Kwik Stix 12 Pack - TOS Review

This fun review features the Kwik Stix 12 Pack from The Pencil Grip, Inc.   Kwik Stix are solid tempera paint, in a glue stick format.   The paints aren't wet and can not spill (thank you very much!!).   They have the texture and consistency somewhere between a glue stick and a lipstick, somewhat similar to an oil pastel but not as greasy and it doesn't "glump".

 We received the basic 12 piece set pictured above, but this product also comes in neon and metalix, and you can purchase 6 packs or 12 packs.  If you're a teacher, or you just really love using these little guys, you can also purchase a 96 piece class pack.

My girls really like working with canvas, so we decided to use those for this review.  I didn't give any theme, idea or instruction, which may have worked against me, but I like to let them just create.  If however, you are a person who needs some guidance or ideas, be sure to check out the Kwik Stix Pinterest page.

These paints dry in 90 seconds, but before they dry you can use your finger to smudge, blend and correct.   Once the paint dries, you can layer, or completely cover if you need to do some major changing.

Lindsey initially did wording in light blue, and then outlined it it dark purple.  This was a bad plan.  She waited the 90 seconds and then covered the light blue wording in purple, added some contrasting highlights and then used the white paint to add different wording.   As you can see below, the layering works well, and as I said you can use a darker color to completely do away with a lighter one,

Olivia, who is used to doing more detailed art work, wasn't too sure how to use the blunt tip to get the result she desired, so she kept adding and smudging and finally came up with the piece below.   I call it "modern art", because I don't have a clue what it is, or should have been, but the colors are great!

After watching what did and didn't work for both kids, I tried a different technique while stealing a design from Monet.  I found that the layering really did work well as I filled in some light blue for the sky and darker blue for the water in the forefront.   I added the bridge and the tree next with the brown and added shadow with the edge of the black.  The darker green was used to create the lily pads and also the distant tree line behind the bridge, while light green made the tree look like the sunlight was hitting directly on it.  I then added a bit of yellow sunlight dancing on the water.   I used the white to form wispy clouds and edge of the black was used to add a few tiny birds.

 

The Kwik Stix would be PERFECT for working with young artists.  No mess, and projects could easily be sent home at the end of class without the dreaded "How do we get this home without having paint all over the car" moment for the parents.  The paint adheres to construction paper, water color paper and of course canvas, so the sky is then limit for how you could use this for varying projects and age groups.

The Pencil Grip, Inc. also carries pencil grips, thus the name, right?   We also received one of the Single Grips, which was the perfect size for small hands.  Lindsey loved the squishy feel of it and uses if for that fact instead of to help her grip, grins.

Click here to read what other TOS Crew members thought of this product.