I Bought my most HATED Art Supply on the Other Side of the WORLD?! // Norway Art Haul

[@Terrelli9]

I needed this video, especially the part about not worrying or feeling guilty when an art supply isn’t your thing. I’ve been desperately trying to learn to paint for a while now and pretty much hated the whole experience. I felt bad because I have all these watercolor and gouache sets but I get zero joy from them. But I went back to markers and colored pencils yesterday and I was immediately in heaven. Everything came naturally and flowed and made sense. Maybe I’ll try painting again later on, but for now I’m just going to enjoy the joy I get from markers and colored pencils.

[@MiraByler]

I am so glad you're okay with not liking them and embracing the supplies that give you the most joy. I think consumerism pressures us to think we need to try AND enjoy everything, but we don't have the capacity for that as humans! So I'm glad you know what you like and you're enjoying those things! 💜

[@danielletdg8423]

I am the same with watercolors and gouache. I have a couple watercolor sets and a gouache set, but I always come back to my microns and colored pencils. 😊

[@silverhoney6969]

It’s ok to donate those items that don’t bring us joy- they will bring lots of joy to someone else ❤

[@rayne6737]

I paint and my granddaughter uses markers. We are all different even within the same family. Got to go with what you love.

[@metyna]

I’m from Norway and I’m glad you had a great time. Our nature is very beautiful. Art supplies here are very expensive. But I’m glad the oil pastels left a good impression.

[@BeautyOfTheBlood]

Swede here, I've always been so jealous of your beautiful nature.. It's beautiful here too, but the mountain landscapes in Norway are just breathtaking! Much love from a neighbour..😘

[@Blick_Art]

That looked like an amazing trip! Glad you gave oil pastels another try, because they really are a very worthy medium. Oh, and we think your paint water jar deserves its own video- it looks like it's been on a journey through the ages!

[@MiraByler]

LOL, yes it has. I'm embarrassed to admit it hasn't seen soap in a while. 😂

[@Blick_Art]

@@MiraByler Nooo! You can't wash it, it'll lose all its character!

[@kerrytaylor8383]

I love my crusty water jar, it has been through all my art adventures with me.... Good and bad. Washing it would be far too emotional, like deleting the pictures of my babies lol x

[@Siocain]

I started to love oil pastels when I tried high-quality ones for the first time as well 😄 We need more art supply swaps in the community, where people can swap out something they tried and didn't like as much for something they love or want to try next!

[@Iris.moon61]

I love how she’s always having fun while drawing its just make me happy

[@Merrymaidenart]

Oil pastels are best for large scale pieces. You can also layer them and light colours will show up on top of darker colours. The best thing about oil pastels are the beautiful gradients and blends you can get. Don’t be afraid to be a bit heavy handed and really lay down some pigment.

[@BiteSizedCrafter]

That blue was the perfect shade to use as the background of that piece. Seriously, I don’t think anything else would have looked as good. Also that piece over all is super cute. Moth friend! I love moths!

[@ashliekeith9803]

I grew up with my family doing drywall and painting too! So the “contractor pencils” have always fascinated me as well 😅 I still love the smell of fresh paint 🫣

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Silicone tipped nail tools work awesome for blending oil pastels and they wipe clean easily. You can also sharpen edges with soft colored pencils like Prismacolor. Noway looks beautiful!

[@MsTagestraumer]

In the builders world those are called carpenter pencils. They are flat so they don’t roll off a roof or high point if you’re marking wood to cut out etc. Definitely very popular with drywall people so makes sense you’d be intrigued! I’ve always wanted to go to Norway. So happy for you and also a little jealous haha. It sure is incredibly beautiful!!

[@annelewis7531]

I was about to send the same comment.

[@PaperPearls24]

@@annelewis7531 me too

[@krissyp5389]

This is unrelated to art totally but I feel like your smile is absolutely infectious and your attitude is so calming to me. I was here trying to find a video to help me through my bad day and this one definitely helped

[@marian_hayes]

Yes. You should do a video about the other 2 art stores. I love your videos!

[@silverhoney6969]

Agreed! We need a video for each place

[@16taysia]

14:47 I ❤ the texture of the picture, it’s like a very fluffy rug or carpet 😊🩷

[@SilverHyenaTV]

I'm really glad you were able to try out an art supply that you weren't fond of but found a way to enjoy them! For me, it's charcoal. Charcoal and Newsprint sketch paper. I HATE newsprint, might as well draw on tissue paper. But I loved how you used the oil pastels!

[@beckybanta126]

Welcome home! I have missed your positve, encouraging you! Thank you for sharing & using your Norway treasures. Yes, I would very much like to see more use of these items! 😊

[@DevonMeyersArt]

Yes to more videos of trying the other art supplies you got on your trip! I love videos like these, so fun 😊

[@tatum4379]

This inspired me to use my oil pastels! I drew a colorful lion and had a really fun time doing it, thank you Mira!! 🩷

[@bethn2836]

I haven’t finished the video yet, but if any pastels will make you like oil pastel, the Sennelier ones are the ones to get. I haven’t tried them yet, but I had to use their dry pastels for my portrait drawing class in university, and they are AMAZING. Nothing at all like the cheapo chalk pastels you use as a kid. They’re even worlds better than other expensive sets I’ve tried. I can only imagine the oil pastels are the same peak quality (especially after seeing how other portrait artists use them).

[@lokicooper4690]

Would love to see more on your trip, as well as the supplies you purchased while over there. Norway looked beautiful. Have a cruise booked to go there in 2025, and I’m very excited about it. Loved your folk art inspired drawing.

[@ceilinh6004]

I would have gone *crazy* for the pigments. I love making my own paints. 😍

[@silverhoney6969]

Yeah I wouldn’t have made it out of that aisle for at least 40 minutes of debating what colors to limit myself to

[@miiaproductions]

I’m from Norway 🇳🇴 so happy you enjoyed your time here! Art supplies can be pretty expensive here, but it was so fun seeing you pick out supplies in that art shop 😄 Yes you should definitely do more videos about what other art supplies you bought in Scandinavia 😄

[@lindatho4]

Im so happy you enjoyed your stay here 🥰

[@MoonbeamAtKnight]

I love oil pastels, and I love that you are trying them again. I have a number of sketchbooks where I used oil pastels exclusively. I would like to recommend another technique to try and see how you feel about them. If you draw on much larger slightly smoother but still toothy absorbent paper and then hit it with some heat (like a hair dryer or iron (with baking parchment to not ruin your iron), it will separate the oils, and the oils will be absorbed into the paper. then you can layer colors differently than if you use the oil pastels over that. It’s a cool layering effect. You can also use the pencil over top of the pastels to create some crisp lines with the pencil (graphite). The pencil will really pop and be very smooth and fun to draw with. You can also use paint over top of them if you hit it with heat. I also recommend use more sweeps and “organic movements”, or “dance on your paper”, instead of trying to do small detailed work. They lend really well to motion. Try using them more like you would use paints as opposed to using them like crayons and rather than a tool, use different colors to smooth with blending them together. They are really great for drawing draping fabrics, liquids, shadows, and things in motion. I bet you could do a pretty amazing water creations with them if you wanted to give them another change.

[@MoonbeamAtKnight]

Also I totally get not liking certain art supplies, or falling out of love with supplies you once really enjoyed.

[@liliax9147]

That’s a really cool tip, thank you

[@nilawarriorprincess]

Wow! That shirt is amazing! It makes me want to start sewing again. I really only learned to draw so I could make my own embroidered patterns (& I got way too sick to sew), but maybe it's finally time to combine all of my skills.

[@brittabeningfield3472]

What a happy painting! I enjoy using oil pastels but haven't tried it on rough wc paper. Love that textured look with the underpainting glowing through. I usually use them as an accent on mixed media or blend them out with a little gamsol. They are fun to scratch details into or smoosh on with a palette knife. And i was really pleased with using them as an underpainting for oil paints. Have fun and I'd love to see what you do with them. You always come up with such creative ideas.

[@clairewilliams9416]

I love oil pastels for me I think it’s the perfect medium, fun colours, You can mess up and just layer over the top, even in a lighter colour if needed be, they are messy but not too messy and the very best is they lay down quickly and you can finish a piece relatively fast because I have the attention span of a toddler. However I totally get that it’s not the medium for everyone. For me a little mess that can usually be solved with a wet wipe is fine but we have different tolerance for mess ,the texture might be off putting for some and it’s not a medium that lends itself to fine details which can be highly frustrating. The beauty of art is that there are so many mediums to choose from and anyone of them can make something beautiful.

[@ChantelleArts]

I love that you chose to do a dark blue background, it works so well ❤

[@MiraByler]

Thank you!

[@LadyVexx]

I'm so glad you mentioned it was a trades pencil! We used to have them all over the house!

[@annmariebarreiroart]

I absolutely love this piece! I think the texture of the page really added to the more story book like feel to the folk art which i think is a fantastic combo!

[@viviennestardust]

I my goodness!!! I loved the erasers so much, I am a little bit of a collector when it comes to cute and different erasers.

[@lorrainejennings76]

I have thought about going to Sweden and after seeing your video...I'm going ! Looks gorgeous! I love your artwork with the oil pastels!! The oil pastels are my most hated art supply as well! Lol😊

[@tasticola]

Oh you're very lucky to go to such gorgeous countries. That flat pencil is like a builder's pencil. Love your excitement Mira x Nell.

[@sweethaven5]

Can’t wait for more pics and videos from Norway!! My aunt and uncle were there a couple of years ago and I just loved their photos ❤ from Ohio🇺🇸

[@jamieroberts269]

Not all oil pastels are the same. When you get the creamy ones you have hit the jackpot. As an artist trying different supplies will keep challenging your skills. Even give you a chance to see how you can combine them with your favorite supply to give it a new dimension. Keep adding to your tool kit!

[@lauranegro8614]

I think trying to do a floral field could be fun in oil pastel❤ always fun to see your videos thanks for making them.

[@mocreatie-maike3751]

Not much off a oilpastel fan myself. Never used them on such detailed work, mostly on bigger and more expressive art. Well done!! 🎉

[@mikelkirby2791]

Pastels in general take time like any new art medium. I watch several online tutorials to see what more experienced artists are doing and how to use the medium. Oil pastels are different from their counterpart: chalk pastels and have their own properties. I do like them when using solvents because they become more like paints. I still prefer other media as watercolors, but it was fun experimenting.

[@michaeltudor1502]

We went to Norway for 9 days this summer and LOVED it. We did Sweden and Denmark last year.

[@Sarah-with-an-H]

I have a special place in my heart for oil pastels. Before I was even born and this was a long time ago. My dad had picked up a set of Japanese oil pastels in his travels in his time of military service. So I have some very positive memories associated with oil pastels . At that time the oil pastels where already old, but the quality was so good.

[@meganpeca5585]

That’s so pretty. I love the folk art style.

[@meesespieces1510]

I highly enjoyed this video. I loved the art and pastels are a favorite of mine. I loved to see the clips from your vacation; it looked amazing! I need to be able to like this more than once. Seeing more work with pastels would be great, but I also really enjoyed the folk art and would like to see more of that. Thanks for the great video!

[@danielletdg8423]

I also hated using oil pastels until I found pastel paper which has a tooth to it. Congrats on stepping out of your comfort zone. ❤

[@Alicenoone-u6q]

I had the same experience. This pastel paper is like a smoth sandpaper (which I also use sometimes). The big point is the stunning blending. I love to mix and layer colors on pastel paper (for example pastel matt).

[@Taracinablue]

I'm so glad you got to travel! And it's nice that you had a good experience this time with pastels. =)

[@linzebrandon]

Hi Mira, you should try oil pastels on Canson Sandgrain paper. It was the paper that changed my mind about oil pastels, since I also hated them. I don't anymore either! LOL! Enjoy the new supplies!

[@Kyomiibrown]

You can use OMS and a brush on oil pastels just like your oil sticks.

[@shirleyf21916]

that looked like so much fun Mira, makes me want to take mine out and paint something!! i do use white spirits for blending though!! i hope you make stickers of this one!

[@PhoebesWorldProductions]

Nice art. Happy to hear you had a great vacation. 😃👍

[@liesbethartlife]

Beautiful piece of Folkart ! Sennelier is the best brand for oil pastels. CHARCOAL is my favorite art supply ! I like to use it in combination with Matt acrylic medium and neocolors

[@Gantorin]

I understand the change of landscape. Being from Florida... I got that temperature I like in Japan, but with rice fields, mountains, volcanos... it always amazes me to see mountains. So much culture, and beautiful experience.

[@anneliask5955]

Yes more of this video, so fun. I can not wait until you visit Sweden

[@ArtBrain]

You need to come to Washington, no flatness here! Love your trip videos and can't wait to see more. Dorvan is so patient with having to go to all of the art stores. Senneli-YAY. Have fun.

[@tooomy.7755]

This video was so calming and relaxing for me I’m really glade that I decided to watch it in my break before getting back to my English class

[@maggiegregory8399]

I think it’s wonderful you did great 👍

[@kayhar8737]

Cotton swabs are the best for blending 😊

[@fuzzydragons]

I LOVE that brans of oil pastels, but not cheap 😑 but so creamy and colourful Norway looks gorgeous 🥰 Lovely folk art piece, glad you like them, experimenting is def the key

[@queenoftheecouch-alysad7002]

Love your channel. What a cool adventure ❤

[@cosmicglitter]

I live in Norway! So cool that you came, hope you loved it!

[@cosmicglitter]

You were in my city!! Omg!

[@cosmicglitter]

I just got so excited I started commenting as the video was running hahaha. I moved from the Midwest to norway so I totally understand the sense of awe at the landscape

[@andree-annblais9221]

Sennelier is NOOOOOOT cheap hahaha ! But it make oil pastel experience soooo much better. Happy you dont hate it anymore. Aslo, from a texture phobic to another, congrats with stepping out of your comfort zone ! You made me smile

[@kimbranson3374]

What a wonderful adventure for you and your family 😊 I enjoyed today’s video very much and hope you will do more oil pastel projects, as well as videos with your Scandinavian art supplies 😁 Thank you and have a lovely day 🥰

[@emanuelebabici]

So cool to see you give them another chance! I actually really love the effects you can create with those, I suggest you to try something in an impressionistic style, it works really well! Usually oil pastels include a lot of blending with fingers, my guess is that the warmth and oils of your skin help to blend, but I know you really don't like that so you might try some tools in latex or rubber, like the ones for carving and sculpting

[@emanuelebabici]

Also, the flat pencil is often used by crafters and sewers because you can easily hold it behind your ear😊

[@fontainerouge]

Sennelier has a transparent medium stick in this range. Very useful.

[@azzuparis]

I love Bergen so much, I’ve been there 3 times. The oil pastels folk art came out so beautiful ❤

[@FelineFurKin]

They’re some of the best oil pastels, I’ve got a small set and been meaning to get more colours eventually, but have a Mungyo set for now. They do nice watercolours too. It’s fun to see so much by the Dutch company Talens in that shop. Koh-I-Noor does good pastels and stuff too. Lyra did amazing watercolour pencils when I was a kid, I still have them. Folk art is lovely, I like the nature motifs.

[@mariaalejandracardozo3879]

Great artwork, looks lovely, congratulations.

[@KellyShouldice3]

The thing I LOVE about oil pastels is that they aren't crayons. I blend through layering, and when you covered up that circle, you totally could have saved it. I also use oil mediums with them sometimes with brushes. I think they fun. But like you said, we all have different poisons.

[@oliviataylor7587]

Love you videos Mira, they always inspire me to be more creative and do it for the process instead of for the result which kills all inspiration. Your amazing, hope you have a lovely day :)

[@MiraByler]

So happy to hear that! I hope you're having an amazing day too. :)

[@oliviataylor7587]

@@MiraByler I am thank you, had an art day with some friends before school starts and it was great!

[@sabinajarouskova1377]

Oh, oil pastels! My bestie was using them and I was resisting... Until I bought my own set and now I cannot live without them😂👌... Also seeing Kohinoor stuff makes my Czech heart happy, Kohinoor art supplies were my first artist quality ones❤️

[@JenniferCase]

I love oil pastels! I dream of affording Sennelier!

[@designsdoovers]

What a fun vacation you had. Just an FYI you can find carpenter pencil ✏️ sharpeners if you don’t want to use a blade to do it. I’m with you on the oil pastels but I’ve never tried using them on rough surfaces. I will give it a go. ❤ Kristin

[@courtneya9483]

I'm so jealous. Lol jk. I'm so glad you had fun. It looks so breathe taking in pictures/videos, I couldn't imagine being there in person! Thank you for the video. I definitely love the painting ❤ Also your hair looks amazing 🥰

[@kerrytaylor8383]

Loved this video, i have never fancied trying pastels but i will now x

[@zetta7425]

I live in norway and have been watching you for awhile now. Be dont have the best art supplies, we have the most expencive stuff but not prismacolor, ohuhu markers and so on. Its hard to find quality supplies. It was fun watching you enjoy norway, its beautifull!

[@compassionandhumility]

2:30 Omg...I love that shirt!

[@amberforbes3151]

Oil pastels are a toughie. I remember I started with Mungyo Gallery and absolutely loved them, but then I stopped doing any kind of art for several years for whatever reason. I then picked up the Sakura brand because our Hobby Lobby no longer carries Mungyo--and I HATED them. They weren't creamy. They kept lifting, lifting, lifting. They would ONLY work on watercolor paper. Blending was a nightmare, and I even went out of my way to purchase odorless mineral spirits to make them work. I thought I was going crazy. I saw other artists making them work, so why couldn't I? I then learned there are different types for different things. I just refused to give up on them because they worked so well the very first time I delved into oil pastels. Now I know what brands to purchase, and Sakura is not something I'm going to get ever again.

[@Nanaonthemove]

Was the art store in Oslo? I went to one in May 2023. I didnt buy anything. I cannot wait to go back. This is the first time seeing you... Im subscribe🇸🇯

[@BeckyTregear]

I did an art shop crawl in Greece earlier this year, lol. 😂 That same box of Sennelier oil pastels lives in my studio too, and they’re easy enough to find in Australia. I love them! ❤

[@RockinTROUBLE4U720]

Il work with a oil pastel any day over a chalk pastel and I have always wanted to try pan pastels my friend told me depending on what brand you get it can be almost like a hybrid of both oil and chalk😊

[@kendravanwesemael6863]

You can blend oil pastels with your oil painting medium

[@EmberShadowtempest]

Looks like you had a fun trip. I'd love to.go myself one day. My sister recently went to Japan and had a great time going through art supply stores there. Trying out new supplies is so much fun. Tempted to give oil pastels a try. Would like to see you use them more.

[@rickjr111589]

Did you know you can blend oil pastels using actual oil and a brush? I really like what you said about everyone being different. It's so true! God made us all different yet similar. We are unique! I would love to go to Norway, just saying lol

[@doninis1354]

Yes I did it with coconutoil,but I don't like oil pastels stil...it is just a material I am not able to work with 😁

[@PurpleCastles]

You went to Scandinavia?! As a Norwegian-American, I'm so jealous, lol. But glad you had a wonderful time! Sorry you bought you're least-favorite art supply abroad but at least you have Norwegian art stuff now lol

[@SuperStrangSshadow]

Hope you liked being in Norway. 😊

[@VictoriaSayiler]

Your art is so beautifull ❤ I never used oil pastels

[@kategraham6792]

First off I love how you bought an eraser because it looks like a cheese wheel haha. I would do the same! I love oil pastels. We used them a lot in highschool. I need to practice using tissue paper to smooth everything. Usually I "burnish" I guess? Haha Norway looks beautiful! 😍 Your artwork looks really good! I love the colours you chose. Please use them again if you want too 😊

[@tere9748]

Sennelier created oil pastels for Picasso. I bought some in the spring and I love them

[@sweethaven5]

2:38 Love your shirt!!

[@wayfaringspacepoet]

tricky things, oil pastels - as other people have mentioned, using some kind of binder or blending medium with them helps yield the best results but they can also be used like oil paints with a palette knife; the trick, I think, is largely in the paper you use and since you made the background layer using watercolor it might have been a good idea to use a hot press pad to allow for smoother blending

[@sorry-I-write-long-comments]

OMG, Norway!! That's where I live😍 What I hate most is how expensive it is here.... and it is only in the big cities where we find actual stores for art supplies! I have to travel 1-2 hours to get to the closest one, but that's a really small one. If you want a real art supply store, you have to go to either of the 3-4 big cities throughout the country🙄

[@MiraByler]

How cool! What part of Norway?! Your country is so beautiful and amazing!

[@sorry-I-write-long-comments]

@@MiraByler It's called Stavanger🥰 Sorry, didn't think you would answer so quick, so I edited my comment above, right after posting it, to add quite a lot 🤣

[@jennifercarroll3814]

Lowe's, Home Depot, & Menards have the sharpener for the flat pencils

[@eulaujudy]

You have to use an exacto knife to sharpen the flat pencil

[@AllenArt64]

Oil pastels go a little easier if you have some turpentine or mineral spirits to help blend them :).

[@flatcatart]

You *need* to try applying oil pastels with a palette knife. I despised them until I remembered seeing a video of someone using that technique, but now I kinda enjoy them! It gives a really nice texture to the piece To anyone wanting to try it though, make sure you have good pastels. Cheap ones are often really crumbly and won't work at all. I'd recommend sennelier or paul rubens :)

[@imfoxheim]

You picked the right time, the norwegian krone is pretty low atm xD I'm glad you enjoyed Norway!

[@paulah317]

You must be from Wisconsin. Cheesewheel eraser.....love it!

[@Catsandcamera]

I went to that art store last time I was in Oslo!

[@307mrstroy8]

Thanks for taking us along with you to Norway!! As always your art is beautiful!! I don’t like charcoal either… too messy! Lol

[@wendyg3869]

I prefer to us a tortillion or blending stump with my oil pastels, you can get a lot more pressure, fine details and crisper lines. 😁 they are great for helping layer and to carve in details. They also make great silicone tipped tools that spread the oil pastel around.

[@slateportraichu5416]

I like the flowery blouse you were wearing =3 So colourful!=3 Oil pastels are my nightmare supply (+ chalk ones), But now I kinda want to try them again=3 Gorgeous art piece -love how you draw moths=3

[@Disney-art-craft-fan]

finger blending with oil pastels is the best way to blend oil pastels.

[@charmainewilson8583]

Try sugar paper for the oil pastels, well done . All the way from NZ 👍🦔