Beginner’s Guide to Oil Pastels: Tools, Techniques, and Tips

If you're curious about oil pastels but unsure where to begin, you're not alone. These vibrant, crayon-like sticks can be both exciting and intimidating for new artists. They don’t behave like pencils, markers, or even paint—and that’s part of their charm. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll cover everything you need to get started: what tools to use, how to build up your artwork with layering techniques, and a few beginner mistakes to avoid as you learn.

Sunset Cove in oil pastel on pastel paper: Explore prints of my work in my shop.

What Makes Oil Pastels Unique?

Unlike soft pastels, which are dry and dusty, oil pastels are made from pigment mixed with non-drying oil and wax. This gives them a creamy, buttery texture that glides across the page. They offer intense color payoff, are easy to blend, and never fully dry—making them versatile, tactile, and sometimes messy (in a good way). Because they’re solid and portable, you don’t need water or a brush to get started—just a surface and a stick of color.

Essential Tools for Oil Pastel Beginners

The beauty of oil pastels is that you can start simple and scale up as your confidence grows. At minimum, you’ll need a set of oil pastels and a surface to work on. For beginners, the Pentel Arts Oil Pastels are an excellent and affordable starting point. If you're ready to invest in higher-quality materials, Sennelier and Holbein offer buttery, richly pigmented sticks that professional artists swear by.

My personal favorite brand is Mont Marte, which I think offers a great middle of the road between value and performance.

As for paper, look for thick, textured paper—pastel paper, heavyweight drawing paper, or even watercolor paper with a bit of tooth will help grip the pastel layers. Smooth paper works too, but it can be harder to layer without slipping. You’ll also want a few simple blending tools like cotton swabs, tissues, or tortillons (paper stumps), though many artists prefer blending with their fingers for more control.

Optional but helpful supplies include a kneaded eraser (great for lifting off excess pigment), a palette knife (for scraping texture or cleaning edges), and fixative spray if you want to preserve the finished piece.

Basic Techniques to Try

The first technique to master is blending. You can blend directly with your fingers, which warms up the pigment and allows for smooth color transitions. For a cleaner finish, try using a blending stump or even a bit of tissue paper to soften the edges. Cotton swabs are great for small areas, and if you want a painterly effect, try dipping a brush in baby oil or odorless mineral spirits and blending the pastel like wet paint.

Another foundational skill is layering. Start with light pressure and build color slowly. Because oil pastels don’t dry or fully set, you can continue working into a piece for a long time—but layering too heavily too soon can lead to a waxy buildup that’s hard to control. Use a light hand and apply your darkest colors last to preserve their intensity.

You can also experiment with sgraffito, a technique where you scratch through layers of pastel to reveal the colors underneath. Try using the tip of a palette knife, a toothpick, or the end of a paintbrush to create textures, patterns, or fine lines.

Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

A common mistake beginners make is pressing too hard right away. While it’s tempting to get that vibrant color payoff quickly, using too much pressure early on can make blending and layering difficult later. Instead, build up gradually with a light touch and add pressure where needed toward the end of the piece.

Another pitfall is choosing the wrong surface. Oil pastels need a bit of texture to grab onto, so glossy or ultra-smooth papers tend to repel the pigment. If your pastels feel like they’re just sliding around, try switching to pastel paper or sanded paper to see a big difference.

Finally, don’t forget that oil pastels never fully dry. That means your finished piece will always be smudgeable unless you take steps to protect it. Use a workable fixative (spray lightly from a distance) or place a sheet of glassine paper over the surface when storing. Framing behind glass is ideal for display.

A Simple Exercise to Get You Started

Here’s an easy first project: choose two or three colors and draw overlapping shapes. Blend where the colors meet using your fingers or a blending tool. Try layering one color over another to see how they mix, and use a toothpick to scratch in some lines or texture. This simple practice will give you a feel for how the pastels behave, and you’ll start to develop your own preferences for blending, pressure, and layering.

Final Thoughts

Oil pastels are a vibrant, forgiving, and delightfully tactile medium perfect for expressive, colorful work. They don’t require a huge setup, and their portability makes them ideal for quick sketches, journaling, or large-scale pieces. Like any medium, they have a learning curve—but with the right tools, a bit of patience, and lots of experimentation, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can develop your own style.

Whether you're making abstract landscapes, still lifes, or simply exploring color for the joy of it, oil pastels are a playful and rewarding tool for any artist’s toolkit.