I have loved (and used) my Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Crayons for years. This little box has lasted me more than a decade. Maybe closer to 15 years?
Neocolor II Crayons are water soluble and highly pigmented and so fun to use. Super Learners have access to my online class, "Getting Started with Neocolor II."
You can use Neocolor II Crayons in lots of different ways beside drawing, including stamping, stenciling, and screen printing! And they are great for layering, if you know how. But, I digress.
You may have noticed that I use china markers (aka grease pencils) in my work to create graphic lines.
"Lunch at MoMA" is available in my online shop.
However, they come in a fairly limited range of colors and they aren't the highest quality, because they're not meant to be an art supply. So, I started to think that I would really like some high quality artist crayons. It became a bee in my bonnet and about a month ago, I finally decided to buy myself some Caran d'Ache Neocolor I Crayons.
These crayons are NOT water soluble. They are regular crayons, just really nice ones. The blurb on the Blick website says, "They feature exceptional covering power, excellent lightfastness, and are great for underpainting. Their hardness allows them to be sharpened more easily for detail and edge work."
Watch the video to see them in action:
One technical side note: I keep referring to these as "crayons" and that is how they feel and behave, but technically, they are oil pastels. From the Jackson Art Blog:
"Oil pastels are pigment in a binder of oil and wax formed into a small stick. They can be used to make gorgeous artwork that is similar to drawing because you aren’t using a brush but more like painting because you can cover large areas and work in shapes, not just lines. They have some things in common with coloured pencils and soft pastels….Like all art materials, each brand is a different formula with its own characteristics. Oil pastels range from very soft to nearly as hard and dry as a coloured pencil."
Why does that matter?
Understanding the properties and behavior of different types of art materials is part of the artist's work. That knowledge helps the you make informed decisions about which types of art material to use for different surfaces and applications, and can also aid in troubleshooting issues that may arise during the art making process. So as you layer them, keep in mind that these are oil pastels.
Happy creating! And thanks for stopping by!
Julie,
i always appreciate your product reviews! on your evaluation, i have beat the FOMO on products that clearly weren’t right for me. and i have also found media i wouldn’t have considered without your experiencing it for me. thanks always for your objective reviews and for everything you share with us. now, if only i could attend an in person class, i would be set. if you are taking requests, i would love to take something with Nathalie on the same trip!
Julie,
i always appreciate your product reviews! on your evaluation, i have beat the FOMO on products that clearly weren’t right for me. and i have also found media i wouldn’t have considered without your experiencing it for me. thanks always for your objective reviews and for everything you share with us. now, if only i could attend an in person class, i would be set. if you are taking requests, i would love to take something with Nathalie on the same trip!
Julie,
i always appreciate your product reviews! on your evaluation, i have beat the FOMO on products that clearly weren’t right for me. and i have also found media i wouldn’t have considered without your experiencing it for me. thanks always for your objective reviews and for everything you share with us. now, if only i could attend an in person class, i would be set. if you are taking requests, i would love to take something with Nathalie on the same trip!
Julie,
i always appreciate your product reviews! on your evaluation, i have beat the FOMO on products that clearly weren’t right for me. and i have also found media i wouldn’t have considered without your experiencing it for me. thanks always for your objective reviews and for everything you share with us. now, if only i could attend an in person class, i would be set. if you are taking requests, i would love to take something with Nathalie on the same trip!
Julie,
i always appreciate your product reviews! on your evaluation, i have beat the FOMO on products that clearly weren’t right for me. and i have also found media i wouldn’t have considered without your experiencing it for me. thanks always for your objective reviews and for everything you share with us. now, if only i could attend an in person class, i would be set. if you are taking requests, i would love to take something with Nathalie on the same trip!
Julie,
i always appreciate your product reviews! on your evaluation, i have beat the FOMO on products that clearly weren’t right for me. and i have also found media i wouldn’t have considered without your experiencing it for me. thanks always for your objective reviews and for everything you share with us. now, if only i could attend an in person class, i would be set. if you are taking requests, i would love to take something with Nathalie on the same trip!
Julie,
i always appreciate your product reviews! on your evaluation, i have beat the FOMO on products that clearly weren’t right for me. and i have also found media i wouldn’t have considered without your experiencing it for me. thanks always for your objective reviews and for everything you share with us. now, if only i could attend an in person class, i would be set. if you are taking requests, i would love to take something with Nathalie on the same trip!
That would be very fun!
That would be very fun!
That would be very fun!
That would be very fun!
That would be very fun!
That would be very fun!
That would be very fun!
I will be journeying to Cambridge this weekend to visit Blick. I may have to pick up some Neocolor 2… we’ll see how splurgey I feel!
I will be journeying to Cambridge this weekend to visit Blick. I may have to pick up some Neocolor 2… we’ll see how splurgey I feel!
I will be journeying to Cambridge this weekend to visit Blick. I may have to pick up some Neocolor 2… we’ll see how splurgey I feel!
I will be journeying to Cambridge this weekend to visit Blick. I may have to pick up some Neocolor 2… we’ll see how splurgey I feel!
I will be journeying to Cambridge this weekend to visit Blick. I may have to pick up some Neocolor 2… we’ll see how splurgey I feel!
I will be journeying to Cambridge this weekend to visit Blick. I may have to pick up some Neocolor 2… we’ll see how splurgey I feel!
I will be journeying to Cambridge this weekend to visit Blick. I may have to pick up some Neocolor 2… we’ll see how splurgey I feel!
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
Do the neocolor-2 crayons smear?
Do the neocolor-2 crayons smear?
Do the neocolor-2 crayons smear?
Do the neocolor-2 crayons smear?
Do the neocolor-2 crayons smear?
Do the neocolor-2 crayons smear?
Do the neocolor-2 crayons smear?
Thumbs up to your review Julie! I read your newsletter every day that it arrives in my mailbox and can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your wealth of knowledge and information. I have the NeocolorII’s and love playing with them and thanks to your review have purchased the Neo I’s so now I’m off to play! Thanks again for all that you do for the art community!! Jo
Thumbs up to your review Julie! I read your newsletter every day that it arrives in my mailbox and can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your wealth of knowledge and information. I have the NeocolorII’s and love playing with them and thanks to your review have purchased the Neo I’s so now I’m off to play! Thanks again for all that you do for the art community!! Jo
Thumbs up to your review Julie! I read your newsletter every day that it arrives in my mailbox and can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your wealth of knowledge and information. I have the NeocolorII’s and love playing with them and thanks to your review have purchased the Neo I’s so now I’m off to play! Thanks again for all that you do for the art community!! Jo
Thumbs up to your review Julie! I read your newsletter every day that it arrives in my mailbox and can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your wealth of knowledge and information. I have the NeocolorII’s and love playing with them and thanks to your review have purchased the Neo I’s so now I’m off to play! Thanks again for all that you do for the art community!! Jo
Thumbs up to your review Julie! I read your newsletter every day that it arrives in my mailbox and can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your wealth of knowledge and information. I have the NeocolorII’s and love playing with them and thanks to your review have purchased the Neo I’s so now I’m off to play! Thanks again for all that you do for the art community!! Jo
Thumbs up to your review Julie! I read your newsletter every day that it arrives in my mailbox and can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your wealth of knowledge and information. I have the NeocolorII’s and love playing with them and thanks to your review have purchased the Neo I’s so now I’m off to play! Thanks again for all that you do for the art community!! Jo
Thumbs up to your review Julie! I read your newsletter every day that it arrives in my mailbox and can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your wealth of knowledge and information. I have the NeocolorII’s and love playing with them and thanks to your review have purchased the Neo I’s so now I’m off to play! Thanks again for all that you do for the art community!! Jo
Thank you so much! Have fun with them!!
Thank you so much! Have fun with them!!
Thank you so much! Have fun with them!!
Thank you so much! Have fun with them!!
Thank you so much! Have fun with them!!
Thank you so much! Have fun with them!!
Thank you so much! Have fun with them!!