July 7, 2023
Resources for Oil Pastel Stars Project
NEW: a rotating group of artists and art educators will be bringing you high quality art projects and lessons at Outside the Box Creation! Please join us in welcoming art educator Erin Meade to Outside the Box Creation with her first project: oil pastel stars.
DOWNLOAD YOUR PROJECT PLANSetting the Stage
This month we're learning how to draw and blend with oil pastels. Oil Pastels are a combination of crayons and pastels (powdered pigment with a binding agent to hold it together) that were invented in Japan in 1921 and quickly adopted by some of the most famous artists of the time, including Pablo Picasso. Today, oil pastels come in basic forms for school students all the way to elite-level products designed for professional artists, and the Sakura Cray-Pas Company still lives on as a well-respected brand in the art world.
Today, Artist Erin will guide you through creating an oil pastel star quilt pattern, inspired by the book “The Tiny Star” by Mem Fox & Freya Blackwood. You’ll learn how to create patterns and technical skills related to oil pastels.
What is a pattern in art? Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol all over the work of art. Repetition works with patterns to make the work of art seem active. The repetition of elements of design creates unity within the work of art. Artists can create patterns through many different techniques. You will explore different techniques using oil pastels like heavy-pressure blending and light-pressure blending.
Heavy pressure blending - add oil pastel in one direction onto your paper. Layer other colors to create a blended look. Experiment with black or white pastels for shadowing and highlighting effects.
Light pressure blending - lightly add oil pastels to your paper, and layer other colors to create different values or hues.
sources for history of oil pastels:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pastel
http://www.explore-oil-pastels-with-robert-sloan.com/oil-pastels-history.html
image: eBay
Supplies Needed for Insider's Club Members (or if you're a box subscriber & want to purchase additional supplies)
Strongly recommended: The Tiny Star by Mem Fox, ills. by Freya Blackwood. You can purchase it or find it at your local library, or watch our Artist in Residence's read aloud!
Faber-Castell Oil Pastels like these
Print outs of the two Star Templates linked below: one for the Main Project and one for Taking it Further
White paper, like this
Black paper for Taking it Further like this
Latex-free eraser such as these
12" ruler like this recycled one
All-Purpose Glue Stick like these
An old sheet, shower curtain, or even a few paper bags and paper towels to cover your work surface
A pair of scissors
Pencils for tracing
*The above Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of them we may earn a very small commission but it does not increase your price at all, so we hope you will!
Main Project Tutorial
Taking It Further
Read Together
About the Artist
Erin Meade
I am both an artist and an educator in New Bedford. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Merchandising and am currently enrolled in the Master of Education at UMass Dartmouth. My love for art started in New York, working with renowned industry leaders. Created window displays for Macy’s, SAKS, and Brahmin Handbags. I have always gravitated towards creating art installations out of unconventional materials and have been doing so for the community for the last few years. I grow from creating new connections, expanding my creative expression, and exposing myself to always learning new art techniques. As an artist, I work hard to create installations that speak to the community as well as myself. Before I begin brainstorming my ideas, I think about the process, theme, and how it will speak for itself. With every finished piece, I bring the purest innovations, designs, and culture that are captured on display.
Scroll through the photos at right to see Artist Erin's super cool art installations!
Instagram
@artwithms.meade
Printable Word Search & Answer Key
Our newly designed project instructions also feature some activities just for fun! The debut game for July 2023 is a wordsearch found on page 10 of your inserts.
Below is a printable version of the word search for sibling sharing and the answer key.
About the Insider’s Club
The Outside the Box Insider’s Club is a monthly digital membership that includes videos, downloadable curriculum/project plans, and tips to make it easy for parents to do art regularly with their kids! If you know someone who would enjoy this, please share the Outside the Box Insider's Club. If you have been a box subscriber for a year or more and have accumulated a large stash of art supplies, you may want to switch to the Insider's Club digital membership.
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