2nd Journal: Dry drawing materials 2 – Colored pencils and Oil pastels

ekdns40688

Oct 15

5 min read

Exploring 2-D Materials and Tools for Teaching The K-12 Setting

Material Exploration

Materials:

Oil pastels produce vivid colors and leave some residue on the hands. While exploring oil pastel techniques, I experimented with the scratching technique (also known as sgraffito). This method involves scratching away the top layer of oil pastel into a desired shape to reveal a different color underneath. To perform this technique, you need a tool to scratch off the black oil pastel. Wooden chopsticks or craft sticks (popsicle sticks) work well for me and it is suitable for children. While tools with sharp tips can be used for finer detail, they are not recommended for students in the third grade or younger due to safety concerns.

Dry(chalk) pastels produce dust and are useful for color blending. Errors made during the process can be corrected using a kneaded eraser or tissue. They are ideal for quickly coloring large areas such as backgrounds, you can apply the pastel by rubbing using your hand or a napkin. According to the book, “Exploring Studio Materials Teaching Creative Art Making to Children,” Mary Hafeli (2015) suggests that offering a limited colors promotes students to experiment blending colors and making new colors. (Hafeli, 2015, p.49) In my material exploration of dry pastels, I mainly selected red, yellow, green, and blue with orange, purple, black and white. I tried to blend each color and layer one color over another.

Colored Pencils are easy to use when teaching students. They offer the advantages of being clean to handle and producing no dust. Also, compared to wet materials, a major advantage for me is that colored pencils allow us to continue working quickly without needing to wait for anything to dry. For students who struggle to create fine details using paint alone, incorporating colored pencils over their watercolor work can serve as an opportunity to explore different materials.

Crayons are easy for young students to use and do not stain hands, though the colors appear lighter compared to oil pastels.
Color markers use water-based ink for vivid colors and wash off easily with water. The pen has a thick barrel, making it convenient for young students to grab.
Double ended watercolor pens feature a dual-tip design with a thick tip on one end and a fine tip on the other. Users can switch between the tips based on their needs, using the fine tip for detailed work.

Exploring Personal Theme Work : Relationship

My theme work is a “relationship” and used colored pens, oil pastels, dry pastels, and crayons to depict the connections between people. I used oil pastels in shades of green, light green, and yellow to represent the grass, finding that the colors blended naturally even when mixed. The human figures were colored with crayons, while the background pattern was created by alternating between the thick and fine tips of the colored pens. For the large expanse of sky, I used dry pastels; by smudging the pigment into the paper with my hand, I was able to complete the artwork within the allotted time.

Safety Information

To avoid the dust generated by dry pastels for health reasons, we can use oil pastels or crayons as alternatives. Crayons are made with safe ingredients suitable even for art activities in preschools and do not contain toxic pigments. However, in the book “Art safety guide”, Sonoma State University (2019) states that some specific colors of oil pastels such as chrome yellow(lead chromate) and cadmium pigments may contain toxic pigments. (Sonoma State University, 2019, p.7) When purchasing materials, it is advisable to check for the AP (Approved Product) seal from the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) to ensure the materials are safe for children.
Staedtler watercolor pens, Crayola washable markers, and Crayola’s colored pencils are non-toxic. The mediums are safe for children, and I confirmed AP seal on each product through the website, United Art & Education.

Art Class Setting for K-12

Dry pastels produce dust during use. It is important to remind students not to blow on them while working to prevent disperse into the air and be inhaled. Sonoma State University (2019) explained that it can cause problems for people with asthma; the reaction is triggered by dust rather than toxicity. (Sonoma State University, 2019, p.7)

Curricular Inspiration

In the class, limiting the color palette allows them to explore materials. It is effective to foster students’ expressive skills by presenting words that describe emotions or states, thereby encouraging them to use their imagination. Mary Hafeli (2015) introduces various described words such as strong, sheen, flat, velvety, calm and mottled, and suggests exploring expressive ideas’ qualities and characteristics using a limited color palette. (Hafeli, 2015, p.44) In the class, I would plan to present three descriptive words and have the students create drawings that reflect the emotions evoked by those words or visually represent the words themselves.

Class will be planned to incorporate the drawing with various colors. Mary Hafeli (2015) explained that even without the teacher specifying which colors correspond to expressions, students can determine color relationships for themselves through their own exploration and incorporate them into their work. (Hafeli, 2015, p.46) I would guide students to use colors to represent the light and shadow, specifically the dark, mid-tone, and light areas, thereby creating a sense of three-dimensionality in their drawings. In Odilon Redon’s drawing, “Bouquet of Flowers”, for instance, the cylindrical vase is rendered using navy for the shadowed rear section, a blue for the mid-tones, and white oil pastel for the areas catching the light. Darker colors define the rear surface of the flowers, making flowers stand out more clearly. While introducing the artist's work, I could encourage them to understand the relationships between different surfaces.

For differentiated instruction, I can provide images to help students flesh out their ideas. Alternatively, suggest using materials in unique ways while keeping the representation of the subject simple; encourage students to open-ended experiment with techniques such as mixing colors to create new shades, rubbing with a napkin to spread color, or blending with water to produce distinct textures. If students wish to have a more challenging task, encourage students to incorporate an additional theme word into their initial drawing and to develop their work with greater detail.

Reference

-Hafeli, Mary. Clarie. (2015). Exploring Studio Materials. Oxford University Press, USA.

-Redon, O, 1900–1905. Bouquet of Flowers [Pastel on Paper]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY, United States. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437379

-Sonoma State University. (2019). Art safety guide. Environmental Health & Safety, Risk Management and Safety Services. https://ehs.sonoma.edu/sites/ehs/files/art_safety_guide.pdf

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