# Skin tones in oil pastels

**URL:** <https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/t/skin-tones-in-oil-pastels/555>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [January 15, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/t/skin-tones-in-oil-pastels/555 "2020-01-15T00:54:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Life-is-an-art](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9a140/32.png) [@Life-is-an-art](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/u/Life-is-an-art)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/t/skin-tones-in-oil-pastels/555/1 "2020-01-15T00:54:45Z")

</div>

I was wondering how to get the right skin tones using oil pastels. Mixing them seems to be not working for me, what am I doing wrong?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![1derekjonathan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/e47774/32.png) [@1derekjonathan1](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/u/1derekjonathan1)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 2:42am UTC](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/t/skin-tones-in-oil-pastels/555/2 "2020-01-15T02:42:09Z")

</div>

How do you get soft/hard pastels to stick to the paper when you are drawing. I will leave my drawing board flat with the drawing being flat, and when I wake up in the morning, most of the pastel has gone to different location. I watch you and you can accomplish this feat, and I am talking about not using a pastel fixative or a blending stump very much? Thank you, Matt (I love your classes and attempting to make art with all the different mediums.) Anne

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RainFrances](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a6a055/32.png) [@RainFrances](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/u/RainFrances)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/t/skin-tones-in-oil-pastels/555/3 "2020-01-16T13:59:19Z")

</div>

I hope you find an answer, that would be helpful for me to figure it out too!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lilnora](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.thevirtualinstructor.com/lilnora/32/1050_2.png) [@lilnora](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/u/lilnora)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 2:03am UTC](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/t/skin-tones-in-oil-pastels/555/4 "2020-11-23T02:03:38Z")

</div>

I sometimes (when I think of it) use a very fine ‘fixative’ sprayed standing about at arm lengths away. That way it doesn’t (usually) fix the pastels so they would not be able to change them. I also use a brush between drawing sessions as I draw (several times to take off the excess pastel medium). I find that I can use the same colors if I end up brushing too much off. But I would suggest taking a piece of the same drawing pad and do this several times to get the right distance for you from the paper. Hope this helps you. Lilnora (“Lenora”)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lilnora](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.thevirtualinstructor.com/lilnora/32/1050_2.png) [@lilnora](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/u/lilnora)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://community.thevirtualinstructor.com/t/skin-tones-in-oil-pastels/555/5 "2020-11-23T02:12:16Z")

</div>

Buy two or three of the flesh tones in oil paints. I haven’t found any mixture of any of the colors that I can mix and get it correct. I am sure that Matt would have suggestions. A dark and light tone or three flesh tones. I do this with olive green as well. Saves a lot of time and isn’t as frustrating. Lilnora (“Lenora”)