Table with a bowl of oil pastels, beeswax, glass bottle of walnut oil, metal measuring spoons, 2 packets of Earth & Mineral Pigments (red and blue)

Recipe: Natural Earth Oil Pastels

Table with a glass jar of walnut oil, 2 packets of Earth & Mineral Pigments (red and blue), a mold, bag of beeswax pellets with a pot and tin can in the distance

Ingredients for 2 ½ pastels:

  • 6 tablespoons white beeswax (for a vegan version, you can use soy wax and carnauba wax)
  • 2 tablespoons Walnut Oil
  • 2 tablespoons Earth & Mineral Pigments (adjust as needed)

Tools: a mold, tin can, sauce pan, pliers

Process: 

  1. Create a double boiler using a tin can. Bend a pouring spout on the can with a pair of pliers.
Person's hand holding a pair of pliers and bending the tin can

  2. Put beeswax and oil into the tin can.

Person pouring walnut oil into a metal measuring spoon above the tin can with beeswax pellets inside
Person's hand adding more beeswax pellets into the tin can next to 2 packets of Earth & Mineral Pigments (red and blue) and a glass jar of walnut oil

3. Pour water into a medium sized sauce pan.

Pouring pouring water from a glass measuring cup into a pot on a stove

4. Place tin can into the saucepan and turn on medium heat. Simmer until beeswax is melted. Then remove from heat.

Tin can with beeswax and water mixture placed into the pot of boiling water on the stove

5. Scoop pigment into tin can and stir with a chop stick or any disposable utensil. 

Note: Every pigment behaves differently and has a different molecular structure, so if you find your pastel draws too pale, add more pigment next time. 

Person using a metal measuring spoon to scoop out some Venetian Red Earth & Mineral Pigment out of a bag with the mold and tin can in the background
Up-close shot of person's hands stirring up the mixture of pigment, walnut oil and beeswax inside of the tin can

6. Pour mixture into any molds that you have. 

Person pouring the red oil pastel mixture from the tin can into the molds

7. Allow pastels to fully harden before removing from the mold. They will be ready to use in 24 hours

Red and blue hardened oil pastels that have been removed from the molds and wrapped in foil, person's hand holding the red one

Option: Wrap aluminum foil around sticks if desired.

Photography by Darrin Johnson

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