Remember, I finished the sketchbook I have been using for the Scavenger Hunts. Last night I decided to sketch in a sketchbook my friend, Sue, in Michigan, gave me a few years ago. I got out the Rotring pen I received for Christmas. The paper in the sketchbook is stiff and rough and I didn't think about that. It absorbed the ink and the pen wouldn't slide. Then I thought, well maybe pastel would be better so I would try the oil pastels that Jennie gave me a while back. Not good for that metal box either. You will not recognize the box. Whew!
Scavenger Hunt 118, on wetcanvas.com: Item number one - metal, this is a metal box for the Rotring pen. Really. I have no idea of time (the Hunt asks for time) but I know I struggled ... maybe half an hour. The box is gray brushed metal not blue wax. It is good to try a different medium and surface, right? It does make you think.
In order to see if I could do something with the OPs I decided to do an apple. Just from memory, so I couldn't use it in the Hunt, items have to be from life unless there is a challenge of some sort. Same sketchbook you can see the grid in the shadow. The apple is OK, but it was difficult to blend and additional color just sort of melted into the layer under it. I did use about 8 different reds, orange, yellow, purple and green. It doesn't look like it. More reading up on OP is in the works for me. I know you can blend them with turpentine and I think you can smush them around with tools. I just used the sticks themselves and my fingers. Messy! They feel like coloring with crayons and I was never very good at that. Ha.
Scavenger Hunt 118, on wetcanvas.com: Item number one - metal, this is a metal box for the Rotring pen. Really. I have no idea of time (the Hunt asks for time) but I know I struggled ... maybe half an hour. The box is gray brushed metal not blue wax. It is good to try a different medium and surface, right? It does make you think.
In order to see if I could do something with the OPs I decided to do an apple. Just from memory, so I couldn't use it in the Hunt, items have to be from life unless there is a challenge of some sort. Same sketchbook you can see the grid in the shadow. The apple is OK, but it was difficult to blend and additional color just sort of melted into the layer under it. I did use about 8 different reds, orange, yellow, purple and green. It doesn't look like it. More reading up on OP is in the works for me. I know you can blend them with turpentine and I think you can smush them around with tools. I just used the sticks themselves and my fingers. Messy! They feel like coloring with crayons and I was never very good at that. Ha.
5 comments:
At least with crayons we had lines to stay in. I can't do anything with OPs at all. And I was no good at the crayons either.
Good work on the apple with the ops. I never get ops to look like anything. I looked through WetCanvas the other day for oil pastel techniques, but nothing was too informative. I think they're too waxy for me!
Jeanne, The lines didn't help all that much, huh? My OPs were a gift or I wouldn't have any. I have not even worn them down to the paper.
Joan, thank you. OPs are another medium where you need patience and you know that isn't me.
I am going to learn from your experience, Jo - and not try the oil pastels. They do look a lot like crayons. Did you use sanded paper? They seem like they would be hard to work with.
Regina, thanks for commenting. You have more patience than me. From what I understand, if you work on them and let them sit, they dry a little and you can layer lighter colors over, but .... I haven't used them enough to be any kind of authority. I would love to be able to do a sketch, plein air in color and then just close up my bag and go. The little I have used them I couldn't blend at all. I wouldn't want to use turp and that seems the best for blending. Hmmm.
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