Drawing with Oil Pastels

Embrace the beauty of the season in this 2-hour oil pastel class where you’ll explore the magic of winter landscapes. Capture the serene charm of snow-covered forests, cozy cabins, or glistening ice lakes. Whether you’re drawing a tranquil scene for yourself or creating a personalized winter-themed piece for someone special, this class is perfect for celebrating the season. Bring a friend or loved one to share in this cozy and creative experience!

What You’ll Experience:
Explore Oil Pastels: Dive into the world of oil pastels—an ideal medium for artists of all skill levels. Oil pastels are fun, easy to learn, and incredibly versatile, making them perfect for a short workshop.
Learn the Basics: I'll guide you through the essentials—understand different types of oil pastels, and master techniques like heavy and light pressure blending, layering, color mixing, gradient, and stippling.
Refresh Color Theory: Enhance your artwork by refreshing simple color theory approaches that will bring your art to life with vibrant colors.
Create Your Own Keepsake: After learning the techniques, you’ll create a drawing of your own, using easy-to-intermediate reference pictures available in the classroom.
Collaborative Environment: Participants will sit in small, cozy groups of 2-4, sharing sets of oil pastels for a collaborative and enriching experience.
No previous experience is required—just bring your enthusiasm! Whether you're new to oil pastels or looking to refine your skills, this workshop offers a warm, supportive environment to create a piece of art that you will cherish forever!

Ilgi Toprak is a native of Istanbul living in Washington, DC. She is trained as an architect, with intensive art and sketching coursework. She views being creative as more than a pursuit but a way of life. That is why, in 2020, she created a piece of art every day and started the Instagram account Meadows & Skies. She finds joy in translating the everyday beauty of nature using oil pastels. Through her artwork on Meadows & Skies, she focuses on capturing fleeting moments like sunsets and sunrises. One of her sunrise drawings is featured in SHE:DC in 2024. She teaches oil pastel classes at Shop Made in DC and in Shop Made in VA.
Ilgi is a design educator with ten years of university-level design teaching experience in Turkey and the Netherlands. She specializes in teaching architectural design studio and basic design courses that involve practical demonstrations of design techniques and concepts, hands-on experience and guidance in studio setting. She holds a Ph.D. in architecture and is currently a researcher in urban studies.

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