Hi Judy,
Thank you so much! For your kind words and all your help, and introducing me to this forum. I would still like to stay active here! And I am sure there will always be more tips to be learned here! It is a great forum!
Yes I am sensitive. In second grade I found out I can't take odour when I was near a pass out because I smelled a permanent marker for more than a minute. That is why I never tried oils in the first place. I thought that it is pointless to.
But I wanted to give w/s oils a go, and I am glad I did.
At least now I know I tried, and it's not for me. That is so wonderful that you say Golden's Open and w/s oils are similar in finish! You've never heard of oilbar? Well I doubt you'll be disappointed. They are very versatile!
I will be happy to post my impressions and anything I discover on oilbar!!!
I think they're really cool because of all the options. They're fun because you can draw with them like a marker, yet it is paint. You can choose from opaque and semi opaque pigments, and they are an artist's quality oil. You can cut them, using a pallete knife, and apply pieces of them as impasto!
You can draw with the stick on a pallette, and mix colours together! Or mix them with regular tube oils and mediums, and then they behave like a tube oil colour.
Many people recommend these for plein air painters as you have to basically take almost nothing with you! No need for brushes, mediums, or even a pallette you can do without. Just take some sticks in your french easel or pochade and go!!! Very light!!!!
They come in various sizes and packs from what I have seen. I am very excited to try them!!! And as soon as I do, I will be sure to post any tips, and what I think. Other companies make oil sticks too. Sennelier, R&F, and Rembrandt are just a few.
Oil sticks seem like a nice, fun option. It's a cool, and different way of working, so..... nice when you want to take a break from the brush!
They are great for sketching, as being kind of like a marker and a paint in one, and even though they are quality oils, they only take a few days to dry! You also never varnish them, because of the wax, as wax never dries (enough to be sound in varnishing that is. So companies don't recommend it) You frame them behind glass. So alot less hassle than tube oils too. No need to wait forever to sell!!
I think they could be fun to add to anyone's repertoire. I will continue to work mainly in acrylics, but I will also try these, and hopefully, work in these oilbars too!
And....... as far as I have read and heard, they don't have an odour!!!!