Introduction to Oil Pastel Painting: Exploring Texture, Color, and Technique with Xiaochen (Fiona) Bao (NEW!)

Learn the versatile and expressive techniques of oil pastels, moving beyond simple drawing to create sophisticated, painterly artworks.

Dates: 21 & 28 March
Times: Saturdays 9.30am – 4.30pm
Venue: NatureArt Lab Studio, M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith; free parking is available at either the front or both sides of the building.

About the Course

Are you ready to reimagine the humble oil pastel? Often dismissed as a children's tool, this course will reveal the incredible potential of oil pastels for serious art. You'll gain a deep understanding of their unique characteristics and explore how they can produce effects ranging from loose and expressive to highly detailed and realistic.

• This course will cover the essential tools, including different grades of pastels and various paper types, as well as crucial techniques. 
• You will explore basic color theory as it applies to the medium, including layering, blending, and creating optical color mixes. 
• The course includes hands-on practice with techniques like sgraffito, impasto, blending with solvents (turpentine/mineral spirits), and creating textured underlayers. 
• You will complete a series of small, focused studies to build familiarity and confidence, culminating in a finished piece that highlights the medium's ability to create a visually convincing, oil-painting-like effect.
• You are welcome to print out your favourite images of landscapes, flowers or anything you would like to paint.

Learning Outcomes: 

Knowledge of various oil pastel materials (student vs. artist grade) and how to select appropriate paper and blending tools. Understanding of basic oil pastel techniques, including: 

• Layering and Pressure Control: Building up color and controlling opacity. 
• Blending Techniques: Using fingers, tortillons, and solvents to achieve smooth gradients or textured transitions. 
• Specialty Strokes: Achieving effects like sgraffito (scratching back for lines) and impasto (thick application for texture). 
• Demonstrated understanding of how to apply basic color theory (hue, value, saturation) to oil pastel work for rich color and depth. 
• Ability to approach a composition from concept to finished artwork, utilizing the oil pastel's strengths in portability and convenience while achieving a sophisticated visual presentation. 

Week 1: Foundations & Simple Landscapes (Project 1: Simple Scenic View)

The first session is an introduction to oil pastels, tools, and materials.

• You'll learn the characteristics of the medium, the selection of different brands and papers, and how to properly use them for creation. 
• The focus will be on fundamental color theory, including how to achieve color layering and how to use fingertips or tools for blending to create smooth transitions. 
• We'll begin your first painting, a Simple Scenic View. This piece will concentrate on broad areas of color application, such as the sky and distant mountains, practicing the creation of soft color gradients without too much complex texture. 
• By the end of this session, you'll have a solid foundation in oil pastels and your first piece of artwork underway.

Week 2: Advanced Techniques & Complex Subjects (Project 2: Light Study or Complex Landscape/Close-up)

In this class, we'll review the techniques from the previous week and introduce advanced methods. 

• You'll learn techniques like dry brushing, impasto (thick application), and sgraffito (scratching back) to create rough textures or crisp line details. 
• You'll begin your second painting, with the option to choose a Complex Landscape or a Flower/Bird Close-up.
• Complex Landscape: We will apply compositional principles like layering the foreground, middle ground, and background. The focus will be on using light, shadow, and color variation to create depth and a sense of space. ○ Flower or Bird Close-up: The strong focus will be on depicting fine details and capturing light and shadow. You'll learn how to use techniques like wet-on-wet (using solvent) and stippling to express the rich textures of feathers or petals and create an atmospheric feel. 
• The session will conclude with a review and consolidation. You can choose to refine your two paintings and make final adjustments. 
• The session will conclude with a show-and-tell, where students can share their completed works, and we'll discuss how to continue your oil pastel journey at home.

Level of experience: Suitable for beginners through to intermediate artists who want to explore a versatile, low-cost, and non-toxic medium.

Materials List: (All materials listed will be provided, no need to buy them.) Materials provided include:

• Artist-grade oil pastels a small set
• Oil Pastel Paper (textured paper, pastel board, or heavyweight card) ~8 sheets/person
•  Blending tools: Paper stumps (tortillons), cotton swabs, and rags/paper towels
• Sgraffito tool (e.g., toothpicks or tape)
• Eraser and stick eraser
• Masking tape (for securing paper)

About the tutor
Xiaochen(Fiona) Bao a children’s book illustrator, fine artist and emerging curator based in Canberra. Xiaochen was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi, a city that is extremely rich in Chinese cultural history and traditional Chinese art. She has been studying art in Canada and the U.S. for years. Profoundly influenced by Tibetan Buddhist doctrines, she wishes her art to transmit similar positive and natural energy to the environment and viewers while inspiring meditation. She is inspired by both eastern and western ancient poems, songs, myths, and of course nature. She believes that the natural environment is the one of the best catalysts for artworks, and she is passionate about sharing the spiritual essence and philosophical reflections embedded in Chinese ink painting.