Oil Pastel Techniques

Chicago in the summer is about as challenging as Chicago in the winter.  The only difference is that I do not have to shovel snow but instead haul around the hose to keep the gardens watered!

It has been HOT! HOT! HOT! here  so I thought I would give you all a COOL little present today and post my "OIL Pastel Tips and Techniques" so that you can play in your air conditioned craft rooms and have some indoor summer fun.

ENJOY!

1.  Let's start out with the BABY OIL TECHNIQUE - Use 3 of the softer lighter colors and color in your background and even one of the bugs if you like - REMEMBER to color in ALL areas HEAVILY for best results.

2.  Now take a cotton ball and use 2 drops of baby oil on it - this will take a little elbow grease - but wipe off ALL the oil pastel you just put down.  (We don't want to saturate the card, just remove the excess oil pastel.) 

3.  REwipe with a clean cotton ball and you will be left with a nice soft colored card.

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1. The CREDIT CARD TECHNIQUE is easy once you get the right hold on the credit card.

2.  Matte cardstock - Lay down three colors (friendly colors - those that live next door to one another on the color wheel work the best for this technique)  Lightest color get put down heavily from the upper left hand corner of the cardstock to the lower right hand corner.

3.  Second mid-tone color goes on either side of the lightest color.

4. Darkest color (third color chosen) will go at the very outer edges of the card stock filling in all the white.

5.  Take the credit card, hold it taught at a 45 degree angel and pull up a small section (1/8th) of oil pastel.

Spread it down somewhere else on the card. Repeat this procedure until the entire card is to your liking.

6. Heat set.

7. Stamp with permanent ink over the oil pastel background and heat set again.

Wishing you all a colorful day in a cool place!

Laura Anne and Bella Boo