The consistency of each stick is not the same. The white is very hard and makes mixing with other colors very difficult. Some are very creamy ( brown, blue, red). It took me twice the time I normally use with regular oil pastels. They dissolve nicely and leave no streaky marks, much better than watercolor crayons. The color payoff is not superior but is ok considering the price, do not expect them to perform like the Caran Dache crayons though. All in all, it was a refreshing experience but not my cup of tea. I still prefer traditional oil pastels more because I can skip the blending and layering but if water-soluble art supplies are your thing I still recommend these over other water soluble caryons brand. Best way to use in my opinion: use this for background because the stick are larger so you can cover the surface quickly and then work on details with Caran Dache or other crayons.