To use oil-based color pencils, focus on building up color through layering, applying light pressure initially and gradually increasing it, as they handle layering and pressure differently compared to softer, wax-based pencils.
Oil-based colored pencils are favored by artists for their rich pigments, durability, and ability to create smooth, vibrant artwork. Unlike some wax-based pencils, they are often firmer and less prone to wax bloom, allowing for extensive layering and blending.
Key Techniques for Using Oil-Based Pencils
Using oil-based pencils effectively relies on understanding their unique properties, particularly how they interact with paper and subsequent layers.
1. Layering
Layering is perhaps the most fundamental technique.
- Start Light: Apply initial layers with very light pressure. This allows the pigment to settle into the paper's tooth without completely filling it.
- Build Gradually: Add subsequent layers, slowly increasing pressure and varying colors to create depth, shadows, and highlights.
- Work Different Directions: Apply layers using strokes in different directions (e.g., cross-hatching) for smoother coverage and better blending.
2. Blending
Oil-based pencils blend beautifully, both dry and with solvents.
- Burnishing: Apply heavy pressure with a light-colored or colorless blender pencil (or even a white pencil) over layers of color. This pushes the pigments deep into the paper's tooth, creating a smooth, polished, paint-like finish.
- Solvents: Use odorless mineral spirits or other suitable solvents applied with a brush or paper stump. The solvent dissolves the oil binder, allowing colors to spread and blend seamlessly. Ensure the paper can handle wet media if using solvents.
3. Pressure Control
Controlling the pressure you apply is crucial.
- Light Pressure: Ideal for initial layers, subtle shading, and retaining paper tooth for more layers.
- Medium Pressure: Used for building up color intensity and mid-tones.
- Heavy Pressure (Burnishing): Applied to fill the paper's tooth completely, achieving maximum color saturation and a smooth surface.
Understanding the Difference from Wax-Based Pencils
Based on insights from users, oil-based pencils behave distinctly from soft, wax-based alternatives when layering and under heavy pressure. As layers are added, they work very differently than something like a prismacolor that is very wax-based. And very soft. And if you're heavy-handed. This suggests that oil-based pencils may allow for more layers before saturation or muddiness, and might handle heavy pressure differently without the same tendency for wax bloom or rapid filling of the tooth as softer, waxier pencils.
Here's a simple comparison based on common characteristics and the reference:
| Feature | Oil-Based Pencils | Soft Wax-Based Pencils (e.g., Prismacolor) |
|---|---|---|
| Layering | Excellent, allows many layers | Good, but can saturate faster; different feel as layers add |
| Feel/Hardness | Generally firmer | Very soft (per reference) |
| Wax Bloom | Less prone to bloom | More prone to bloom |
| Handling Heavy Pressure | Works differently; potentially better for layering under pressure | Can lead to faster saturation/bloom (per reference implication) |
Practical Tips for Getting Started
- Choose quality paper with some tooth (texture). This helps grip the pigment layers.
- Keep your pencils sharp for detail work and fine lines.
- Experiment on scrap paper to understand how colors layer and blend before working on your final piece.
- Work from lighter colors to darker colors, as darker pigments are harder to lift or cover completely.
By mastering layering and pressure control, and understanding their unique properties compared to other types, you can unlock the full potential of oil-based colored pencils to create rich and durable artwork.
