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Starting out with Oils | Beginners guide

An article written by Welsh artist Chris Chalk. If you feel daunted by oil paints and want to know where to start, this article offers some helpful advice and explains the 3 most important things you will need to begin.

Faber Castell | Oil-based coloured pencils

The Polychromos pencils by Faber-Castell are probably the most loved oil based pencil out there. Available in 120 highly lightfast colours and made from high quality materials.

Winsor & Newton | Artisan oils

Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour is a genuine oil colour made from modified linseed oil and modified safflower oil. This modification means Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colours can be used without hazardous solvents - they can be cleaned up with water. ​

Currently in progress - article to follow

Starting out with Oil pastels
A guide for beginners

Article to follow.

Blending practices for oil pastels

Article to follow.

Article to follow.

Gallery oil pastels

Caran d'Ache Neopastel

Sennelier oil pastels

Papers and Canvases
Replace with those suitable for oil paints, oil-based pencils and oil pastels

Art Spectrum | Colourfix

Art Spectrum® Colourfix™ papers are sheets of acid-free, 300gsm hot pressed watercolour paper with a fine, deep tooth. It is a superb surface for pastels, oils, acrylics, inks, oil pastels, gouache, watercolours and dry media such as charcoal and pencils.

Art Spectrum | Colourfix smooth

For fans of the Colourfix paper, did you know that the company also has a smooth version too? Find out more about the Colourfix Smooth, compare between other surfaces and see where you can buy some. 

Canson | Mi-tientes 'Touch'

A highly innovative and unique surface - this versatile, finely textured paper is perfect for pastel, charcoal, pencil, & acrylic artists and suitable for both dry and wet media techniques.

NEW! 12 popular black papers for artists

During our search for the 12 black surfaces in this article, we found many more, with companies producing their own ranges, in varying shades of black and different textures. The following article provides you with a selection of the most popular brands, including some lesser known.

St Cuthbert's Mill | Bockingford Not (tints)
REMOVE?

​A tinted watercolor paper available in 5 colours, suitable for pastels, pencils and acrylics. Find out more on our blog.

Comparing watercolour papers

Compare hot pressed watercolour papers before buying your  own preferred paper. See what size, weight and brightness each one is as well as which is vegan friendly too. Suitable surfaces for watercolours, pencils, gouache, acrylic, pastel,  pen & ink and charcoal.

Ampersand Boards

Looking for a high quality canvas for your art? Ampersand have a collection of boards available for artists of all mediums from paint to scratchboard. 

Ampersand | Gessobord

This superior quality gesso ground does not dull colours and the lightly sanded surface provides excellent brush control, perfect for all painting styles with oils, acrylics, airbrush and mixed media.

Ampersand | Pastelbord 

This canvas is an ideal surface for many different mediums, not just pastels and in this article I show what is achievable using acrylics & coloured pencils. Suitable for acrylic, casein, charcoal, coloured pencil, graphite, mixed media, dry pastel and oil pastel. 

Why not try one of our tutorials for oil pastel artists

If you are completely new to oil pastels, why not try one of our tutorials. We show you how to create the subject, by following the directions below each image on the page. You will learn how to build your base layers and create fine details which will help add realism in your work. If you are new to oil pastels, you may wish to start with the 'Strawberry' tutorial, and move on to the others marked 'All artists'. Fancy a challenge? Go straight to the 'Intermediate' tutorials and enjoy the process.

Juicy Strawberry | Oil pastel tutorial

Are you new to oil pastels or wish to try the medium, but unsure where to start? Oil pastels are so easy to manipulate, which make them an ideal medium for the absolute beginner. We provide a simple step by step guide, allowing you to create a highly effective drawing in just 10 minutes.