Fall is a magical season, full of crunchy leaves and warm rich colors, and it is the perfect time to explore new art projects with your children to celebrate the beauty of the season. Oil pastels are excellent for young children because they are easy to hold,  vibrant, and easy to blend.

Tips for Working with Oil Pastels

Colored Paper

Use colored paper, preferably thicker paper like card stock (although construction paper works just fine). Neutrals like cream, tan, brown, or even black, are excellent choices as they allow the pastels to take center stage and “pop” against the background.

Draw in Pencil First

Lightly draw the outline in pencil before applying pastels. If your child is doing this, caution them to be careful to not press so hard with the pencil that they indent the paper.

Blending

Encourage your child to blend colors. They can use a q-tip or paper towels, but fingers generally work best. Just scrub with lots of soap afterwards.

Quality Pastels

Although any oil pastels will work, quality oil pastels make a huge difference in how enjoyable pastels are to use, for both kids 

and adults. Many low-quality oil pastels behave more like crayons and are waxy and hard to blend. They are frustrating and sometimes impossible to layer enough to get good coverage over the paper and end up looking thin and dull.

You do not need professional-grade pastels, however. A personal favorite is the Gallery brand of oil pastels, which blend effortlessly, almost like drawing with lipstick. Although more colors are always fun, remember that you can blend the colors to achieve the desired shade, so bigger sets are not necessary if budget is a limiting factor.

Fixative

Oil pastels take some time to fully cure, so be careful to not smear the artwork once it is completed. Consider using a matte fixative like this one. 

Join In

You might be surprised just how easy and fun it is to paint with oil pastels.

Fall Oil Pastel Painting Ideas

1. Pumpkin with curly vines

These pumpkins are an art class favorite (this tutorial uses chalk pastels but oil pastels blend just as well and can create a thick, layered look like a traditional oil painting). Be sure to zoom in on the pumpkin itself–the pumpkin should fill the page. Using black paper as the background and adding romantic curly vines make these pumpkins look like they belong in a fairytale.

2. Harvest fruit bowls

Make a picture of a bountiful basket full of apples. Add a hatching pattern on the bowl or basket to create the impression of a basket weave.

3. Abstract Autumn colors

Select a limited color palette for your child — red, orange, yellow, and brown — and invite them to swirl, layer, or blend the pastels however they like. This picture doesn’t have to “be” anything in particular — it can simply be a burst of color that celebrates the  season.

4. Carmel Apple

Chalk or oil pastels work equally well for this piece. Add smudges of bright white at the end to make shiny highlights in the caramel.

5. Candy Corn

The candy corn in these pictures take up the whole page. The limited color palette makes for a cohesive piece.

6. Barn Owl

This adorable barn owl is perfect for animal-lovers.

By enjoying the beauty of the season through oil pastel, children learn fine motor skills, color mixing and blending, and develop their imagination. Learn more about what Milestones Learning Center has to offer you and your child.