Crayons: Childish Trinkets or Artistic Wonders?

Nearly all of us have colored in a coloring book sometime in our lives, most likely the first 10 years of childhood when we first explore that wonderland of a world called color, it's so big and beautiful; It's a time when we in our childhood minds dance on tree tops, slide on rainbows and sleep on clouds, color Rapunzel as she has her happily ever after, and maybe even drawing on daddy's big project that is for his job causing him to have to redo it. Yes, we have enjoyed crayons as children, it's normally introduced before pencils and markers probably because they are bigger and don't stain the carpet and the heirloom tablecloth from great grandma as much, but when did we start giving these little waxy wonders the cold shoulder? And why? This should not be so!

I proclaim as princess of this castle a decree! Crayons aren't simply for the 2^nd grade!

Main Idea:

Crayons are good! We shouldn't diss them, I'm not talking about the special art crayons that you can buy at Micheals ™ , or Hobby Lobby ™ , I'm talking about Crayola or RoseArt type crayons (of course there are plenty of brands, that's just naming two.), the ones you buy for you two year old niece for her birthday because you have no clue what she wants, one week it's princesses, the next it's Pablo Picasso, then the next she likes ladybugs, so you throw your hands up in the air and buy her crayons and a few random coloring books,think to yourself  "she's bound to like something here!" and you work is done...But what happens to those crayons when she uses them 5 times then get bored and doesn't touch them again for years? Probably thrown in a drawer, the toy box, or on a shelf someplace, but again I say this should not be!

Crayons are good for texture and for a sheen on your image, as well as backgrounds, it adds an innocence since they are paired with youth and childhood whereas markers or colored pencils can be but aren't as much. I say to all crayons: Crayons unite because you're busting out of the box! - 

Usage: 

 

When using them in a big image, plan it out carefully!

After coloring an image that has been layered with colored pencils of different textures and markers galore putting a bit of crayon over the top make a lovely sheen when you move the art work in the light. Of course if you use a color that is closest to the color you are going over is best, not many things are worse than ruining an artwork because of one small mistake! (Trust me I learned that the hard way!)

Before jumping right in to using crayons they with everything else take practice, please don't think you're pro just because you used them 15 years ago in the 3^rd grade you can well ruin a lot of work if you use the wrong color or aren't one with them (yes we must be zen ninjas and be one with the art materials). Before using them on a large piece experiment on paper (remember also the texture of your paper does matter), if you can't see the color that is fine depending on your goal. When I use crayons I don't normally use them for the color, I use for the sheen in the light when I move the drawing/artwork around, I think it's a nice touch. However if you are using for the color just remember that if you go over it with markers to rub the markers tip with your finger (NOT TISSUE YOU WILL DRY OUT THE MARKER!! - and don't push the wax, kind of flick it off) to make sure no wax is clogging the pours of your markers, although crayons are the waxy wonders it's more expensive to buy markers than crayons! Just play with it, coloring with crayons can be messy not as in staining grandma's formerly mentioned tablecloth but messy in the fact that their waxy build up can mess your art work up but I won't say they will! Brand does matter and so does color, the lighter the color (as far as I have noticed) the smoother the crayon, because they aren't as dense from the pigments used to make them super dark. I've seen darker crayons as well as colored pencils break up because of the heavy pigmentation they use to make them. It's almost criminal! I protest also the abuse of over-pigmentation! Crayons have rights!

Conclusion:

Take your old crayons that have been either in your desk drawer, art cubby for years, or in the closet of your child's old room that had been empty since they went to peruse their dreams 5 years back and use them! These poor little fat friends of ours haven't gotten enough love. If all else fails use them at least for a background to an image you have drawn, remember: Great for texture and innocence!

I will look in to seeing if the Prismacolor Colorless Blender Pencil works with crayons as well as their pencils, so indeed, to be continued!

May God bless you, your family, your friends and your health and all that know you! - Amen

~ Firefly