Oil Pastels 101: Cherry Blossoms w/Meadows and Skies

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Pursue some of nature's beauty with this sunset scenes class and learn about the basics of oil pastels along the way. A perfect exploration into this medium and you'll have a new piece of art to take home.

What You’ll Experience:

• Explore Oil Pastels: Discover why oil pastels are ideal for all skill levels. They’re simple to use, fun, and perfect for colorful, vibrant artwork.
• Learn the Basics: Develop key skills like blending, layering, color mixing, gradient, and stippling to capture the beauty of nature.
• Refresh Color Theory: Brush up on simple color theory to enhance your art and make your scene pop.
• Draw a nature scene: Use the techniques you’ve learned to draw your favorite national park landscape, guided by reference images provided in class.
• Collaborative Environment: Enjoy a warm, supportive atmosphere in groups of 2-4, sharing supplies and inspiration.

No previous experience is required—just bring your love for nature and creativity! This workshop is a great way to celebrate the season and create something beautiful.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

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.

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.