I got lucky last night - great model, all the stars in alignment, and the drawing somehow fell together quite nicely. I am pleased with this one.
I have refined my process with these Cretacolor leads over time. I am beginning with the oil stick to define the shape and place features - it is harder and I can draw more subtle lines, then I switch to the chalk sticks to begin rendering values. Again, blending these with bristle brushes and chamois cloth works wonders! Over time, I am learning how to eliminate that "filling in the lines" look.