Creativity Itch!

[Scrappin4Spoons]

I am a creative person by birth, love...being creative...(not with my words though) and have been considering experimenting with oil pastels.
I wanted to know a good brand to use to start off with using as a beginner.
I'm planning to start off using a pad to start playing around to see how things go...

Please sound off with your suggestions

 

[sunkacola]

I recommend that you start off with a cheap brand. Meaning, according to your financial status, whatever is considered cheap to you.

The reason is that when you are starting out to use a new medium you don't want it to be precious to you....you want to be able to just use it and use it and use it without thinking about what it cost.

Get something cheap that, if it's all gone in a month or less, it will be OK with you. Then just play and have fun. By the time you use them up you will know whether or not you really want to do art with that particular medium or not, and then if you are feeling really excited about the medium you can maybe get a better set the next time.

Cheap oil pastels are just as much fun to play with as expensive ones....maybe more so. I always start out with something really affordable when I try a new art medium.

There are nice videos for beginners on YouTube on how to use the medium; there are a lot of different ways to use them. Have fun!

 

[Scrappin4Spoons]

@sunkacola thank you! I definitely don't think I would pay more than maybe $30 for now: I just want to avoid a bad quality product that might tarnish my first experience.... probably sounds weird.
Ok. I may have some perfectionism issues... I'm working at it What better way to work on it than getting messy and creative! Haha

 

[sunkacola]

Nothing really wrong with perfectionism unless it gets in the way of having fun with art materials.

Me......I have a hard time with that. A lot of the time I don't allow myself even to start to paint because I am afraid it won't come out good, and that's just beyond stupid when you consider I don't live with other people and so who cares, no one will see it anyway.

When I do paint or make some other art it is always therapeutic and I know doing it daily or at least often would be very good for me. But I get in my own way. Wish I didn't.

I think it might be because I used to make my living making fine jewelry, and I was a total perfectionist with that. In that situation it served me well because I made very fine stuff that I can be proud of and that sold well. I wouldn't release a piece for sale unless I couldn't see any flaws in the piece under 10X magnification. But to approach just making art for myself the same way is counter-productive and I have been trying to find a way to break through that.

 

[Buckle]

@sunkacola thank you! I definitely don't think I would pay more than maybe $30 for now: I just want to avoid a bad quality product that might tarnish my first experience.... probably sounds weird.
Ok. I may have some perfectionism issues... I'm working at it What better way to work on it than getting messy and creative! Haha

Then I would definitely do my research. There's a lot online. I know there is a difference in colored pencils. I finally went with the oil based ones (Artnfly). Even then, if you want to blend better, you can use some baby oil, to make the colored area more smooth. Also note your paper type. I don't use coloring books, though many people love them. I do my own drawings, and on a sturdier paper. Mostly, have fun.

 

[Buckle]

I am a creative person by birth, love...being creative...(not with my words though) and have been considering experimenting with oil pastels.
I wanted to know a good brand to use to start off with using as a beginner.
I'm planning to start off using a pad to start playing around to see how things go...

Please sound off with your suggestions

There is a lot to be said for Art Therapy. One thing I would suggest is to try drawing your own body, and put in the critical pain areas. You can be a stick person, or however you can create the image of your body. You might enjoy it.

 

[Scrappin4Spoons]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions!
There are some really good ones to start me off