Last Updated on : March 6th, 2026

Many artists may wish they could work more intuitively with oil paint, simply picking up the paint itself and applying color directly onto the surface without mixing it on a palette.

The clear, saturated colors, glossy finish and rich texture of oil paints are incredibly appealing, however, they require specialized supplies and knowledge to fully enjoy this technique. 
While preserving these qualities of oil paint, the French art brand Sennelier’s Oil Sticks allows the user to have a more intuitive and smooth drawing experience.

Sennelier’s Oil Sticks are a gateway for everyone, from oil painting beginners to mixed media artists.

In this article, we cover the essentials of oil sticks, including how to use and care for them.

Contents

Features of Oil Sticks

Oil sticks are solid oil paints made by kneading high-quality pigments with low-discoloration safflower oil and mineral wax into a solid form.

They can be held directly in the hand, allowing you to draw spontaneous and bold strokes on the surface without the need for brushes or a palette, while still offering the vivid color and rich depth of oil paints. 

As a medium that fuses the spontaneity of drawing with the unique qualities of oil paint, oil sticks greatly expand the possibilities for creative expression.

For example, you can draw directly over the texture of dried oil or acrylic paint with the oil sticks, or blend the oil stick colors to add layers with a brush or palette knife. Since the color blending is applied on the surface directly, expressions like sgraffito, a technique by scraping away the surface paint to reveal the underlying color, are possible too. 

Therefore, by doing so, it allows the texture of a painting knife or brush strokes to remain clearly visible. 

Furthermore, by thinning the colors with volatile oils (such as turpentine) or combining it with painting mediums (such as painting oil or drying oils), you can freely adjust the transparency and gloss to achieve your desired effect.

At PIGMENT TOKYO, we offer the “6 Oil Sticks Introductory Set,” featuring a well-balanced selection of essential colors, as well as the vibrant “6 Oil Sticks Fluorescents & Metallics Set,” known for its brilliant color variations. These sets are perfect for experimenting with color mixing or adding striking accent colors.

They are also highly recommended for beginners who are just starting out with oil painting.

How to Use: Direct Application / Apply with a Brush

There are a few basic techniques to play with oil sticks that are similar to oil paints, such as drawing directly onto the surface, mixing colors, and creating gradations. 

Variations in Techniques

These are the samples of techniques that you could use: direct application, blending with brush strokes, impasto built up with a painting knife, and creating gradation by thinning with turpentine.

As you can see, a wide range of expressions is possible. From the rich, substantial textures created by thick application to the differences in transparency achieved through dilution.

Line Work: Bold Strokes

Drawing dynamic and powerful strokes, which are only made possible through a solid stick, gives a sense of speed and intuitive expression to your work. You can draw directly onto the surface with a crayon-like texture or carve it with a painting knife to create edges and achieve more expressive, sharp lines.

Due to the difference in color texture and firmness of each stick, different hues offer a distinctive touch, which is another interesting feature of oil sticks. Of course, when applied to a palette, they can be handled just like conventional oil paints, making it effective to use brushes with the sticks for color mixing or detailed work.

Color Mixing / Blending (Gradation)

You can mix colors not only on a palette but also directly on the painting surface. Colors applied with oil sticks can be blended with either your fingers, a cloth, a painting knife, or even a brush, allowing you to enjoy a more intuitive, hands-on blending.

Direct Application

As you can see from the image above, there are multiple ways to mix the colors, from direct application, layering colors before they dry (also known as the wet-on-wet technique) to creating gradation through rubbing with a cloth. 

The choice of tools or how layers are applied can dramatically change the shade and expression of your work. 

Color Mixing on the Palette

Here’s a sample of color mixing on a palette using oil sticks. 

Just a touch of fluorescent pink added to dark silver instantly brightens the overall effect. While the metallic sheen remains, a subtle and distinctive pink emerges.
On the other hand, mixing primary blue with fluorescent yellow tones softens the original glow, creating a vivid green. By intentionally incorporating fluorescent or metallic colors, you can achieve rich, complex tones that are hard to replicate with commercial paints.

Color Layering

Wet-on-dry is an oil painting technique that applies a new layer of color over a dried surface. Since the colors do not physically mix on the surface, you can preserve and make use of the underlying hues. 

In particular, layering transparent colors creates a sense of visual depth through color mixing. By adjusting transparency with turpentine or similar solvents, you can achieve resonant, harmonious overlaps of color.

Glazing

Glazing is a technique in which transparent or semi-transparent paint is applied in thin layers, allowing the underlying shades to show through and creating a deep sense of color and depth.

This technique has been widely used in many classical masterpieces.

Furthermore, by dissolving oil sticks on a palette with turpentine or a painting medium to adjust their transparency, you can achieve a unique luminosity that feels like it can be seen through light, as well as the lustrous shadows distinctive to oil painting.

*  “Turpentine” and “Oil Colors Stripe Clear Box”,

Please note that the above products are not available for international shipping. 

The “Oil Colors Stripe Clear Box” is an all-in-one set that includes everything needed to start oil painting: oil paint tubes, two types of painting knives, several brushes, painting mediums and even a paper palette. With all the essential tools included, you can start creating right away without worrying about choosing the right materials.

This set is perfect for beginners and also makes a thoughtful gift for anyone interested in oil painting.

For more information on brushes and how to choose them, please refer to the following article.

Substrates and Grounds

Oil sticks can be used on a wide variety of materials as long as they are properly prepared as they are for oil paint. For example, a proper ground preparation not only prevents excessive absorption of oil into the support but also enhances color vibrancy and adhesion.

Furthermore, by using materials such as animal glue, oil grounds or acrylic gesso to freely adjust color and texture, you can expand your range of expression even further.

Examples of Suitable Supports

・Canvas / wooden panels

・Metal: Color Titanium Plates, etc.

・Synthetic paper: Yupo paper α or other papers suitable for oil painting

・Paper materials: heavyweight paper (paper board, watercolor paper, cardboard), Japanese washi paper, etc.

* For thin paper, mounting it onto a panel will make it easier to work on.

* If using an unprimed surface, it is important to apply the right ground according to the support type.

* Before beginning a full-scale work, we recommend creating a test piece or a trial application to check adhesion and paint application.

*Please note that this product is not available for international shipping. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Grounds

You should choose a primer or ground that is suitable for oil paints according to the type of your substrate.

A smooth ground makes it easier to create clean and flowing lines, while a rough ground allows for creating textures.

You might also explore creating your own distinctive surfaces by preparing the ground in advance. For example, you could add color to acrylic gesso to make a colored ground, or polish True Gesso Ground to achieve a smooth, refined surface texture.

*Please note that “Gesso S” is not available for international shipping. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Feel free to check out the articles for more information on primers and grounds, and how to mount canvas onto panels.

Drying Time and Finishing

Drying Time for Oil Sticks

【Approximate Drying Time】

Touch Dry (Surface): About 2 ~ 5 days

Fully Cured: 6 months or more

Heavily painted with oil sticks

The drying time of oil paints, including oil sticks, varies greatly depending on the thickness of the application and the environment.

The image above shows a sample painted with oil sticks to a maximum thickness of about 3 mm. After more than 30 days, the surface has formed a film, while the interior remains soft, demonstrating that thick layers take a long time to fully dry or cure.

To speed up drying, you can store the work in a well-ventilated area or use mediums or painting liquids that contain drying accelerators.

Finishing

You can create a work using only oil sticks, however, after it has fully dried, applying an oil painting varnish as a finishing layer provides both protection and visual enhancement.

Protection: Prevents fading from UV light or artificial lighting, as well as dust, dirt and wear from friction.
Visual Enhancement: Adjusts the surface to your preferred finish, such as glossy or matte, while giving the painting a more consistent appearance.

*Please note that “Dammar Varnish” is not available for international shipping. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Precautions When Using

Maintenance Before and After Use (Removing and Preventing Surface Film)

The main component of oil paints is drying oils and they harden by reacting with oxygen (oxidative polymerization). If an oil stick is left unused for several days, a protective surface film may form. Therefore, make sure to remove this film before use or or whenever it reappears.

Surface film on oil sticks: Areas that appear glossy indicate a formed film.

Removing the Surface Film / Before Use

By gently shaving off the surface with a painting knife or cutter, the oil stick will become smooth and usable again.

​​Preventing Surface Film / After Use

To prevent the oil stick from drying (oxidative polymerization), wrap it tightly with a plastic food wrapper so it does not come into contact with air before storing.

【What Happens If You Used Without Removing the Surface Film?】

If you draw directly while the oil stick is still covered by the film, the color will not adhere properly and the smooth texture of the oil stick will be lost.

Moreover, when using a painting knife or brush, any peeled-off film can mix into the paint as clumps, which may disrupt the texture quality of your work.

Recommended Paint Thickness

Thickness: Up to 1 mm

* If you want to build up thicker layers, you may apply additional strokes only after the lower layer has dried.

Oil sticks can be layered to increase thickness, however, applying too much at once may cause only the surface to undergo oxidative polymerization first. This difference in shrinkage between the surface and the inner part can lead to peeling or cracking, so apply your thickness carefully.

【About Oxidative Polymerization】

Oil paints gradually harden over time through the oxidative polymerization reaction, in which the oil reacts with oxygen in the air.

Like traditional oil paints, oil sticks harden slowly through this process, allowing them to firmly adhere to a properly prepared ground or substrate.


Comparing the Drying Characteristics of Water- vs Oil-Based Paints

After Use: How to Clean Your Brush / Work Environment

How to Clean Oil Painting Brushes

1.【Wipe】 Thoroughly wipe off the paint with paper or a cloth. (Rinse the brushes with a solvent is recommended.)

2.【Wash】Use a brush cleaner or dish soap, and rub the bristles on your palm to remove paint.

3.【Rinse】Rinse carefully with lukewarm water until all foam and residue are gone.

4.【Dry】Remove excess moisture and dry the brush horizontally or hang it in the shade.

*Cleaning the Bristles Near the Ferrule: If paint is not thoroughly removed from the base of the bristles near the ferrule during Step 2, the brush may stiffen or become damaged.

*Drying Position: Drying brushes in an upright position can cause the ferrule (metal part) to corrode. 

Check out the following article to learn more about maintaining your brushes.

Working Environment

Ensure proper ventilation during and after the art making.

What to Wear

Oil paints are very difficult to remove once they get on our clothes, so we recommend wearing workwears or an apron, or other clothing that you don’t mind getting stained.

Moreover, oil sticks soften during use and can easily stick to your hands. If you are concerned about stains, please consider wearing rubber gloves.

【What If Paint Gets on Clothing】

Rub the area with a neutral detergent and lukewarm water before the paint dries.

* Beware that the paint will be difficult to remove once it dries.

The greatest appeal of oil sticks is that you can play with the color directly on your canvas without being constrained by complicated tools or preparation. Start by picking up a single color you like and experience the unique feel of drawing with it.

Once you’ve mastered the basic techniques, you can expand your expressive range even further. The following article provides a detailed explanation of the differences between traditional oil paints and oil pastels, as well as techniques for combining oil sticks with other materials in mixed media.

About Sennelier

Sennelier is an art materials manufacturer founded in Paris, France in 1887.

For many years, its pigments and paints have been praised by numerous renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro.
Known for producing high-quality art materials, Sennelier continues to be highly valued by artists around the world today.

References

Sennelier (Language: English/ French/ German/ Spanish)

Oil Stick  Colors in the Hand

Oil Pastel　Oil Pastels

Holbein Art Materials Inc.
Colors Anatomy③ Gesso Ground for Oil Painting (Japanese Website)

Editor & Writer

Natsuko Shiraishi

Graduated from the Textile Design at Tama Art University. She is an artist who mainly works with original Washi paper and calligraphy.

Favorite matière: Paper, dynamic moves of wood fiber

Graduated from the Textile Design at Tama Art University. She is an artist who mainly works with original Washi paper and calligraphy.

Favorite matière: Paper, dynamic moves of wood fiber

Translator

Nelson Hor Ee Herng

Graduated with a BFA in Japanese painting from Tama Art University. Using paintings, embroideries and installations to document issues related to our modern society.
Favorite material: Mineral pigments used by ancient people to paint murals.

Graduated with a BFA in Japanese painting from Tama Art University. Using paintings, embroideries and installations to document issues related to our modern society.
Favorite material: Mineral pigments used by ancient people to paint murals.