Vintage Oil Pastels Windows

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students will illustrate scenes such as skies, mountains, lakes, forests, and rivers viewed through a vintage 9-pane window frame. The window frame is intended to give the viewer a cozy vantage point, separated from nature’s elements. Students will illustrate their scenes by applying various oil pastel painting techniques.

Lesson objectives

• Learn how to paint landscapes using oil pastels

• Recognize warm and cool colors

• Understand the relationship between emotions and colors

• Apply various oil pastel painting techniques

What You Do

1. Scene Selection
Before beginning, select a landscape photo you like. Choose a scene based on the feeling you want to create and the type of landscape you want to illustrate.

2. Window Frame
Use a template to lightly mark the 9-pane window frame with a pencil.

3. Masking
Mask the vintage window frame using art masking tape.

• Use 0.5 cm tape for the inner frame

• Use 1 cm tape for the outer frame

4. Pencil Sketch
Lightly sketch a line drawing of your scene.

5. Paint the Sky
Observe the colors and details in your reference image. Using oil pastels, begin coloring the sky with lighter colors first. Make strokes in the same direction as the movement in the image.

6. Blending
Blend colors using a piece of tissue paper. You may layer additional oil pastel colors, including white.
When blending and coloring, keep your strokes consistent with the movement in your scene.

7. Landscape
Paint mountains, lakes, forests, and rivers using the same techniques applied to the sky.

8. Details and White
Refine your artwork by adding final details. Use a liquid correction pen to add white highlights to the brightest areas.

Terminology

Primary Colors – Red, blue, and yellow; colors from which all other colors are mixed

Secondary Colors – Orange, green, and purple; made by mixing two primary colors

Warm Colors – Colors associated with sun, fire, and warmth (red, yellow, orange)

Cool Colors – Colors associated with water, ice, and coolness (blue, green, purple)

Opaque – Not able to be seen through; not transparent