Textured Oil Pastel Creations
I use oil pastels and a palette knife to create thick, tactile landscapes and whimsical scenes that you can almost feel. Every piece is a slow, thoughtful process of blending and layering.
I love creating these dreamy, whimsical scenes. Here, I used oil pastels and my fingers to blend a soft, glowing background for these two cats sharing a quiet moment under the moon. This piece is all about finding love in small, peaceful moments.
Watch how I use a palette knife to create thick, 3D textures in this cherry blossom painting. I started with a dark background to make the white and pink flowers pop, showing how they can bloom even in the dark. This is a great example of my oil pastel impasto technique.
This process video shows the creation of a moody floral piece. I used my fingers to blend the blue background and a palette knife to give the flowers a raised, textured effect. It shows how I build layers to create depth in my oil pastel art.
Here's a look at my process for creating a peaceful lavender field using oil pastels. I blended the purple sky for a soft, hazy feel and then used a palette knife to add texture to the flowers, making them feel like you could almost touch them.
A quiet, monochrome seascape created with black and white oil pastels. I used a palette knife to carve out the mountains and my fingers to create the texture of the waves washing ashore. It shows that you can create a powerful mood with simple colors.
Watch me create a delicate butterfly wing using oil pastels. I blended the colors with my fingers to get a smooth gradient and then added a touch of glitter for a magical effect. It's a simple piece that celebrates the beauty of nature.
This video shows how I use a palette knife to create a textured mountain and water scene. I scraped and layered purple and white oil pastels to build the landscape, giving the final piece a thick, painterly quality.
Part of my daily drawing challenge, this mini landscape features a field of flowers with mountains in the back. I used a palette knife to create the textured clouds and flowers, showing how I can build a complete scene in a small space.
Another mini landscape study with oil pastels. Here, I focused on creating fluffy clouds by blending with my fingers and a textured tree using a palette knife. These small studies help me practice my techniques every day.
This mini oil pastel painting shows a mountain landscape. I enjoy making these small pieces to experiment with color combinations, like the purple mountains against the blue sky, and to practice my layering techniques.
About Textured Oil Pastel Creations
My oil pastel work isn't just about color, it is about that 3D texture you get from a palette knife. I use heavy 300 to 400 GSM paper so I can really pile on the pigment, and I always finish each piece with a professional fixative spray so the texture stays protected and doesn't smudge after it reaches you.
Why I choose Oil Pastels
I love how oil pastels feel under my fingers and the palette knife. Unlike other mediums, this lets me build physical depth directly onto the paper. When I paint a scene, whether it is a meadow or a night sky, I am not just creating an image, I am creating a surface that has weight.
My Process
Every artwork I share here is a result of my daily drawing practice. For my textured impasto pieces, I often spend 8 to 12 hours layering pigments. I use a palette knife to scrape the colors on, which creates those little ridges and peaks that catch the light. For the smoother, dreamier parts like skies, I use my fingers to blend the pastels until the colors transition perfectly.
How I keep it safe
Because these pieces have thick texture, standard packaging won't work. I use a spacer system with rigid cardboard and butter paper to ensure the 3D surface doesn't get crushed in transit. Each painting is sealed with professional fixative spray to lock the colors in, but I still recommend framing it carefully or keeping it in a protective display to enjoy the tactile finish for years to come.
If you have a specific landscape or a whimsical idea in mind, let me know. I love taking on custom requests and experimenting with new textures.
Somesh Halder
I’m Somesh, and honestly, art is my therapy. Whether it’s a tiny butterfly study or a moody mountain scape, I put hours into the details, usually with a palette knife in one hand and my fingers in the other to get that perfect blend. Every stroke is just me trying to share a bit of the peace I find when I paint.
Looking for a specific art style?
You can browse through my other collections or request a custom commission.
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