Marjorie Firth puts Sennelier oil pastels to the test and finds them 'vibrant with a lovely rich consistency'.

About oil pastels

I have been painting for more than 30 years now and have used a variety of media.

Using oil pastels can be a bugbear for many people and it’s easy to give up on them. They behave in a very different way to dry or soft pastels and it takes a bit of perseverance before you feel you’re getting somewhere.

They like warmer conditions to flow more easily and you can get pretty messy when using them. That was my own personal experience but, having persevered, they are now a medium I enjoy using.

Sennelier oil pastels

As with most art products, the quality of a product is reflected in the price and Sennelier oil pastels are no exception.

Sennelier is a French manufacturer of artists’ materials established in 1887 and is well known for it's high quality products.

Many famous artists have been associated with Sennelier - Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Picasso, to name but a few, have all used their paints and pastels.

Putting Sennelier's claims to the test

Sennelier state that their oil pastels:

• Don’t crack or fade
• Can be used on a variety of surfaces
• Have a high pigment content
• Are of exceptional brightness
• Have a creamy texture

My experience

The evaluation of the first two claims, based on my own experience over the years, is that:

• None of my Sennelier oil pastel paintings have cracked or faded
• I have used them successfully on both rough and smooth surfaces
• I find the colours to be rich and vibrant
• The pastels have a smooth creamy consistency

The oil pastel palette range is large - 120 shades feature on their colour chart, plus a range of metallic and iridescent colours.

Working with Sennelier oil pastels

I was sent five colours to test:

• Iridescent white
• Gold yellow
• Red deep
• Azure blue
• Permanent green light

Testing the colours

Using both white and black paper, the former with tooth, the latter smooth, I rolled on the colours.

I found them lovely to use, creamy and rich in colour.

Using a non-white support allowed me to see any colour change effect - the blue, green and red seemed to pop, the yellow dulled and the iridescent colour obviously needed colour to see its full potential.

If you're new to pastels, don't stop here! Explore our other beginner-friendly guides to learn all you need to progress and develop your pastel skills.

Spreading the colours

I used my finger and, provided it was warm, the colour spread easily.

Blending the colours

Colours can be mixed together, but you need to be careful to avoid creating mud.

Scratching into the colour

As with oil paint, and if the pastel has been applied thickly enough, patterns and marks can be made for effect.

Painting with Sennelier oil pastels

I set myself the task of restricting myself to the five colours to see whether I could blend them effectively.

I sketched the same subject on black (see below) and Sennelier oil pastel paper (above).

I found that the iridescence of the pastels certainly stands out on a coloured support and results in a more textured effect, whereas the white support resulted in better coverage.

Mixing with linseed oil

I thought I’d try adding a small amount of linseed oil - it allowed me to sharpen the edges somewhat but didn’t convince me to use it again.

Adding more colours

For a final painting I couldn’t resist using my own larger selection of Sennelier oil pastels. I was free of the restricted palette of five!

Other recommended Sennelier products for use with oil pastels

Other Sennelier products I would recommend for use with their oil pastels are the oil pastel pad, which is lovely to work on, oil pastel fixative (essential as oil pastel remains sticky and doesn’t fully dry) and their chunky oil pastels which are great for larger work.

Conclusion

I would certainly recommend Sennelier oil pastels - they are vibrant in colour with a lovely rich consistency.

While oil pastel may be a little harder to get used to, it’s worth persevering to widen your experience of another art medium.

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Marjorie Firth is a self-taught artist who has been painting for over 30 years. She enjoys working in a wide variety of mediums, although oils are her favoured choice.

Marjorie has regularly had work selected for exhibition in our annual TALP Open art competition where she has won several awards.