Tutorials

Art Tip: China Marker/Grease Pencil

Arttip

I'm delighted to be introducing a new video series to you today.  The new "Art Tips" series will focus on super short video tutorials about art supplies, art techniques, even art organization.  I hope to post lots of these short videos in the coming days!

Today's #BalzerArtTip is about China Markers, often called Grease Pencils.

Here's what they look like before:

Grease_pencil

And the after:

After-wm

Barreldetail-wm
Barreldetail-wm

As you can see from the photos, I also discovered that you can put vine charcoal (which gets all over your hands and breaks like crazy) into these holders.  Super cool!

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Based outside of Boston, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a mixed-media artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Passionate about connecting with and inspiring other artists, she shares her expertise through in-person workshops, her online classroom www.balzerdesigns.com, and through monthly membership at www.MyArtPractice.com.

120 thoughts on “Art Tip: China Marker/Grease Pencil

  • OMG!!!! That’s one fabulous tip! I’ll be doing this very soon.

    Reply
  • OMG!!!! That’s one fabulous tip! I’ll be doing this very soon.

    Reply
  • OMG!!!! That’s one fabulous tip! I’ll be doing this very soon.

    Reply
  • OMG!!!! That’s one fabulous tip! I’ll be doing this very soon.

    Reply
  • OMG!!!! That’s one fabulous tip! I’ll be doing this very soon.

    Reply
  • OMG!!!! That’s one fabulous tip! I’ll be doing this very soon.

    Reply
  • Greatest tip ever. and I love this series already.

    Reply
  • Greatest tip ever. and I love this series already.

    Reply
  • Greatest tip ever. and I love this series already.

    Reply
  • Greatest tip ever. and I love this series already.

    Reply
  • Greatest tip ever. and I love this series already.

    Reply
  • Greatest tip ever. and I love this series already.

    Reply
  • Wow what a great idea thank you, grease markers are a pain, so I will give this a try thank you.

    Reply
  • Wow what a great idea thank you, grease markers are a pain, so I will give this a try thank you.

    Reply
  • Wow what a great idea thank you, grease markers are a pain, so I will give this a try thank you.

    Reply
  • Wow what a great idea thank you, grease markers are a pain, so I will give this a try thank you.

    Reply
  • Wow what a great idea thank you, grease markers are a pain, so I will give this a try thank you.

    Reply
  • Wow what a great idea thank you, grease markers are a pain, so I will give this a try thank you.

    Reply
  • Love it! Frustration no more. I gave up on china markers long ago due to frustration over trying to peel the paper. Thanks so much!! Awesome tip!!

    Reply
  • Love it! Frustration no more. I gave up on china markers long ago due to frustration over trying to peel the paper. Thanks so much!! Awesome tip!!

    Reply
  • Love it! Frustration no more. I gave up on china markers long ago due to frustration over trying to peel the paper. Thanks so much!! Awesome tip!!

    Reply
  • Love it! Frustration no more. I gave up on china markers long ago due to frustration over trying to peel the paper. Thanks so much!! Awesome tip!!

    Reply
  • Love it! Frustration no more. I gave up on china markers long ago due to frustration over trying to peel the paper. Thanks so much!! Awesome tip!!

    Reply
  • Love it! Frustration no more. I gave up on china markers long ago due to frustration over trying to peel the paper. Thanks so much!! Awesome tip!!

    Reply
  • Thanks for sharing, Julie. Great tip. Look forward to receiving more from you. Have a great day!

    Reply
  • Thanks for sharing, Julie. Great tip. Look forward to receiving more from you. Have a great day!

    Reply
  • Thanks for sharing, Julie. Great tip. Look forward to receiving more from you. Have a great day!

    Reply
  • Thanks for sharing, Julie. Great tip. Look forward to receiving more from you. Have a great day!

    Reply
  • Thanks for sharing, Julie. Great tip. Look forward to receiving more from you. Have a great day!

    Reply
  • Thanks for sharing, Julie. Great tip. Look forward to receiving more from you. Have a great day!

    Reply
  • hummmm..guess I am an oddball here. Those china markers mean happy times to me from childhood on. I have always loved peeling back one strip of paper at a time! I love the string, I love the paper strip, I love getting the new point exposed. Sheesh. Am I alone in that? I would never put a nice, peaceful china marker in a plastic holder. China markers don’t deserve to be treated that way! They are practically the ONE thing left in this world that is NOT attached to plastic! I want to leave it that way! :o)

    Reply
  • hummmm..guess I am an oddball here. Those china markers mean happy times to me from childhood on. I have always loved peeling back one strip of paper at a time! I love the string, I love the paper strip, I love getting the new point exposed. Sheesh. Am I alone in that? I would never put a nice, peaceful china marker in a plastic holder. China markers don’t deserve to be treated that way! They are practically the ONE thing left in this world that is NOT attached to plastic! I want to leave it that way! :o)

    Reply
  • hummmm..guess I am an oddball here. Those china markers mean happy times to me from childhood on. I have always loved peeling back one strip of paper at a time! I love the string, I love the paper strip, I love getting the new point exposed. Sheesh. Am I alone in that? I would never put a nice, peaceful china marker in a plastic holder. China markers don’t deserve to be treated that way! They are practically the ONE thing left in this world that is NOT attached to plastic! I want to leave it that way! :o)

    Reply
  • hummmm..guess I am an oddball here. Those china markers mean happy times to me from childhood on. I have always loved peeling back one strip of paper at a time! I love the string, I love the paper strip, I love getting the new point exposed. Sheesh. Am I alone in that? I would never put a nice, peaceful china marker in a plastic holder. China markers don’t deserve to be treated that way! They are practically the ONE thing left in this world that is NOT attached to plastic! I want to leave it that way! :o)

    Reply
  • hummmm..guess I am an oddball here. Those china markers mean happy times to me from childhood on. I have always loved peeling back one strip of paper at a time! I love the string, I love the paper strip, I love getting the new point exposed. Sheesh. Am I alone in that? I would never put a nice, peaceful china marker in a plastic holder. China markers don’t deserve to be treated that way! They are practically the ONE thing left in this world that is NOT attached to plastic! I want to leave it that way! :o)

    Reply
  • hummmm..guess I am an oddball here. Those china markers mean happy times to me from childhood on. I have always loved peeling back one strip of paper at a time! I love the string, I love the paper strip, I love getting the new point exposed. Sheesh. Am I alone in that? I would never put a nice, peaceful china marker in a plastic holder. China markers don’t deserve to be treated that way! They are practically the ONE thing left in this world that is NOT attached to plastic! I want to leave it that way! :o)

    Reply
  • I haven’t used grease pencils in years. Thanks for sharing this great idea!

    Reply
  • I haven’t used grease pencils in years. Thanks for sharing this great idea!

    Reply
  • I haven’t used grease pencils in years. Thanks for sharing this great idea!

    Reply
  • I haven’t used grease pencils in years. Thanks for sharing this great idea!

    Reply
  • I haven’t used grease pencils in years. Thanks for sharing this great idea!

    Reply
  • I haven’t used grease pencils in years. Thanks for sharing this great idea!

    Reply
  • Great idea! I have some of these crayons at home from my kids.

    Reply
  • Great idea! I have some of these crayons at home from my kids.

    Reply
  • Great idea! I have some of these crayons at home from my kids.

    Reply
  • Great idea! I have some of these crayons at home from my kids.

    Reply
  • Great idea! I have some of these crayons at home from my kids.

    Reply
  • Great idea! I have some of these crayons at home from my kids.

    Reply
  • What a great idea! Genius!

    Reply
  • What a great idea! Genius!

    Reply
  • What a great idea! Genius!

    Reply
  • What a great idea! Genius!

    Reply
  • What a great idea! Genius!

    Reply
  • What a great idea! Genius!

    Reply
  • Great tip. This is going to be a great series. Full of information.

    Reply
  • Great tip. This is going to be a great series. Full of information.

    Reply
  • Great tip. This is going to be a great series. Full of information.

    Reply
  • Great tip. This is going to be a great series. Full of information.

    Reply
  • Great tip. This is going to be a great series. Full of information.

    Reply
  • Great tip. This is going to be a great series. Full of information.

    Reply
  • Love the new series, but I am a complete beginner. What do you use the china markers for? A simple project using the medium would be very helpful and fun to try it out on!

    Reply
  • Love the new series, but I am a complete beginner. What do you use the china markers for? A simple project using the medium would be very helpful and fun to try it out on!

    Reply
  • Love the new series, but I am a complete beginner. What do you use the china markers for? A simple project using the medium would be very helpful and fun to try it out on!

    Reply
  • Love the new series, but I am a complete beginner. What do you use the china markers for? A simple project using the medium would be very helpful and fun to try it out on!

    Reply
  • Love the new series, but I am a complete beginner. What do you use the china markers for? A simple project using the medium would be very helpful and fun to try it out on!

    Reply
  • Love the new series, but I am a complete beginner. What do you use the china markers for? A simple project using the medium would be very helpful and fun to try it out on!

    Reply
  • Hey Patricia, I’m with you on this! I too love to pull on the string and peel off the paper. There is something special in the action of getting to more of the stuff inside. Like opening a little present or whatever.(Ooooh, look! There’s more!) I like the simple, clever mechanics of it. I also have an eraser that does this, as well as charcoal pencils. Plastic does not make everything better!

    Reply
  • Hey Patricia, I’m with you on this! I too love to pull on the string and peel off the paper. There is something special in the action of getting to more of the stuff inside. Like opening a little present or whatever.(Ooooh, look! There’s more!) I like the simple, clever mechanics of it. I also have an eraser that does this, as well as charcoal pencils. Plastic does not make everything better!

    Reply
  • Hey Patricia, I’m with you on this! I too love to pull on the string and peel off the paper. There is something special in the action of getting to more of the stuff inside. Like opening a little present or whatever.(Ooooh, look! There’s more!) I like the simple, clever mechanics of it. I also have an eraser that does this, as well as charcoal pencils. Plastic does not make everything better!

    Reply
  • Hey Patricia, I’m with you on this! I too love to pull on the string and peel off the paper. There is something special in the action of getting to more of the stuff inside. Like opening a little present or whatever.(Ooooh, look! There’s more!) I like the simple, clever mechanics of it. I also have an eraser that does this, as well as charcoal pencils. Plastic does not make everything better!

    Reply
  • Hey Patricia, I’m with you on this! I too love to pull on the string and peel off the paper. There is something special in the action of getting to more of the stuff inside. Like opening a little present or whatever.(Ooooh, look! There’s more!) I like the simple, clever mechanics of it. I also have an eraser that does this, as well as charcoal pencils. Plastic does not make everything better!

    Reply
  • Hey Patricia, I’m with you on this! I too love to pull on the string and peel off the paper. There is something special in the action of getting to more of the stuff inside. Like opening a little present or whatever.(Ooooh, look! There’s more!) I like the simple, clever mechanics of it. I also have an eraser that does this, as well as charcoal pencils. Plastic does not make everything better!

    Reply
  • Flippin’ BRILLIANT!
    Do you know about the double sided brush tips on Pitt Pen Brushes?

    Reply
  • Flippin’ BRILLIANT!
    Do you know about the double sided brush tips on Pitt Pen Brushes?

    Reply
  • Flippin’ BRILLIANT!
    Do you know about the double sided brush tips on Pitt Pen Brushes?

    Reply
  • Flippin’ BRILLIANT!
    Do you know about the double sided brush tips on Pitt Pen Brushes?

    Reply
  • Flippin’ BRILLIANT!
    Do you know about the double sided brush tips on Pitt Pen Brushes?

    Reply
  • Flippin’ BRILLIANT!
    Do you know about the double sided brush tips on Pitt Pen Brushes?

    Reply
  • Wow! I am glad there are at least two of us left in the world!! I think you expressed it better anyway, it is like getting a little present. :o)

    Reply
  • Wow! I am glad there are at least two of us left in the world!! I think you expressed it better anyway, it is like getting a little present. :o)

    Reply
  • Wow! I am glad there are at least two of us left in the world!! I think you expressed it better anyway, it is like getting a little present. :o)

    Reply
  • Wow! I am glad there are at least two of us left in the world!! I think you expressed it better anyway, it is like getting a little present. :o)

    Reply
  • Wow! I am glad there are at least two of us left in the world!! I think you expressed it better anyway, it is like getting a little present. :o)

    Reply
  • Wow! I am glad there are at least two of us left in the world!! I think you expressed it better anyway, it is like getting a little present. :o)

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *