Art On The Road

Oil Pastel on black paper is one of my favorite ways to sketch while traveling. The oil pastels are inexpensive and  easy to pack,do not need a fixative and the finished pieces hold up during travel. I take a pad of paper (as opposed to loose sheets) for two reasons: it serves as an instant drawing board and it doubles as a safe place to keep finished pieces.

The black is for psychological reasons more than anything.most of us are programmed to see white paper as blank paper. The dark allows me to move into the drawing more quickly using open places in the sketch as depth. A dark background can also bring the colors to life.

One note: when laying down a more transparent color such as yellow put down some white first - it gives the color an opaque layer between it and the black allowing for the true color to stand out.