I got me some Caran D’Ache ws oil pastels the other day and some really wonderful Bockingford Hot Pressed Watercolour Paper – A3 size – I took 20 sheets. What a difference good ground paper makes! It is really sturdy and quite stiff but takes a lot of manhandling with liquid and paint. I have been wanting to get stuck into water soluble oil pastels for a while now and decided on the Swiss made ones as they do seem to be at the top of everyone’s recommendation lists. And they are fantastic! Deeply pigmented, wonderful to work with both off the paper (i.e. mixing as on a palette) and on the paper. I have tried some layering in this picture, which was basically to test the vibrancy of the colours. I intend to do a series of paintings using this Bockingford paper of impressions of the Scottish HIghlands … so who knows hey? Anyhow, this is the result of today’s faffing about …
‘Boadicca’s tree’
Water-soluble Oil Pastels (Caran D’Ache) on A3 Bockingford Hot pressed 300gms watercolour paper.
Close ups of detail
Janice Heather Scott 
Those colors are RICH Janice, I like what you are doing, excellent work. 😍👍❤🎨
Thanks, as always, Deb! Yes, they are surprisingly pigmented, I am very impressed with them so far. Love to you from Norwich!