http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistApril 2021 53
PRACTICAL
out. Gesso is available as white, black
and clear. I use all three depending on
my creative directions.
White gesso can be used on its own
or tinted with a colour and texture
gel mediums can be used to create
extra tooth for more expressive oil
pastel painting. Clear gesso is perfect
for protecting coloured textured card
when you want the colour to become an
integral part of the painting.
Papers above 300gsm do not need
stretching as they are heavier, but still
need a coat of gesso to protect them. In
place of gesso, acrylic inks, acyclic paint
and Derwent Inktense are ideal media
to use for an oil pastel underpainting.
The advantage of using these in place of
gesso is that the surface of your paper
support can be utilised much more.
Dedicated oil pastel papers and
mixed-media papers are available
and are my preferred support for oil
pastel, as the surface textures are
not so prominent that they become
intrusive in your work. Canson Figuras
(290gsm) is perfect for oil pastels.
Designed especially for oil painting,
it has a high-performance barrier to
absorb oil and bonding agents evenly,
while guaranteeing superb resistance to
pigments leaching through. Uncoated,
the paper has a natural texture similar
to that of canvas.
Canson Acrylic paper 400gsm is one
of my favourites when I require a strong
paper support for oil pastels and acrylic
painting techniques. It is slightly creamy
(a little off white) in colour and adds
warmth to washes, and is cold-pressed
(Not), so the texture is similar to
watercolour paper and not as intrusive
or as prominent as some canvas-type
oil pastel and painting papers.
Canson Mi-Teintes ‘Touch’ is another
ideal paper for oil pastels. The slightly
sanded surface is unique as it allows
detail and looser, more expressive
techniques when required. It’s a very
receptive surface that works with you
as you paint. Available in 10 different
colours it is very much a pick-up-and-
go-type of paper for oil pastels and
mixed-media painting. The white colour
is particularly useful for graphite and
oil pastel in combination – the high
white background enhances drawn and
painted graphite marks especially.
Oil pastels are versatile, exciting and
rewarding to use and offer unique and
inspirational new creative directions
for your work. They add an exciting
dynamism to my work, especially in
my mixed-media paintings, for adding
wonderful textured and broken colour
effects over base colours.Spring in the Pennines, oil pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes ‘Touch’ 350gsm black pastel paper,
193/4 3 251/2in (50 3 65cm).
Oil pastels are an excellent medium for drawing with – especially on location. They are
lightweight, don’t dust or easily smudge, are quick and efficient to use and water-resistant. I
quickly capture a scene with little fuss, preparation or set up, with enough visual information to
create a mixed-media paintingRobert Dutton
is an associate member of the Society of
Graphic Fine Art. He teaches mixed-media
drawing and painting techniques in the
Lake District, the Peak District, the Wirral
and north Norfolk as well as workshops
and masterclasses online (www.
shopkeeparty.com). Robert has won many
awards for his work. His book Drawing
Dramatic Landscapes, New Ideas and
Innovative Techniques using Mixed Media,
published by Search Press, rrp £19.99, is
available to purchase at a discounted price
from our online bookstore:
http://bit.ly/3cw1AUX
http://www.rdcreative.co.uk
TA