Workshop: Oil Pastel

Oil Pastel is an exciting media that combines aspects of painting and drawing with immense expressive potential.

Table of Contents

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This workshop provides the chance to experiment with the wide range of marks, colors, and textures oil pastel can create.

Enrollment is closed

Sign up for our email list to get workshop notifications.

“Prof Lieu’s experienced advice and encouragement to me personally on my art! I also love that this was a small group with similar interests and we were able to share so many techniques, tips, and experiences.

It’s valuable to me to have Prof Lieu’s direction as well as to hear from other artists. Great group!

Watch a Sample Workshop

Watch a sample workshop: Gestural Portraits

How it Works

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Before the workshop

  • Students receive access to the workshop channels in our Discord.
  • Hang out in the workshop channels so we can see your artwork and site, and chat about your goals can make the workshop more efficient.
Discord
  • Please know that if you have no experience with Discord, it does take some time to get set up and learn how Discord works.
  • Watch this 53 second tour of our Discord for a preview.
  • We highly recommend joining several days before the workshop date so you can learn the ropes, troubleshoot any problems, and get help from us to make the workshop run as smoothly as possible for you.
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Workshop Guide

  • Every workshop has a detailed workshop guide doc that you’ll receive the week before the workshop.
  • The guide has resources related to the workshop topic, comprehensive information on using Discord, art supplies, prompts, and more.

Prompts

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Art Supplies

  • Option #1: use any art supplies you would like.
  • Option #2: if you’re not sure, the workshop guide provides concrete specifics on recommended supplies.
  • There is a 1 week period in the Discord where you can Prof Lieu questions about supplies that aren’t covered in the workshop guide.
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First 2 hours: Studio

  • Students draw and take occasional breaks to post their drawings into the Discord text channel.
  • On voice, Prof Lieu continually critiques drawings as they are posted in the Discord text channel.

Last hour: Critique

  • Each student will speak on voice with Prof Lieu about their artwork.
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Workshop recording

  • A recording of the workshop will be available to workshop participants. The recording will not be available to the public.

Workshop Channels

  • Students will continue to have access to the workshop channels.
  • The week following the workshop, Prof Lieu will provide feedback and follow up resources.
  • After that week, Prof Lieu will answer quick questions, but will not be providing feedback.
Discord

Written Feedback

  • Prof Lieu will write a paragraph for each student which reviews the student’s artwork made during the workshop + suggestions for how to move forward, see sample below.
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You have so much going for you and your figure drawings, I love how fluid your marks are, and also how organic and fleshy the figures are in your drawings. I think you’ve got a really good balance between line and tone, and that the volume of the figures come across beautifully.

I think it would be worth thinking more deliberately about proportions. Proportions can be a really tricky thing, and it’s definitely not a skill that you can learn overnight. A lot of getting experience with the fortunes is really training your eye to make comparisons between the various parts of the figure.

Prof Lieu
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“Fabulous feedback from Prof Lieu as I was going along. This taught me and helped make this piece recognizable!

It is amazing to see the evolution of other students work in real time. So much learning also from each other.”

Student info

  • Limit 12 students
  • Enrollment is first come, first serve
  • All students are required to join our Discord to participate.

Confirmation

  • We will confirm whether the workshop is running by the Wednesday after the Friday registration deadline.
  • If the workshop does not run, you will receive a full refund no later than a week from the Friday registration deadline.
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Refunds

  • All payments are non-refundable if the workshop runs.
  • Students must join our Discord at least 24 hours before the workshop starts. There are no refunds if you do not join within this time frame.
  • There are no refunds if a student is late or does not attend the workshop for any reason.
  • We only issue refunds if the workshop does not run due to lack of enrollment.

Contact

About our Staff

Prof Lieu has 15 years of teaching studio art at the college level, and was an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design from 2007-2020.