Blending Sennelier oil pastels involves working the rich, creamy pigment into the paper or into other colors to create smooth transitions or deep, layered effects. You can achieve different results depending on your technique, whether you use tools or simply layer the pastels directly.
One approach is to use a separate medium or tool to move and smooth the pigment after it's applied. Another is to layer the pastels thickly for heavy blending.
Blending Techniques for Sennelier Oil Pastels
Sennelier oil pastels are known for their soft texture, which makes them highly blendable. Here are key methods, including insights from the provided references:
1. Blending with Tools and Mediums
You can use various tools or a touch of oil medium to help move the pastel pigment on the surface, creating smooth and sleek finishes.
- Using a Cotton Swab with Oil: The reference suggests, "Try using a cotton swab to apply your oil to the page and get those pigments smooth and sleek." This implies using a small amount of a suitable oil medium (like mineral spirits, turpentine, or a specialized oil pastel blending medium) on a cotton swab. You then gently rub this over the applied pastel to dissolve and spread the pigment, achieving a smooth, painted look.
- Other Tools: Other tools like paper stumps (tortillons), color shapers, or even your fingers can also be used to physically blend the pastel pigments directly on the paper without adding extra medium.
2. Heavy Blending Through Layering
For deep, rich blends where no paper shows through, a direct layering technique is effective.
- Firm Application and Layering: The reference describes this as "Heavy blending: Firmly apply a generous amount of the oil pastel in one direction onto your paper. Layer additional colours on top to create a deep blend. No paper should be visible."
- Step 1: Start by applying a generous amount of your base color, pressing firmly. Apply in a consistent direction.
- Step 2: Without pressing too hard initially, begin layering your subsequent colors on top of the first.
- Step 3: Continue layering and gently pressing to work the colors into each other. The soft nature of Sennelier pastels allows the pigments to mix physically on the surface as you apply layers.
- Result: Build up layers until the desired blend is achieved and the paper surface is completely covered by a thick layer of blended pigment. This creates intense colors and seamless transitions.
By combining these techniques – using tools/mediums for smooth effects and layering directly for heavy coverage and deep blends – you can explore the full blending potential of Sennelier oil pastels.
