Oil Sticks & Bars
Traditional oil paint compressed into a stick and encased in wax. Once favoured by Picasso, oil sticks allow you to draw on to canvas with bold oil color, and can also be used with a brush to create traditional oil painting brush marks.
R&F : Pigment Sticks
From $8.12
Sennelier : Oil Sticks
From $8.55
Oil Painting: Oil Sticks vs Oil Pastels
Oil sticks and oil pastels differ primarily in composition and application.
Oil sticks (also known as oil bars and pigment sticks) are composed of pure pigment, a drying oil (such as linseed oil or safflower oil) and a small amount of wax which allows the paint to be moulded into a cylindrical bar. They will dry and cure like oil paint and are fully compatible with traditional oil painting techniques and mediums.
Oil pastels are made with pigment, wax and a non-drying oil, and their oil content is considerably lower than oil sticks. The result is a softer medium that never fully dries, remaining workable indefinitely.
Oil sticks are ideal for gestural, painterly applications, while oil pastels offer immediacy and versatility across various surfaces.
Read 'The Difference Between Oil Sticks and Oil Pastels’ on Jackson's Art Blog.