Oil sticks offer the same advantages as oil paint.
The suppleness of use enables you to produce any experiment. It may be handled like a pen.
Colours
Before using an oil stick for the very first time, peel off the thin dry skin in order to release the paint. This thin layer will form again after you have used it.
Oil sticks' colours are miscible when using a thinner; in addition, thanks to their high degree of unctuosity, you may juxtapose them and obtain thus a surprising result.
If you wish to diminish the intensity of a shade, use white. In addition, a white layout on the entire surface enables to maintain the texture and is useful for mixes.
Material
Apart from your hand, you may use all kinds of materials to embellish your work. Because of its thick and pasty consistency, you may use large brushes, paint brushes, paints, matches or any other objects which would enable you to knead the colour and the consistency.
Surfaces
One may compare oil stick to a pen, so all traditional surfaces may be used: cardboards, canvases, painting paper, Pastel cards, 'Mémoire du Pastel'.
Techniques
In order to obtain a homogeneous blending, dilute your colour with turpentine. Try different texture effects using impasto; scratch or dig the surface with a match, the tip of your paint brush.
To stump, just use a cloth.
Do not hesitate to draw directly in a colour layer with a brush, or to draw in the material to obtain highlights with a point.
Tips
You may overlap oil sticks on other lean paints. For instance, you may paint a backdrop with gouache and apply oil stick on it.
- Sennelier Oil Stick Colour Chart
