Black paint sticks absolutely DEVOUR light!
I ordered a dozen black paint sticks as I expected to go thru several and the price is great.
For you artists, these are a VERY flat CARBON BLACK and the opacity is the best of any oil stick I've ever worked with.
I haven't had a chance to check drying times yet as Ive not gone to the intended canvas yet, but the following info will help.
1) VERY black like a carbon black...or darker if that's possible.
2) Best opacity I've ever seen in an oil stick.
3) VERY flat finish. Absolutely DEVOURS light.
4) Much creamier than a Markal stick...and with a thinner shell. That could be because they are very fresh...or that could mean a slower drying time. I'll try to update later on.
UPDATE:
I USED these over acrylic paint that had dried for a couple weeks. 6 months later, these still smudge just as easily, if not more easily, than oil pastels. I tried setting them with a heatgun, but that didn't seem to make a difference. If you use these on artwork, be prepared to protect your work as If It were an oil pastel.
I just purchased the multicolor set. I'll post an update on those later.