Techniques of expression

Oil crayon or oil pastel is a tool frequently used by Jean Hirtzel. The use of this technique reaches such a degree of elaboration – dilution of turpentine to obtain transparency and revisions with chalk to achieve rich tones – that it is one of the artist’s favoured means of expression. 

The colour density that this technique achieves will find a particularly good use in his expressionist work. The surfaces of oil crayon are sometimes etched with a stylus, in particular in the work from the series “Ecritations”.

Used first as a replacement to more expensive oil painting on canvas, oil crayon so suits the artist that we find it throughout his research on varied media : paper, cardboard, wood, or chipboard panels.