Crayons Studio Exploration
Brands & Quality
Crayons are definitely a fun way to relive childhood.
They may not be of the highest caliber, but they are fun and easy to use. The beauty of crayons is that they are a good way to introduce younger children to artmaking. They were certainly my introduction.
Pros
- Cheap
- Easy to use
- Wide variety of colors
- Easy to make textured artwork
- Nontoxic
Cons
- Low quality – more binder and less color pigment
- Waxy texture makes blending, color buildup and a smooth application difficult
Brands
Crayola (Binney & Smith) is in my opinion the best choice to use with students
High Quality – Is it worth it?
- Caran d’Ache Neocolor I Wax Crayon Set
- Lyra Aquacolor Crayon Set
- Faber-Castell Crayon Set
Crayola is definitely the way to go!
Age Appropriateness
Anyone at any age can enjoy coloring with crayons…
There is a reason why adult coloring books are so popular. However, as an art educator I would only incorporate crayons into a curriculum as an introduction to artmaking, or as a leisure activity. I believe crayons are better suited for younger elementary school students and this would probably not be a chosen medium for 4rd graders and up. Older students would probably enjoy being exposed to other mediums.
Additional Resources to Consider
With any medium the surface used will always be considered.
For this medium, cheaper lightweight paper is definitely the way to go, but you can still have fun and experiment with color and/or textured paper. Utilizing this medium with expensive, higher quality paper would be a waste.
In addition, clean up should be considered. Fortunately, crayons are relatively easy to clean up on any surface. Sure, I wouldn’t want students to use crayons on the wall, but it would be much easier to clean up than say paint.
Limitations
The biggest limitation is the quality…
Crayons are waxy and are made up of more binder as opposed to color pigment. The projects and activities incorporating crayons would definitely have to be simplistic in nature due to the medium’s limitations. As mentioned earlier: the waxy texture of crayons makes blending, color buildup and smooth application extremely difficult/practically impossible. However it is a good way to expose children to colors and texture within artmaking.
Project Ideas
A fun project could include melting the crayons.
The class could participate in a large installation, where all of the students color a specific part of a large drawing. This encourages team-work and character building with younger students (K-2).
Personal Comfort Level
I am very comfortable with crayons, but it is certainly not my medium of choice. Especially as an art educator, I do not believe crayons are a challenging or interesting medium to keep older students engaged.
