Oil Pastel Brands

After my initial introduction to various brands of OP's it was very clear that the front runners were Sennelier and Holbein. Sennelier was the first oil pastel ever made. Pablo Picasso and Henri Goetz approached Henri Sennelier in 1947 with the idea of designing a pastel that they could use directly on the canvas without it being primed. Picasso particularly wanted to be able to use it on any surface such as wood, metal, paper, etc. The Sennelier has a texture more like a dry lipstick and I find it's best for blending, realism or final touches. The Holbein is drier in texture and acts more like a soft pastel. It's easy to put this square stick on it's side and apply color in bold strokes. I personally prefer the Holbein. At least that's how I feel at the moment. I'm still in the newbie stage with these sticks. It most definitely is something each artist will have to experiment with and work out for themselves.