Lately, I haven’t created much, which is unusual for me since I normally make something every day. Maybe I need a rest, an incubation period before I get back on the horse. One thing I have managed to do, though, is reexamine the art materials in my studio. Some haven’t been touched in years. Rather than donate or cull them, I’ve decided to put them to use.
Oil pastels, for instance. I never really played with them before because I wasn’t sure how to get the effect I wanted. But these days, a quick web search is all it takes—Voilà! A YouTube demo appears.
After watching a few tutorials, I decided to give them a try. My first attempt? A rather traditional self-portrait. What surprised me was how long it took to achieve the effect I wanted. I spent hours working on a 9"×12" sheet and only managed to work out the face. Many hours later, I finally finished it.
Oil pastels, for instance. I never really played with them before because I wasn’t sure how to get the effect I wanted. But these days, a quick web search is all it takes—Voilà! A YouTube demo appears.
After watching a few tutorials, I decided to give them a try. My first attempt? A rather traditional self-portrait. What surprised me was how long it took to achieve the effect I wanted. I spent hours working on a 9"×12" sheet and only managed to work out the face. Many hours later, I finally finished it.
When I work digitally, time seems to fly. Strangely, using oil pastels felt slower and more laborious. I enjoyed both processes, but I definitely experienced time differently. Maybe drawing on paper engages more of the body—there’s a physicality to traditional media that’s absent when working on an iPad. Digital work can be done while lounging on the sofa with my legs up, which for me, feels way more relaxed.
This year, I plan to alternate between traditional and digital approaches. Neither medium makes the problem-solving process easy, hours can be spent searching for solutions, and sometimes the work ends up as collage material. But every attempt is a learning experience, right?
This year, I plan to alternate between traditional and digital approaches. Neither medium makes the problem-solving process easy, hours can be spent searching for solutions, and sometimes the work ends up as collage material. But every attempt is a learning experience, right?
As I worked on this particular drawing, I experimented with a hybrid approach. When it was partly finished, I photographed it, dropped it into Procreate, played around with the image, and added funky filters from another app. The possibilities with digital are endless, but I love the texture that comes from working traditionally.
Here are some results of my digital experiments.
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