Experimenting with Oil Stiks - Painting and Drawing Tips

Welcome to my Playground 

SPRING is close at hand - time to try some new things! 

Trying my hand at Oil Stiks - their stiks so why no try drawing  

I had the opportunity to try using Oil Stiks, I jumped at the chance.  I had this great idea that since they were Stiks it must be like drawing.  I figured I could do that, Right!?

What are Oil Stiks? . .
If you are like me, you have never heard of them before.  Oil Stiks are oil pigment in a stik form.  They are about 3/4 inch (1.9 cm. ) in diameter.  Basically a very fat pencil.  They have a bit of a film over the surface which needs to be scraped off.  Then they are ready to paint/draw with.

My First attempts . . .
Okay, I know, wont win any prizes with this picture.  I started out trying them on heavy cardstock to see what they can do.  They are creaming and can be used like a pencil.  A bit like using a brush and like a brush it takes time to cover the surface.

Definitely need to learn more to succeed with these stiks!!

A big problem . . .
Like all painting processes you can create mud very easily.  Strokes have to be kept separated as they will mix with the adjacent colour or the colour underneath. Not a happy thought eh?  Needless to say, I became very good at making mud, very quickly.  In all fairness though, using heavy paper was not a good idea.  The paint was slick and moved around too easily.  Things got much better when I moved to a gesso panel.

Working on a Gesso Panel - note the size of  the stik 

Finding the Right Colour . . .
Just like coloured pencils and pastels a small kit of colours is not enough.  They come in sets but you will always be wishing for another colour, another stik.  Yes, you can mix colours but there is a limit to what can be done.  Remember the Mud.

Note all bad, once colour is down there is FUN to be had

There is FUN to be had here . . .

I know, you are thinking this is not a happy place right now.  And I must admit when I started I thought, what am I doing?  However, I found the HAPPY PLACE.  The reason artist reach for these stiks.  It is the scrapers.  Once the colour is down, you can scrape paint away to make all kinds of patterns and lines.  Definitely a FUN place to be.  Note the awesome scraper in my hand, pictured above.  This is a silicon scraper and great to work with.

Note some of the scrapers on the table

Other fun tools . . .
In the picture above you can see some different scrapers. Some are special art tools but others can be a spatula or icing tools.  Certainly those made out of silicon are the best to use and easiest to clean.  Dollar Store, here I come.

Not a Masterpiece but certainly an improvement over the first attempt

My Take Aways  . . .
*Working with the stiks was very interesting.  I found as you can see, I really like that dark shadow line.  I guess I am influenced by my love of my ink drawings.
*The scrapers really let you move the colour around and off so you can get lights and darks with the same colour.  Note the purple background and high lights on the mushrooms
*The scrapers allow for different types of brush strokes.  The stik smear the paint on but the scrapers can create ridges and hollows
*Drying time is very much like a true oil, tacky for up to a week and up to 6 months before you varnish.  Especially if you have thick areas. 
*Working with the oil forcing you to learn more about your colour mixing as "Mud" can appear very quickly.  Definitely time to look at working with Mixing Complements and Visual Complements

I really enjoyed playing with the stiks and trying them out.  Will I continue with them, no.  I have my hands full with what I work with now.  But did I enjoy the experience - Totally.
A special thanks to Joanne Dennis and Melissa Burgher for the Introduction to Oil Stiks. 

Have you tried "the stiks"?  What are your thoughts?

On the easel now is "Buddy" a very good looking cat. (Him now with his baby picture in the background)  Next Post - Drawing Buddy - a Silver Gray Cat. 

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

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Time to Register

May 1 - Workshop Day for Spring Show - South Burnaby

Want to experience the joy of watercolour?  Learn about the supplies? See paint in action as you create your first Masterpiece?  - Join Audrey and Myself on May 1, 10-12pm for a Beginner Watercolour Class - $40 all supplies incld. 

Itching to create but want some direction? Want to make exciting cards and notes for the special people in your life? Add design to your sketchbooks and journals? - Join Myself and Audrey on May 1, 1-3pm for a Creative Card Class - $40 all supplies incld.  This year's theme: Flowers and Ladybugs.  

Audrey Bakewell and Myself include this Workshop Day as part of our Spring and Fall Shows at Mandeville Gardens, 4746 Marine Dr, Burnaby.  Both classes are very popular and fill up very quickly.  

REGISTER NOW

SPRING SHOW:     Paints'n Bloom Workshops & Art Show & Sale

 in Support of the Alzheimer's Society of BC

 Thursday, May 2  to Saturday,  May 4 

Gardenworks at Mandeville Gardens, 4746 Marine Dr, Burnaby

Workshop Day: Wednesday, May 1 

10-12pm - Beginner Watercolour Class

1-3pm Spring Card Making Class

$40 ea. All supplies incl. Beginner to Advanced Welcome

Registration Happening Now Contact Wendy 

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Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy