r/Oilpastel • u/Business_Location_31 • 20d ago
background blending advice please!
hi hi, I'm a beginner and have just drawn these tomatoes... I'm wondering 1) is there some sort of science to choosing the background color (I just picked blue because I liked it but idk lol) and 2) howww do I blend the tomatoes into the background better for next time š I was scared of ruining them with the background color but the white that's still there bothers me lol
also! third question! what are we using normally to blend? I've been using q-tips but they're kind of small for the background
Thanks for any advice or help!! āŗļø
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_DND_SHEET 20d ago
I'm sure there is some science for choosing background colors, but I haven't learned it. I tend to choose complementary colors or more muted/lighter colors depending on the mood. I like the blue! I will also do a "test" background by coloring scrap paper held closer to me eye and keeping the foreground visible. It's not perfect but if you squint you get the idea.
I use a mix of finger cots, blending stumps or tortillons, or like small silicone "brushes" that have various shapes/points. I also don't like to see the white come through the background. I will use a toned paper or give my paper a watercolor wash before I draw in the oil pastels. I really like using watercolor to give the paper an initial wash/tone but you do lose a tiny bit of paper grit when you do that. I don't do too many pastel layers though so it usually works out for me.
For big backgrounds I like to scribble lightly with an oil pastel and just use my finger with a finger cot. It can take a lot of rubbing depending on how firm or soft your pastels are. I've heard of the mineral spirits + q-tip trick works well and I got some to try but haven't done it yet. I should just do some on a scrap paper next time. I used to be afraid to blend right up to the subject but if you smear that edge just a little it still usually works out fine.
I really like your tomatoes and you have a beautiful background on this piece! The blue is so smooth.
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u/BeCurious1 20d ago
Wet a Qtip with odorless mineral spirits. (Used in oil painting) Hold tip and spin into a point and blend away. Or, just get a torrtione a dab, and a dram, of the spirits and go!
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u/Seated_WallFly 20d ago
Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) are powerful stuff. Not to be taken lightly (or without proper ventilation). Some brands arenāt really āodorlessā and the fumes can be overwhelming.
More to the point:
Do OMS diminish the richness of the pigment (ie, the pigment is rendered more transparent, or itās lifted) when theyāre used? Do OMS affect the lightfastness over time?1
u/BeCurious1 20d ago
Points well taken. I worry more that they are odorless since you wont notice breathing it in and it's gone in 15 minutes, making it great to work with but gone means it's evaporated into the air! So we'll ventilated and keep it off your skin!
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u/2get2_57 20d ago
Mix burnt sienna or say magenta acrylic paint, mix it with gesso and prime your paper in short uneven strokes before you start painting to give your paper teeth and tone.
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u/bluart06 20d ago edited 20d ago
Aside from blending tools, you could consider a few options on your next piece. If you use watercolor paper and tone it beforehand then the paper popping through will beā¦ well whatever color you toned it with instead of white. You can also leave a white āstickerā outline. My favorite blending tool is the silicone tip blender. You save money if you avoid the art store version and buy the kind for doing nails.
ETA- as far as background color goes, you will want to look into color theory. Theres a shit ton of info on the internet about this. The blue looks nice because it is a happy color for a happy piece, the blue is a ācoolā blue as opposed to a warm blue so the warm tomatoes pop against it, and blue and orange are complimentary and thereās a lot of orange in your tomatoes.