Arteza tempera paint sticks are clever but inconsistent

The idea is brilliant — twist-up tempera paint sticks that work like glue sticks, no water, no brushes, no mess. And when they work, they’re fantastic: smooth, vibrant color that dries fast and washes off tables with a wipe. The problem is consistency. Some sticks in the set of 24 are creamy and perfect; others are dry and chalky straight out of the package. For the price of 24 colors, it’s worth having in the art drawer for variety, but I wouldn’t build my whole art supply strategy around them.