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Gerstaecker presents – Artists’ soft oil pastels from GALLERY!
These professional oil pastels are made from a special wax and an acid-free binder, without fixative. They are chemically stable and non-oxidising. The highly pigmented colours are rich and intense. The colour release is smooth and the consistency is creamy and smooth.
We asked Dominique Rovers – who previously tested the Artists’ Handmade soft pastels for us – to try these pastels out. Read her hands-on review here!
Working with oil pastels is very challenging because many different techniques are possible – they are simply made for experimenting!
The chalky quality of the pastels is of course perfect for dry drawing, using techniques such as graffito, overlay or stippling.
But you can also paint with them – if you wash them with solvents such as turpentine or white spirit – to get the subtlest colour gradations.
Combining these two techniques is my personal preference – the best of both worlds!
GreatArt immediately gave me the entire range of 120 colours – and there are so many possibilities! They also came in a wooden artists’ box with two trays – very luxurious…and very practical.
However, even a set with fewer colours will do very well. The pastels are soft and buttery. They glide easily over the ground and are easy to blend. So, you can easily mix all the colours you need yourself!
I worked on canvas board with a natural look and feel – the distinct colours of these pastels come out very nicely on it and also on PASTELMAT® pastel paper. Oil paper would also be an option, of course – that from ARCHES® comes highly recommended!
Clairefontaine | Canvasboard natural – cotton/polyester prepared
Clairefontaine | PASTELMAT® pastel paper
ARCHES® | Oilcloth paper
I set up the under drawing with a pastel pencil and to blend my colours I used my fingers, brushes, dabber and low-odour turpentine. But really, you can use anything, just not water….
Pastel pencils
Dossiers
WINSOR & NEWTON™ | Sansodor™ solvent – low odour
TIP! Oil pastels do not dry by themselves – paper sticks to them and dust and dirt collect in them. This fixative, specially developed for oil pastels and wax crayons, forms a waterproof, colourless and non-yellowing, slightly shiny protective layer on top of the colours. It does not penetrate or dissolve the colours. it has a base of synthetic resin and alcohol.
SENNELIER | d´Artigny fixative
Does not penetrate or dissolve the colours. Based on synthetic resin and alcohol.
For this frog, I worked on canvas board with a natural look and feel – the distinct colours of this pastel come out very nicely on it. But you can also work on wood, canvas, oil painting paper, PASTELMAT® pastel paper and cardboard – the choice is yours.
Here I will show you step-by-step of how I worked, but there are so many more possibilities with oil pastels!
I started by drawing the frog with pastel pencil on a canvas board. This board has a natural linen look, which is very nice to work on with these distinct colours.
Then I started blocking in the frog in the right colours. I juxtaposed the colours and didn’t really blend them yet. This was to keep the colours nice and bright.
Then, using my fingers and a feather duster, I blended some parts of the frog by blending the colours into each other.
TIP: no easel at home? A cotton swab works too!
I used a brush to paint the fine lines of, for example, the beak and around the eyes. With some turpentine I had liquefied some scrapings of the black oil pastel beforehand – you can then use it as oil paint!
I also liquefied the dark blue background with turpentine. Here I applied oil pastel on the canvas board and then used a cotton pad – there it is again! – soaked in white spirit.
You can then create a soft, light transparent layer, in which the colour of the canvas board can also play a role.
Finally, I drew the final pieces in – and then I thought it was done enough! And then some more…Of course, I couldn’t resist putting up some more studies – if you’re going to give me 120 crayons! These studies are on paper, by the way.
My studio is in my garden and the magnolia bloomed early this year. I couldn’t resist! This time I worked on PASTELMAT® pastel paper.
I find that working with these oil pastels from GALLERY suits me well, lol – really a treat!
I’ve worked with other brands before, but I really like the smoothness and oiliness of this brand. It makes working with it easier and a lot more fun. It is not difficult to apply a nice colourful layer because it is so soft. The bright colours and ample pigmentation do it justice.
I’d be surprised if you don’t get as excited as me!
About Dominique
Dominique Rovers is a professional visual artist and studied at the Willem de Kooning academy in Rotterdam.
She lives – with family and animals – in Berkel en Rodenrijs. There, she teaches four times a week. She works realistically, mainly wildlife or nature. She does this on commission and also freely. She works mainly with oil paint on canvas and with pastel crayons and pastel pencils on PASTELMAT® pastel paper.
More from Dominique?
She cordially invites you to follow her:
Instagram – Dominique Rovers
TIP: Dominique has previously written reviews for Gerstaecker:
Dominique Rovers | GALLERY ARTISTS’ Handmade Soft Pastel – review
Dominique Rovers | DANIEL SMITH Water Soluble Oil Colours – review
© 2025 – text: Dominique Rovers & editors Gerstaecker NL | © 2025 – image: Dominique Rovers, GALLRY & editors Gerstaecker NL
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