Draw Monet inspired water lilies with Extra Soft Oil Pastels

First, take your A4 paper and use masking tape to create a border.

Then, transfer the design onto watercolour paper by shading the backside with a 6b Pencil. Flip it over, place it into position, and outline.

Start by adding the lightest colours first. Lay down a thick layer of White where the flowers will be.

Now lay down a mix of White and Sage on the lily pads.

Lightly cover the whole background with Eggshell Blue. Then, build from the middle downward with Denim, and at the bottom of the page use Teal. The background should now be a gradient of light to dark.

Once you are happy with the placement of the colours, start to blend the pastels, creating a smooth transition as you go.

Next, build up the shadows and the detail of the image using Old Mauve and Jungle Green beneath the lily pads. 

You can also add these colours on the surface of the water to imply a soft reflection. 

Use the Blending Stumps to create sharper lines and cover any exposed paper between the lily pads.

This next step is optional, but sharper highlights can be created by scraping back the surface with a Palette Knife.

This will reveal the White pastel that we laid down in the beginning.

Now create petals by mixing White and Eggshell Blue with a Blending Stump. Then apply over the White at the front of the flower. This soft blue will imply shadow and add depth to the flower.

Next, add a few light strokes with Primrose Yellow to create the centre. If you like, you can also add some shadows at the bottom of the flower with Amaranth Pink.

Finally, add the reflection of the flowers to the water by using the same deep shadow colours.

You can continue to add the finishing touches to your artwork but be careful not to overwork the image as oil pastels can get muddy.

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