MARKAL – OIL BARS – PROFESSIONAL RANGE

Description

Markal Professional Range Oil Sticks are paint in stick form, made with linseed oil, wax and pigments. Markal Paintstiks can be used alone or with conventional oil colours. They dry overnight, (much faster than other oil sticks) and are mixable with odourless solvent or turpentine for wash effects and softening. They become liquid when applied and, as linseed is a drying oil, a skin forms on the stick which must be peeled off before use. The sticks are non-toxic with no offensive odour and are particularly useful for field trips and for strong gestural marks, as it is not necessary to stop to recharge in mid-stroke.

These oil bars are a true staff favourite at The PaintBox, due to their history and the trajectory along which the product developed into a really interesting art material. Other more conservative fine art material companies have sadly attempted to misappropriate the history of use of this particular product, particularly concerning the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, but Markals are the real thing. 

The company was founded 1934, in the heartland of industrial Illinois, on the philosophy of delivering high-performance products for specific welding and industrial applications.  The first product produced was the Stik-O-Paint which offered “real paint in stick form.”  The Stik-O-Paint would eventually become the well-known Markal B Paintstik. These sticks were a mainstay in the American welding workshops but it wasnt long before artists spotted them and subverted their use to artistic expression. The customer-driven company responded with an evolving line of artists colours and formats inclusing the first liquid paint marker, the Valve Action Paint Marker. The reason that these products made their way out of blue collar workshops into the fine art world was that artists like Basquiat were adept at stepping from world to another. These days most Markal products are made in France for ease of distribution to european markets, you’ll find them as a mainstay in Cornelissesns in London and they are just as loved here at The PaintBox.

These oil sticks are now in short supply as the company has been impacted by Covid-19 and we can only hope that they continue. Whereas we used to sell loose stock of a great range of colours, only a limited range of colours are currently in production. If production does stop this will be an the end of an era.

This is a set of Markal Paintstiks which can be applied and blended in nearly infinite color variations with the finger, a paintbrush, or pallet knife. The sticks are completely compatible and can be used with regular oil paint. The finished painting can be varnished, over-painted or worked over with a complete range of varnishes or conventional oil paints. Good for application onto fabric, such as for fabric stenciling, etc.

Note: Peel the thin protective film on the tip of the Paintstik before using. This setet contains the following very useful colours:
Titanium white, ivory black, alizarin crimson, azo orange, napthol red, azo yellow, phthalo blue, phthalo green, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw umber, yellow ochre

At The PaintBox we source and stock quality art supplies which we import directly.  This also means that you have access to a greater variety and pay less for these. These are perfect for any artists from amateur to professional. It is also perfect for any budget size.  Check out our loyalty rewards programme, which makes your artistic ambitions achievable. At these prices why not give these a go. Be sure to check out our other fabulous finds on our website and start saving today. Our knowledgeable staff at The PaintBox can guide you through our carefully selected ranges of art supplies for all applications. This is only a small selection of our stock. We sell many brands, weights, and textures, in-store only.  Please call 08 8388 7776 to enquire. We offer tuition too!

ALSO THIS PRODUCT CAN BE DELIVERED ANYWHERE WITHIN AUSTRALIA OR NEW ZEALAND