Beautiful job with that painting! I agree with you about the Sennelier oil pastels. Shortly before the pandemic started, I got really into oil pastels. I hadn’t even known that artist quality oil pastels exist, and then I went down the rabbit hole and now own Sennelier, Holbein, Caran d’Ache, Mungyo, Erengi, Holbein Academic (student grade), and several lines of Cray Pas, not to mention brands my kids use. Everyone said that Sennelier was “the best,” and I can see that it might be the highest quality in terms of materials used (and retain the natural differences between pigments) but I don’t agree that they are the best for everyone. I think most people buy them and then find them hard to work with - for me, extremely soft is not a desirable attribute for most uses. I think Caran d’Ache are the most versatile. I ended up developing a technique for Sennelier which works well for me. I apply clear gesso (like Liquitex) to a heavy weight paper, and it creates something like a finely sanded pastel paper. The Sennelier OPs can actually be applied with no blending and make a very painterly work. The inconsistency in opacity matters less for this technique, but of course this is not a way of working which everyone would like. But, I have about 100 sticks, so I have to make them work for me. (I do find though that they look more opaque, even when blended, when applied to this textured surface. You don’t get the same streaking.) Sennelier makes a wonderful oil pastel fixative which pretty much completely protects even thickly-applied pastel, but you have to use it in accordance with their instructions, which is not how most people I see online use it. You have to apply several coats in a specific way, and then it forms a glossy protective vinyl “shell” which makes the work look like a varnished painting. For some reason the Sennelier oil pastel fixative doesn’t work well on other brands (maybe something to do with chemistry) but Talens oil pastel fixative (in a bottle) creates a very similar protective coating on other brands.
Thank you once again for sharing all your experience - this is so interesting! (Darn those art material rabbit holes 🤣) That's really good to know about the Caran D'Ache oil pastels. I think I'll probably buy a couple open stock and see what I think. I haven't really done much with oil pastels yet, but they do appeal to me a lot. Paul Rubens are sending me their new Haiya Oil pastels too, which I'm interested in trying. And good to know about fixatives. I don't have any yet. Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing your pastels and your LARGE journal with us. I would be intimidated by that size too. That was a great idea for easing your way into the giant format. 😊❤
I’ve found the Sennelier pastels perform better on a heavier textured paper. Hahnemuhle do a paper called Oil and Acrylic Block 230, which has a lightest canvas texture that I’ve really enjoyed using with them. I put down base layers with my Mungyo Gallery pastels and use the Sennelier ones on top. Another RUclipsr (sorry I can’t remember their name) said the more translucent colours were more useful for glazing.
Thank you! Other than for swatching I've used them on Cold Pressed watercolour paper and heavier mixed media paper, but didn't notice a huge amount of difference.
Ohhh... that's a great idea for getting a new sketchbook started! I have an A4 sketchbook that I started recently, but I haven't attempted a two-page spread yet, I divided my pages in two and have been doing smaller scenes so far. I find it tricky to shift from small to big! Love how your painting turned out!
These colors look so nice.... ❤ I also have the artcreation in this size.. I'm really enjoying it.. It's good to have a bigger one beside a smaller one.
The greens are pretty translucent/inconsistent in nearly all oil pastel brands I’ve found. Holbein, neocolor pastels and mugyo soft pastels had the best but none are that soft. I’ve found the greens the most annoying part of oil pastels. I’m not sure why these pigments don’t seem to like this format. I’d love to know why if anyone knows.
That's interesting, thank you. I haven't tried the Neopastels or Holbein, but I do love the Mungyo greens - very consistent and a nice colour range, but like you say, a bit harder, and no lightfast/pigment info.
@@helencryer For what it’s worth, in my experience the Neopastels are almost identical to the Mungyo (the Gallery soft ones) right down to the color names, but when compared side by side they are just a bit cleaner in appearance. I have a set of 48 of each, and every single color name is the same. Both brands have clearly had opacifiers added to given them more consistent opacity, but the Mungyo all seem to have had just a bit of white, or in some cases, grey, added to increase opacity. I don’t know if that is how they are made, but when swatched next to the corresponding Neopastel color, this difference is apparent. When you see the Mungyo on its own, it looks pretty good, not muddy, but it shows up in comparison. Neopastels have lightfast ratings, I think. Both brands do seem to be prone to irreversible hardening over time, and of course one’s climate affects how hard the stick is at any given time. I think about this when I see reviewers have conflicting opinions about how soft different brands are.
I love the painting you did of the illustration! That is my favorite size Talens. Hope you are enjoying it. M xx
I think I'm going to love it once I get braver! Thanks!
I love to watch you swatch and the painting was great. I hear you about painting an A3 picture. 😊💕
Have a go!! 😬
Beautiful job with that painting! I agree with you about the Sennelier oil pastels. Shortly before the pandemic started, I got really into oil pastels. I hadn’t even known that artist quality oil pastels exist, and then I went down the rabbit hole and now own Sennelier, Holbein, Caran d’Ache, Mungyo, Erengi, Holbein Academic (student grade), and several lines of Cray Pas, not to mention brands my kids use. Everyone said that Sennelier was “the best,” and I can see that it might be the highest quality in terms of materials used (and retain the natural differences between pigments) but I don’t agree that they are the best for everyone. I think most people buy them and then find them hard to work with - for me, extremely soft is not a desirable attribute for most uses. I think Caran d’Ache are the most versatile. I ended up developing a technique for Sennelier which works well for me. I apply clear gesso (like Liquitex) to a heavy weight paper, and it creates something like a finely sanded pastel paper. The Sennelier OPs can actually be applied with no blending and make a very painterly work. The inconsistency in opacity matters less for this technique, but of course this is not a way of working which everyone would like. But, I have about 100 sticks, so I have to make them work for me. (I do find though that they look more opaque, even when blended, when applied to this textured surface. You don’t get the same streaking.) Sennelier makes a wonderful oil pastel fixative which pretty much completely protects even thickly-applied pastel, but you have to use it in accordance with their instructions, which is not how most people I see online use it. You have to apply several coats in a specific way, and then it forms a glossy protective vinyl “shell” which makes the work look like a varnished painting. For some reason the Sennelier oil pastel fixative doesn’t work well on other brands (maybe something to do with chemistry) but Talens oil pastel fixative (in a bottle) creates a very similar protective coating on other brands.
Thank you once again for sharing all your experience - this is so interesting! (Darn those art material rabbit holes 🤣)
That's really good to know about the Caran D'Ache oil pastels. I think I'll probably buy a couple open stock and see what I think. I haven't really done much with oil pastels yet, but they do appeal to me a lot. Paul Rubens are sending me their new Haiya Oil pastels too, which I'm interested in trying.
And good to know about fixatives. I don't have any yet. Thanks again!
I have this sane size-still in its wrapper lol. Nicely done!
I dare you to crack it open and get something in it this coming week!!!
Thank you for sharing your pastels and your LARGE journal with us. I would be intimidated by that size too. That was a great idea for easing your way into the giant format. 😊❤
Yep - I was a coward!!!
@@helencryer There's no shame. 😉 We are all afraid of that first page. 🤣
😂 Thank you dear RUclips friend!!
@@helencryer 😊✨️
You did an Amazing job on the two-page landscape. Loved it..😊
Thank you! Though no credit for the design!
Your swatches are highly satisfying to me, I love seeing all the colors out for display so you know what you're getting. Love the painting as well!
Thank you!! I've relied heavily on others' swatching in the past, when choosing new colours of things, but at the end of the day, I just enjoy it!
I love your videos! You are such a sweet person. And I really love Fred.
Thank you for your kind words!!
I’ve found the Sennelier pastels perform better on a heavier textured paper. Hahnemuhle do a paper called Oil and Acrylic Block 230, which has a lightest canvas texture that I’ve really enjoyed using with them. I put down base layers with my Mungyo Gallery pastels and use the Sennelier ones on top. Another RUclipsr (sorry I can’t remember their name) said the more translucent colours were more useful for glazing.
Thank you! Other than for swatching I've used them on Cold Pressed watercolour paper and heavier mixed media paper, but didn't notice a huge amount of difference.
ooooh I didn't know they made the art creations this big!!?? 😮
I know!!!! Fun hey?!
Ohhh... that's a great idea for getting a new sketchbook started! I have an A4 sketchbook that I started recently, but I haven't attempted a two-page spread yet, I divided my pages in two and have been doing smaller scenes so far. I find it tricky to shift from small to big! Love how your painting turned out!
Thanks! I hadn't thought about breaking the pages down, though I think I might quite like this large format!
I absolutely love your painting! ❤😍
Thank you! Though just a copy of someone else's originality!
@@helencryer It doesn't matter ... The colours you used are warmer than the ones on the original painting. They're much more "observer friendly" 😊
😊
These colors look so nice.... ❤ I also have the artcreation in this size.. I'm really enjoying it.. It's good to have a bigger one beside a smaller one.
It's such a fun book, isn't it?!
@@helencryer yes it definitely is. 😊
Those colours of your swatching are superb and the painting was fantastic
Thanks!!
I love off-white papers!
Me too! But I also love white papers, and actually pretty much every other paper too!!
Lovely❤
Thanks!
Hi, I don’t seem to understand, did you paint with the pastels you swatched? Thanks
Hiya, no - two separate things!
I was also wondering what she used to thin the oil pastels. 😅😂
Sorry I didn't make it clearer!
@@helencryer 😊
I had no clue that you can paint with oil pastels. 😲
I'm so sorry - I should have made it clearer!! I did the painting with watercolours. These were two separate activities!
First!
Hurrah! 🎉
The greens are pretty translucent/inconsistent in nearly all oil pastel brands I’ve found. Holbein, neocolor pastels and mugyo soft pastels had the best but none are that soft. I’ve found the greens the most annoying part of oil pastels. I’m not sure why these pigments don’t seem to like this format. I’d love to know why if anyone knows.
That's interesting, thank you. I haven't tried the Neopastels or Holbein, but I do love the Mungyo greens - very consistent and a nice colour range, but like you say, a bit harder, and no lightfast/pigment info.
@@helencryer For what it’s worth, in my experience the Neopastels are almost identical to the Mungyo (the Gallery soft ones) right down to the color names, but when compared side by side they are just a bit cleaner in appearance. I have a set of 48 of each, and every single color name is the same. Both brands have clearly had opacifiers added to given them more consistent opacity, but the Mungyo all seem to have had just a bit of white, or in some cases, grey, added to increase opacity. I don’t know if that is how they are made, but when swatched next to the corresponding Neopastel color, this difference is apparent. When you see the Mungyo on its own, it looks pretty good, not muddy, but it shows up in comparison. Neopastels have lightfast ratings, I think. Both brands do seem to be prone to irreversible hardening over time, and of course one’s climate affects how hard the stick is at any given time. I think about this when I see reviewers have conflicting opinions about how soft different brands are.