the gradient with light pressure. Don't worry about the gaps that are showing through. Similarly, cover the other half with a lighter shade of green. Add another layer. Ensure that the two greens overlap at the center. Use less pressure at that area. The tip of the light green pastel is going to get covered with some dark green when you overlap it on the dark green area. Remember to clean it, or else you will end up smudging the light green area with dark green later on. Now that there is enough pigment on paper, start blending with a clean finger. Always remember not to start blending until the paper is fairly covered. So if you feel you need to add another layer, then go ahead. Blend from light to dark by moving your fingertip circularly and gently. If you blend from dark to light, you might end up carrying the darker shade over the lighter shade if you're not careful enough. Continue blending. Remember to switch fingers. I generally use one finger for the light shade and another for the dark and another for the overlapping area at the center. The gradient is still not smooth enough, so add another layer and repeat the same process. Remember not to add too much pigment at once. Add only what's needed. You can always add more layers on top once you blend. The number of layers you need to add depends on the quality of the oil pastel and the paper. Good quality pastels are creamier and blend easily with lesser layers. You can use the other side of the pastel to get crisp edges. Clean your fingers if needed and continue blending. Be careful while blending at the area of overlap. You can also blend in a perpendicular direction at that area to get a smooth transition. Please do not press too hard while blending, or else you might end up lifting the pigment off from the paper or might make the color look muted. Also, do not over blend. It takes some practice to know when to stop. Although I advised you to blend from light to dark, do not drag too much of the light green on the dark green area. It might make it look duller or muddy. So this is how the gradient turned out. I would love to see your version. Please upload it in the projects and resources section of this class. If you have any questions, please start a thread in the discussion section. I'm always happy to help. If you enjoyed this class, please consider leaving a review. That's all for now. Thank you for your time, and I will see you soon in the next class where we learn to blend with QTIPs.