Peel back the coating on the paint stick using a small knife prior to use. Some paint sticks come with a coating pre-applied, and some will dry with a thin skin to protect the paint stick from drying out entirely. Remove this before applying.
Draw directly onto your surface, whether canvas, panel, paper or other support. Acrylic paint sticks give you the ability to incorporate line more easily than a brush. One reason is that you won't run out of paint, as you do with a brush. Another reason is that the drawing motion is more natural and like that of using a pencil or charcoal.
Draw over or into wet acrylic paint to make small areas of blending or to push the wet acrylic paint around to create new forms.
Peel back the paper as needed, in the manner of a crayon, to expose more of the paint stick.
Blend colors fully or partially by brushing over them with a damp brush. Rub vigorously into the marks to create more complete blending.
Paint over the marks with a very wet brush to create washes of thin color. This creates a watercolor effect and will wipe out the lines if you use enough water. Lay the painting flat to avoid drips, or leave it vertical and preserve the drips for a contemporary look.