I love these especially the Portraits. My first year in college the professor gave us all a random famous painting and told us to recreate it using oil pastels. I used the Crayola Portraits. My picture was Baile in Tehuantepec by Diego Rivera and I was very happy with how it turned out. The class after we turned them in the professor had mine displayed on the wall in front of class saying she never saw such wonderful work done in oily pastel and wondering how i got it so smooth and what fixative I used, etc, etc. In the end she didnt know that there was such a thing as water soluble pastels and was so upset that I had "fooled" her, when in reality, that was my first time using oil pastels and didnt know they had versions that weren't water soluble. I was a broke student and picked up the cheapest pastel i saw. Lol. Anyway, I'm going to have to check out and try a few of the cheap joe crayons.
This was incredibly useful for me. This is a medium I want to try and your review made it easy to figure out what to buy. And I do appreciate you pointing out the amount of plastic.
It's ridiculous, isn't it? Especially considering that because these supplies are used in videos like reviews and tutorials, everyone has a chance to benefit of her owning them as well.
Yep, close-minded, short-sided, unhappy people; only those could do that. She’s an artist and does reviews as part of her job so it makes sense she’d have multiples of everything.
I am disgusted that she has to even make that disclaimer. Some people can be so toxic and ugly. Of course, CZcams creators are going to have a lot of products.
I imagine the mechanism used to extend the stick out of the plastic has to take up half the space in the container, but yeah, it feels a bit deceptive. Thanks for the demos, very interesting. I received some watercolor crayons in a Paletteful Pack last year and had no idea how to use them. This and the sunflower tutorial helped me out a lot.
I so love the caran dache. I snagged the 40 set for $31 on amazon about 6 weeks ago. Theyre so fun. I get the hype. Now i want to play with the American journey sticks.
Thank you for bringing up the amount of packaging/plastic. Very good point! I think the advantage to a Tim Holtz product is that it will match the inks or other color products (embossing powders, stains, etc.) in the TH line. It would be great for Ranger to change from the plastic. Maybe we can make chandeliers out of the used plastic containers. Or not. ;)
Great review and explanation. I really need to start watching a Lindsay vid before I buy any more art supplies. Last year I bought Gelatos after watching a video on CZcams not really understanding that the watercolor crayons I already had on hand, and didn’t really know how to use, would have worked.🤦🏻♀️
Gelatos have dreamy colors to be fair, and actually blend really nice and diffuses if you use a ink blender, foam, or paper towel either dry or with the lightest spritz of water. I enjoy them for making cards, like Lindsay said they’re great with stencils. I like to glide them over embossed paper for a two tone tint! And also buffing them into mixed media (decorating a box or wood and things like that) gives a gorgeous affect. So I’m sure you can find some good ways to use them up!
Oh my gosh, I absolutely LOVE water soluble crayons. I started looking on Amazon at all of the different ones available and then I did what I always do and check to see if you had addressed this issue and of course, you did. You really helped me understand what was available and the differences. You once again helped me make an informed choice and save money in the process.Thank you Lindsay 😊💖
Very informative Lindsay. Thanks for the comparison. So glad you did this review because I haven't used any of these. Someone did gift me some recently. It'll be fun to play with them. You're awesome!
I bought the Mungyo aquarelle oil pastels for Christmas & I absolutely loveee them😊😍 I already love how they look and blend. I had never tried watercolor crayons or pastels before now I wish I had sooner.
saving up for some DS watercolour sticks as they look the most affordable way to get there watercolour paint here in the UK, still miss the old aquatint pencils by derwent, TFS
Oh, those were so good! Aqua tone I think they were , carpe diem markers has most 9f the colors open stock for $3.49 each. Why did they discontinue those? I could pick several products that deserved the boot before these!
@@thefrugalcrafter You introduced me to those Aquatones, and though I really love Derwent as a company, I don’t know what they were thinking. Those things look so awesome, I am actually going to try to get some used ones. I am not a person who buys too many used items, unless I can fully disinfect them. It’s just not me but I have a thing for water soluble art supplies.
@@Msboochie2 try carpe diem markers, they are $3.50 each. I've seen sets go for a fortune on ebay. This us a range they should have expanded (only 24 colors) not discontinued lol!
Thank you so much for this video. I really appreciate you talking about the amount of plastic in the packaging! I have been thinking a lot about the footprint of the art and craft that we do at home, and this video has introduced me to some great alternatives to all of the plastic.
I love everything water soluble! I love how you always tell us to “use what we have” but also tell us what you’re favs are (bc every experience is different). That and you make me feel like I’m not the only one out here who has a box full of water soluble art supplies 😂♥️.
I just love your informative product reviews! I feel like I am listening to my sister. I totally trust your opinion. Thank you for doing what you do!!!
Awesome information!! This was a super worthwhile video for me as I discovered I still have my gelatos and distress crayons. I thought I had Kon Maried them to the thrift store last year, but I found them!!! Lots of new mediums to play with!! And I also have NeoColor II that I need to break out more often!! Fun art times in 2021!!
I do enjoy how even-handed your review videos are. You are so gracious and matter of fact, yes I agree Honest! I like it when a reviewer reinforces my experience and even if they contradict my set ideas! I look closer to see if they are right. I also dislike excessive plastic packaging, you buy this long lean stick and it is less than half full! I also started using Caran d’Ache neocolor sticks and there is something about an art supply that sparks your interest or imagination when your young and just starting your own art journey, it stays with you. I believe that is one reason I still consider myself a watercolor artist even if I have a higher number of digital artworks or gouache color plates made for reproduction. (Kids books that are not colored by authors.) I have to say Lindsay, that you have a wonderful catalog of videos on a great many subjects. Thank you for being so generous with your art opinions and encouragement to others.
I have an emotional attachment to Caran D'Ache too (and I am in Europe where they are a little cheaper) - Neopastels, Neocolor and Neocolor II were my favourite/first "oily" mediums as a kid (and my first "proper" pencils were Supracolor!). My mum bought me a small set of each when I was 8 and despite using them constantly I could never bring myself to completely finish those first sets and I just bought new ones. I still have the sets from my childhood... and they still work! I am sure they will outlive me. I kind of like that. 😄 I always find it interesting to hear them called "crayons" (I know that this is probably the most accurate way to describe them in English, but in my first language they are all called "pastels") because to me crayons are something that is very very waxy and crumbly, not very pigmented and not blendable with one's finger at all all. But the Caran d'Ache Neocolor I/II, though pretty hard, are blendable when dry. I used to use them dry and smear/blendthem with my finger before using water. Incidentally... I still have not got the hang of Sennelier-type oil pastels (hopefully at some point I will!). They smear beautifully and they feel pleasantly buttery... but if you try blending them with your finger the fat just globs and separates in a way that just does not happen with Neopastels. I actually prefer Neopastels to Sennelier (sacrilege?) They are just as blendable (even though they are less soft/"smearable", this does not affect their blendability at all), but more layarable/less transparent, and the fat does not do that thing where it globs together. I just cannot blend Sennelier with my finger at all (and a great part of the pleasure of using oil pastels for me is to get my fingers right in there!). I end up with globs of fat or muddy mess. While I can easily, and beautifully, blend Neopastels.
Thank you so much for sharing your opinion, insight and expertise. I was so fortunate to receive a set of 10 Caran Dache neocolonial II as a Christmas gift from my family. What I love about these is that I can blend and created almost ever color I want. ❤️
"Watercolor,acrylic,water mixable oils,all water mediums a dream come true for learning artists and pro alike,brings out your imagination and have fun."-Lynn Thank you for sharing this much needed information Lindsay.❤👏😊👍
Your reviews are wonderful!!!!! Eye opening too! I have 3 Maribou Red, blue and yellow. 😆I don’t like them but Stacey from Scrap booking made simple can entice almost anyone!!!!! I got some from dollar tree and had a better time using them, although extremely dry for a buck, they were fun to play with. Thank you Lindsay!
Thank you so much for this video! I watched your Craftsy class on Mixed Media techniques and wanted to try this medium, but I was completely lost looking at all the brands available. This video was exactly what I needed. Thank you and I can't wait to try out what I learned from your class!
Thanks Lindsay for the good information! I have a old set of watercolor crayons, i don't really know what to do with them! thanks for sharing, it was fun to see how they work!!! I guess I will get them out and play with them!!
Thank you for sharing these pastels. I agree the plastic case isn’t worth loosing half of the product. One reason I love woodless pencils and sticks. I really feel the comparisons between the pastels provided valuable information to help in making a purchase. As for people making negative comments about your wealth of supplies, they must not have heard that the one who dies with the most art supplies wins! 🤣 I appreciate the suppliers that send you their products to test and demonstrate. I appreciate all the supplies you have and the work you do so you can help us learn about them and guide us with your knowledge so we don’t buy products that we can’t use. Happy New Year! 🥳
I've never gotten any vibe that you show your collection just to rub your hands together and cackle "Look upon my bounty and weep, peasants!" You use the stuff you buy, and then there's the stuff you're given for review, which you STILL use! If I had a stash that big, and the money to set up shelves and things for them, they would definitely just be colorful wall decoration. :P
Water-soluble oil pastels is a really good medium, especially for sketching on location. Not as messy and not as demanding as the watercolours, because it allows that only part of the sketch is wetted for watercolour effects, thus reducing drying time. When all is dry, regular oil pastels can be added on top too.
Thank you, Lindsay! Luckily, I have the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II and am very happy with them. I also have watersoluable crayons called Jaxon (in card board boxes with paper sleeves) from the art store here in Germany which are similar, maybe not quite as soft as the Caran d'Ache and not lightfast to my knowledge but great for crafting and kids. I have one Faber-Castel Galato and some of the Marabu Art Crayons from a sale and I do like the Marabu ones. I feel they come with a lot more colour stick than the Gelato. I found on my new pens the Marabu took up the whole barrel, not sure why yours were so much shorter - but maybea new product line which may have beenwhy mine were on sale. 😅 However, I defintely agree with you on the amount of plastic used in these when you can have the same or very similar products with just paper wrappers. Plus, as you showed, those plastic sticks are individually shrink wrapped in plastic again or some come in sets of 3 which are also packaged in plastic. I would say that - with the exception of a highly sensitive person - as an artist you want to get "to grips" with your crayons and perhaps break them to have pieces to fit your art work, use them on their sides more like pastels and generally work more directly with your substrate. Those pens are more geared to crafter imho who want to scribble some colour here and there.... It's not for me. And as much as I love Tim Holtz (and a few other - mostly US - craft and scrap brands) and the products they release each season... There is too much plastic involved and I have decided to stay away from all that - mostly. Kind of reminded me of your recent video on stamping companies. 😉😘🥰🧡❤
Wow, thank you for a such a in depth review. I do own some of the products mentioned but now I have a better understanding. I used them on top of acrylics and enjoy the mixed media effects.
Thank you so much for all of this information Lindsay, and demonstrating! I am dying to get the Caran D'ache Neocolors II! They look so wonderful! I have the Portfolios, I found mine at Staples! They are so nice! I was really surprised! Also the Gelatos and the Gel Sticks. Some of my Gelatos were dry when I got them. 😖 They must've been at the store for a very long time. It's really great to be able to see them all, and how they each perform! Thank you so much! 😊
Caran d’Ache says their crayons have wax and therefore, other watercolor blocks like Derwent cannot be used on top of them, so I’m sticking with Derwent, which is pure watercolor. Thank you for all your research, love watching/listening to you.
So glad you brought in the gelatos. I have two sets from Michael’s (I never purchase anything without it being on sale or having a coupon!) and I can never get them to look similar to those I follow on CZcams. I will go back and try again.
Thanks for the comparison review Lindsay. That was really helpful especially when thinking about plastics and purchasing. I was able to get multiple sets of gelatos and the full set of Caran D'ache from an artist that was downsizing so I got a great deal. I got one pack of the distress crayons but they didn't seem to be anything special so I didn't buy anymore. I did get the Portfolio crayons sometime back from Amazon as well as the gel sticks from Faber Castell but they don't come in all the same colors as the gelatos. I might give the gel sticks to my grandson to play with as he loves painting. I do have a full set of Inktense blocks which I got because they're permanent when dry.
Thanks for your reviews Lindsay. I have Gelatos which are totally dried up so unusable. I also have the Jane Davenport Coloursticks & Portfolio oil pastels. I didn’t know that the JD Coloursticks were more for amateur use & Portfolio for artists’ use. Your reviews are much appreciated!!! Best wishes 😊
I bought the Neocolor Ii crayons a few? years ago when you did some videos with them. I stalked ebay until I found a set OBO and got a set of 36 (I think) at a steal. They are still sitting in the sealed tin in my craft room. I love that sunflower so it is time to give them a workout. Thank you for this great comparison video!
Yes! This was a great help.I bought one , the red sample one, Maribu crayon from Jerry's and really love it, but as you said they are pricey, so are gelatos. So what did I end up buying? Hahaha a 48 pc set of gel crayons from Shuttle Art on Amazon hahaha I love them. They are plenty colorful and cheap enough to let my grandkids play with them too. Now I'm on a mission to find the ultimate cheap crayon hahaha
Thank you for another great review - I'm not sure I'm ready to expand into the world of water soluble crayons yet - still so much to learn with what I already have - but I will be sure to refer back to your review when the time comes.
Lovely collection of wc crayons. The only wc crayons that I have ever tried are the water soluble crayons by Pelikan (directed at children) and the Neocolor 2. I love the Neocolors so much that I did actually never feel the need to try out any other wc crayons. But watercolor sticks, now they actually look pretty interesting. I never really looked into those because I always figured that if I have wc crayons, wc pencils, and regular wc I would not need another something, but being able to save that much on DS watercolors, just because they are a stick, sounds like exactly what I have been asking for. And that disclaimer at the beginning, just in case you mentioned that because someone was actually saying that to you: Please don't feel obligated to explain yourself to any of us. I mean, sure, if you want to then go ahead, but if anyone has a problem with you owning and showing your supplies, then that person really has issues that they should look into. You do so many reviews and tutorials, everyone should be happy that you have all those different art things to do them with.
I have never try the gelatos... but when to Michaels and found a lot of them on clearance for 25 cents and got them all. I will try them . Love the video thanks. Very educational regarding product and pricing . Love it 😍
I bought used gelatos and I was TOTALLY excited about them! I don't like them. I don't like the way they feel in my hand. Today, I gave them to a friend. I greatly enjoy my portfolio water soluble oil pastels. My lyra watercolor crayons are incredibly fun! I also adore the recollections ones. I love the pearlescent sheen of those. I have 1 neocolor 2 red that I bought open stock to try. That is AMAZING! Its phenomenal! I eventually want more colors. I have a VERY cheap set that was bought at Walmart on a back to school sale. Maybe $7 for 24 or so. Those lay down a bit too thick and waxy for me. I am letting my daughter use them. They were marketed for young children. The lyra, portfolio, and neocolor 2 were all bought because I trust your reviews and suggestions I am looking at the mungyo because I love pearlescent colors! I will have room for them if my daughter uses up the kids set, or if I give that set to a friend's grandson. THANK YOU! Great video!
Thanks Lindsay. I have the smallest set of CD ones. I've only used them twice. It's fun when I add water but seems like twice the time/ work . Color then paint. I like the black the best. I'm waiting for my soft pastels to arrive. I love January clearance sale time. Anything I want to try out I wait once a year for the fire sales. 😉🤣💜
@@thefrugalcrafter Yes Amazon 64 color set mungyo soft pastels 12 bucks, Hornell 30 halfstick handrolled soft pastels 38 bucks, Mi Tienes pad 9x12 with glacine divider pages 12 bucks. I wanted the mungyo soft pastels because they are a little harder and won't fill up the tooth and pastel pencil details go over them easily. Where the hand rolled deposit so much that the pencils don't have any tooth left to grab.
I love Neocolor II! For straight drawing/painting type projects they would be my first choice, or non-soluble oil pastels. But I also enjoy the gel type crayons and Gelatos for different kinds of projects. I like to use them on stencils, you can build them up with a little dimension and texture because they're so soft, and they eventually they solidify/dry to keep that texture. I have to admit I enjoy the kids set of gel crayons I bought (King Art brand) as much as Gelatos or more in terms of creamy soft texture and performance for that purpose, but the Gelatos have a more nuanced range of colours that is very attractive.
The first water soluble crayons I ever tried were Neocolor IIs. Nothing else has ever seemed quite as good. That being said though, I do like Marabu, especially on wood. One thing I have discovered is that I can use NeoColor II on fabric as long as I blend with a fabric medium. I have a tshirt that I made about 11 years ago and the color is just as vibrant. I only recently tried Neocolor I and I am in love. I love how buttery smooth they are. Not water soluble, over course, but can be blended with fingers or a paper stump.
Crayola used to have a program where the accepted empty marker barrels back. All brands if you saved them and sent them back to them. Then it was suspended and I'm am not sure if they picked it up again. So don't know what the status is. If you are interested. Check their web site.
I agree that the Neocolor 2 are the best to get. The 40 set offers a good color variety for stampers. I had the Lyra ones but didn‘t like the color selection as it was more suitable for landscapes.
I swear it's like we're on the same wavelength lol It occurred to me while I was watching a video about watercolor paints I could never hope to afford that perhaps some of them were made with watercolor paints, and shimmer pigments? It appeared that way in the video, at least for the transparent, pearlescent-looking ones. A few were bright neon, but I guess they're not light fast in the least, which made me feel better because I have this bad impulse that if I can't have ALL THE COLORS then I can't possibly create, which is super unhelpful and I just end up paralyzed with too many choices. After all that I wanted to add that it would be great to see someone with way more experience than me play around with duping some "fancy" versions of that paint in a more frugal (😉) way...ya know, if you got time and looking for ideas. If you already did something like this, than please forgive my memory. I also adore the neo color twos! I have made the unfortunate mistake of not realizing the neo colors have a non water soluble series that is often mixed in at random at open stock brick and mortar stores, which is an expensive mistake you only make once ha! I am so tactile with my art supply shopping it's hard for me to buy online. This comment is long enough. I love your channel Lindsay 😍
I do have diy metallic watercolor videos and tons of videos using cheaper watercolors:) on my blog you can search crafty recipies as well. Http://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com
Munygo are available from Currys Art out of Ontario Canada. Staples carries a set of water colour stick colours by Derwent. They also carry the watercolour pan set too
With your new watercolor crayon class starting I thought I'd watch this again. Very helpful. I really like watercolor crayons! Years ago I found a small box of Caran d'Ache neocolor II at an estate sale for $5 -- what a wonderful find! About 5 years ago I took a class with Lynne Perrella, and Portfolio Oil Pastels were a required supply. I love how smooth they are to blend and burnish. Have you ever tried Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks? I haven't, but like that they don't have plastic and aren't too expensive. Thanks again for your product review videos. ~Marilee
Just had to post a few comments. 1. The Jane Davenport products were put on clearance at Michael's and most are gone. They apparently want to carry more of their own Recollections brands of papercrafting supplies. 2. I do own all of the Distress crayons, as I want things to closely match the Distress and Distress oxide inks. 3. Gelatos? I have them, but hardly use them. They just don't go down smooth enough for me. 4. The NOYO seem to be identical to Michael's kid's brand Creatology. I got a set of 24 on the clearance aisle for $3.97. Very pleased. One of the pluses is that the set has colors that you don't expect for kid's art supplies (incl. yellow ocher). 5. I caught a flash sale on Amazon for a 48 set from KingArt. each crayon is almost identical to Recollections (except no shimmer, but I have those Recollections shimmer ones, too). The KingArt were just under $35. When I put all of my sets together, I only need to buy an olive green (probably Marabou open stock).
I really want to get a set of water soluble pastels at some point, they look like a ton of fun! Definitely getting the paper wrapped kind though, not the ones in a plastic holder. I low-key want something like a clutch pencil lead holder for pastels though - they'd let you carry a few crayons without a case, use them with less mess, but not be single use... Someone should make that a thing :P
They made chalk holders for old school chalkboards for forever. I bet those would work. Google “pastel holder”. AVLE Multi Magnetic Pastel Holder 5 Pack - Protect Hands to Get Dirty from Pastels for Kids - Red, Blue, Gold, Silver Colors Chalk Keeper www.amazon.com/dp/B08JGL65N4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_3O-8FbVHRRDQS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
@@thefrugalcrafter You should've seen me the last time I played with pastels. Believe me, I can _make_ it messy 😂 I do also sometimes have a bit of a tactile issue where I just can't stand the feeling of touching stuff of certain textures, and a holder that lets me keep my fingers far away from the actual pastel could really help with that too :)
Thank you for this video. I was hoping you'd do one on water colour pastels. About 20 or more years ago I used to go to workshops put on by a local art supply store where I learned about lots of different products. Recently I came across a box of the Neocolour II pastels. The tin is a smaller version of your Neocolour II tin. Plus I must have bought about another 20 or 30 extra colours separately. A lot of the sticks are obviously well used but I can't remember using them. Now I've found them I want to use them but I've discovered I'm frightened of them as I feel clueless on how to use them. I'm accustomedvto using tubes of watercolour and gauche. I have lots of Albrecht Durer and Derwent water colour pencils which I do use. I currently can't find my box of tubes but do have a few of a variety of brands. Mostly these days I scan my art works and load them to Redbubble so I suppose lightfastness isn't much of an issue at the moment. The problem is I love watercolours and they are convenient to use. But I am most familiar and comfortable with oils or acrylics. I have plenty of oils and acrylics but I mostly choose to struggle with the watercolours and seem to mostly worry about those Neocolour pastels that I'm not using at all. So I got quite excited when I saw you had a huge box of them. Thank you for this video.
Thanks for this video. I'm embarrassed to say, I got the Lyra last year and COMPLETELY forgot I had them. Ugh. I just pulled them out and am enjoying them a lot!
I love these especially the Portraits. My first year in college the professor gave us all a random famous painting and told us to recreate it using oil pastels. I used the Crayola Portraits. My picture was Baile in Tehuantepec by Diego Rivera and I was very happy with how it turned out. The class after we turned them in the professor had mine displayed on the wall in front of class saying she never saw such wonderful work done in oily pastel and wondering how i got it so smooth and what fixative I used, etc, etc. In the end she didnt know that there was such a thing as water soluble pastels and was so upset that I had "fooled" her, when in reality, that was my first time using oil pastels and didnt know they had versions that weren't water soluble. I was a broke student and picked up the cheapest pastel i saw. Lol. Anyway, I'm going to have to check out and try a few of the cheap joe crayons.
Thanks for such an honest, comprehensive review! As always, your candor is much appreciated 😊
I have bought the Lyra watercolor crayons and since then bought so many other watercolor mediums and I still go back to my Lyra I just love them.
As always you've gone over and above for our benefit, thank you dear, it's so appreciated 💖 💕 ❤
This was incredibly useful for me. This is a medium I want to try and your review made it easy to figure out what to buy. And I do appreciate you pointing out the amount of plastic.
Back to basics! I remember the crayon videos... Good to see you go back to the oldies and goodies!
Being envious or judgmental of Lindsay because she has a lot of gel crayons is like criticizing a pastry chef because she has a lot of sugar!
Or Mary Poppins for her umbrella collection! ;-).
It's ridiculous, isn't it? Especially considering that because these supplies are used in videos like reviews and tutorials, everyone has a chance to benefit of her owning them as well.
Yep, close-minded, short-sided, unhappy people; only those could do that. She’s an artist and does reviews as part of her job so it makes sense she’d have multiples of everything.
Yes!
I am disgusted that she has to even make that disclaimer. Some people can be so toxic and ugly. Of course, CZcams creators are going to have a lot of products.
I imagine the mechanism used to extend the stick out of the plastic has to take up half the space in the container, but yeah, it feels a bit deceptive. Thanks for the demos, very interesting. I received some watercolor crayons in a Paletteful Pack last year and had no idea how to use them. This and the sunflower tutorial helped me out a lot.
Yes very deceptive
Thanks for sharing, I didn't realize there were so many types of "crayons". BTW according to their website, the Marabu are light fast. 👍😊
I so love the caran dache. I snagged the 40 set for $31 on amazon about 6 weeks ago. Theyre so fun. I get the hype.
Now i want to play with the American journey sticks.
That was a great deal! When I used them recently coloring the sketch I went meh, then added water and went, oooo ahhhh fun.
Im so jealous! That’s exciting 👍🏼
You can buy individual Neocolor II crayons from B L I C K.
I LOVE WATERCOLOR CRAYONS AND WATER SOLUBLE PASTELS. i need them all.
Thank you for bringing up the amount of packaging/plastic. Very good point! I think the advantage to a Tim Holtz product is that it will match the inks or other color products (embossing powders, stains, etc.) in the TH line. It would be great for Ranger to change from the plastic. Maybe we can make chandeliers out of the used plastic containers. Or not. ;)
Great review and explanation. I really need to start watching a Lindsay vid before I buy any more art supplies. Last year I bought Gelatos after watching a video on CZcams not really understanding that the watercolor crayons I already had on hand, and didn’t really know how to use, would have worked.🤦🏻♀️
Gelatos have dreamy colors to be fair, and actually blend really nice and diffuses if you use a ink blender, foam, or paper towel either dry or with the lightest spritz of water. I enjoy them for making cards, like Lindsay said they’re great with stencils. I like to glide them over embossed paper for a two tone tint! And also buffing them into mixed media (decorating a box or wood and things like that) gives a gorgeous affect. So I’m sure you can find some good ways to use them up!
@@liliax9147 thank you!
Oh my gosh, I absolutely LOVE water soluble crayons. I started looking on Amazon at all of the different ones available and then I did what I always do and check to see if you had addressed this issue and of course, you did. You really helped me understand what was available and the differences. You once again helped me make an informed choice and save money in the process.Thank you Lindsay 😊💖
Awesome!
Very informative Lindsay. Thanks for the comparison. So glad you did this review because I haven't used any of these. Someone did gift me some recently. It'll be fun to play with them. You're awesome!
I bought the Mungyo aquarelle oil pastels for Christmas & I absolutely loveee them😊😍 I already love how they look and blend. I had never tried watercolor crayons or pastels before now I wish I had sooner.
Can these be used in Bible journaling or do they bleed through?
You explained the pros and cons in regard to the crayons so well! Thanks for another great review.
saving up for some DS watercolour sticks as they look the most affordable way to get there watercolour paint here in the UK, still miss the old aquatint pencils by derwent, TFS
Oh, those were so good! Aqua tone I think they were , carpe diem markers has most 9f the colors open stock for $3.49 each. Why did they discontinue those? I could pick several products that deserved the boot before these!
@@thefrugalcrafter You introduced me to those Aquatones, and though I really love Derwent as a company, I don’t know what they were thinking. Those things look so awesome, I am actually going to try to get some used ones. I am not a person who buys too many used items, unless I can fully disinfect them. It’s just not me but I have a thing for water soluble art supplies.
@@Msboochie2 try carpe diem markers, they are $3.50 each. I've seen sets go for a fortune on ebay. This us a range they should have expanded (only 24 colors) not discontinued lol!
MY CHILD HAD TO GO BUY ME LIFESAVERS !!! Omg they are sooooo good 💕💕💕🎨🎨🎨
That’s too funny!
Thank you so much for this video. I really appreciate you talking about the amount of plastic in the packaging! I have been thinking a lot about the footprint of the art and craft that we do at home, and this video has introduced me to some great alternatives to all of the plastic.
I love everything water soluble! I love how you always tell us to “use what we have” but also tell us what you’re favs are (bc every experience is different). That and you make me feel like I’m not the only one out here who has a box full of water soluble art supplies 😂♥️.
This was great. I have the 30 set of Caran D’ache Neocolour II and struggle in using them. Would love to see a video using them.
I have a few! Here's one:
czcams.com/video/LczneIp6PfA/video.html
I just love your informative product reviews! I feel like I am listening to my sister. I totally trust your opinion. Thank you for doing what you do!!!
Aww, thank you!
It sounds like your parents really encouraged your interest in art. That is wonderful! I have loved shopping with B L I C K for nearly 40 years.
Awesome information!! This was a super worthwhile video for me as I discovered I still have my gelatos and distress crayons. I thought I had Kon Maried them to the thrift store last year, but I found them!!! Lots of new mediums to play with!! And I also have NeoColor II that I need to break out more often!! Fun art times in 2021!!
Very informative Lindsay, thank you so much. 💖
Lindsay, ..... you do such a thorough and professional job here with your videos. !!!!! Very enjoyable 😉
Thanks!
I do enjoy how even-handed your review videos are. You are so gracious and matter of fact, yes I agree Honest! I like it when a reviewer reinforces my experience and even if they contradict my set ideas! I look closer to see if they are right. I also dislike excessive plastic packaging, you buy this long lean stick and it is less than half full! I also started using Caran d’Ache neocolor sticks and there is something about an art supply that sparks your interest or imagination when your young and just starting your own art journey, it stays with you. I believe that is one reason I still consider myself a watercolor artist even if I have a higher number of digital artworks or gouache color plates made for reproduction. (Kids books that are not colored by authors.) I have to say Lindsay, that you have a wonderful catalog of videos on a great many subjects. Thank you for being so generous with your art opinions and encouragement to others.
I have an emotional attachment to Caran D'Ache too (and I am in Europe where they are a little cheaper) - Neopastels, Neocolor and Neocolor II were my favourite/first "oily" mediums as a kid (and my first "proper" pencils were Supracolor!). My mum bought me a small set of each when I was 8 and despite using them constantly I could never bring myself to completely finish those first sets and I just bought new ones. I still have the sets from my childhood... and they still work! I am sure they will outlive me. I kind of like that. 😄
I always find it interesting to hear them called "crayons" (I know that this is probably the most accurate way to describe them in English, but in my first language they are all called "pastels") because to me crayons are something that is very very waxy and crumbly, not very pigmented and not blendable with one's finger at all all. But the Caran d'Ache Neocolor I/II, though pretty hard, are blendable when dry. I used to use them dry and smear/blendthem with my finger before using water.
Incidentally... I still have not got the hang of Sennelier-type oil pastels (hopefully at some point I will!). They smear beautifully and they feel pleasantly buttery... but if you try blending them with your finger the fat just globs and separates in a way that just does not happen with Neopastels. I actually prefer Neopastels to Sennelier (sacrilege?) They are just as blendable (even though they are less soft/"smearable", this does not affect their blendability at all), but more layarable/less transparent, and the fat does not do that thing where it globs together. I just cannot blend Sennelier with my finger at all (and a great part of the pleasure of using oil pastels for me is to get my fingers right in there!). I end up with globs of fat or muddy mess. While I can easily, and beautifully, blend Neopastels.
Thanks for making this easy to understand!
You read my mind. Was looking into water soluble pastels. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing your opinion, insight and expertise. I was so fortunate to receive a set of 10 Caran Dache neocolonial II as a Christmas gift from my family. What I love about these is that I can blend and created almost ever color I want. ❤️
Thanks Lindsay. Really good info!
Definitely going to look into the Lyra set! Thanks for the video Lindsay!
"Watercolor,acrylic,water mixable oils,all water mediums a dream come true for learning artists and pro alike,brings out your imagination and have fun."-Lynn
Thank you for sharing this much needed information Lindsay.❤👏😊👍
Thank you for the rewiew. Enlightening as always.
Great comparison Lindsay! Thank you for always being honest! I agree about the plastic also way to much & to little product. ❤😘
Thank you so much for your input on these products. I've just started to get into art and I'm overloaded with so much that is available. Thanks again.
Your reviews are wonderful!!!!! Eye opening too! I have 3 Maribou Red, blue and yellow. 😆I don’t like them but Stacey from Scrap booking made simple can entice almost anyone!!!!! I got some from dollar tree and had a better time using them, although extremely dry for a buck, they were fun to play with. Thank you Lindsay!
Love these kinds of videos when you offer them! Thanks.
Thank you so much for this video! I watched your Craftsy class on Mixed Media techniques and wanted to try this medium, but I was completely lost looking at all the brands available. This video was exactly what I needed. Thank you and I can't wait to try out what I learned from your class!
Thanks for a great video! I always check out your channel advice or comparisons before I buy supplies for gifts. Love your videos!
Thanks Lindsay for the good information! I have a old set of watercolor crayons, i don't really know what to do with them! thanks for sharing, it was fun to see how they work!!! I guess I will get them out and play with them!!
Thank you for sharing these pastels. I agree the plastic case isn’t worth loosing half of the product. One reason I love woodless pencils and sticks. I really feel the comparisons between the pastels provided valuable information to help in making a purchase. As for people making negative comments about your wealth of supplies, they must not have heard that the one who dies with the most art supplies wins! 🤣 I appreciate the suppliers that send you their products to test and demonstrate. I appreciate all the supplies you have and the work you do so you can help us learn about them and guide us with your knowledge so we don’t buy products that we can’t use. Happy New Year! 🥳
Thank you!
I've never gotten any vibe that you show your collection just to rub your hands together and cackle "Look upon my bounty and weep, peasants!" You use the stuff you buy, and then there's the stuff you're given for review, which you STILL use! If I had a stash that big, and the money to set up shelves and things for them, they would definitely just be colorful wall decoration. :P
Such a useful and informative video, even two years later.
Awesome video, thank you so much❤❤❤❤
You are so welcome!
Thank you for mentioning plastic packaging 💕🙏
Thank you for the review/comparison. Since I do art/craft for my own enjoyment, I'm happy to have cheap options.
Thank you for the great information. Blessings
Great overview, thank you!
I had that set of CD! Got them in Augusta at a hobby shop in the Shaw's "mall" when I was like 10
Water-soluble oil pastels is a really good medium, especially for sketching on location. Not as messy and not as demanding as the watercolours, because it allows that only part of the sketch is wetted for watercolour effects, thus reducing drying time. When all is dry, regular oil pastels can be added on top too.
Great comparisons! Thank you Lindsay.
Ohhh, I'm so jealous of your supplies. The colors, soooo many colors....
I feel ya! Jealous in a good way, though. More like admire. Just looking at supplies inspires me to get my own stash out.
Super! Thank you for make this video, it's very interesting and useful ❤
Thank you, Lindsay! Luckily, I have the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II and am very happy with them. I also have watersoluable crayons called Jaxon (in card board boxes with paper sleeves) from the art store here in Germany which are similar, maybe not quite as soft as the Caran d'Ache and not lightfast to my knowledge but great for crafting and kids.
I have one Faber-Castel Galato and some of the Marabu Art Crayons from a sale and I do like the Marabu ones. I feel they come with a lot more colour stick than the Gelato. I found on my new pens the Marabu took up the whole barrel, not sure why yours were so much shorter - but maybea new product line which may have beenwhy mine were on sale. 😅
However, I defintely agree with you on the amount of plastic used in these when you can have the same or very similar products with just paper wrappers. Plus, as you showed, those plastic sticks are individually shrink wrapped in plastic again or some come in sets of 3 which are also packaged in plastic.
I would say that - with the exception of a highly sensitive person - as an artist you want to get "to grips" with your crayons and perhaps break them to have pieces to fit your art work, use them on their sides more like pastels and generally work more directly with your substrate.
Those pens are more geared to crafter imho who want to scribble some colour here and there.... It's not for me. And as much as I love Tim Holtz (and a few other - mostly US - craft and scrap brands) and the products they release each season... There is too much plastic involved and I have decided to stay away from all that - mostly. Kind of reminded me of your recent video on stamping companies. 😉😘🥰🧡❤
The craft industry as it stands now is unsustainable on so many levels.
Wow, thank you for a such a in depth review. I do own some of the products mentioned but now I have a better understanding. I used them on top of acrylics and enjoy the mixed media effects.
Thank you so much for all of this information Lindsay, and demonstrating! I am dying to get the Caran D'ache Neocolors II! They look so wonderful!
I have the Portfolios, I found mine at Staples! They are so nice! I was really surprised! Also the Gelatos and the Gel Sticks. Some of my Gelatos were dry when I got them. 😖 They must've been at the store for a very long time.
It's really great to be able to see them all, and how they each perform! Thank you so much! 😊
I bought the super crayons a couple years ago thanks to you! I love them a lot! ❤️
Caran d’Ache says their crayons have wax and therefore, other watercolor blocks like Derwent cannot be used on top of them, so I’m sticking with Derwent, which is pure watercolor. Thank you for all your research, love watching/listening to you.
Happy New Year !!
I keep going back to the Portfolio, though I love all of the water soluable crayons. Thank you!
TFS Doodlehog No Yo in my cart now 🤣😍👍
I used them I a winter card video last month if you need ideas!
So good to know! Thank you so much!💕
So glad you brought in the gelatos. I have two sets from Michael’s (I never purchase anything without it being on sale or having a coupon!) and I can never get them to look similar to those I follow on CZcams. I will go back and try again.
Thanks for the comparison review Lindsay. That was really helpful especially when thinking about plastics and purchasing. I was able to get multiple sets of gelatos and the full set of Caran D'ache from an artist that was downsizing so I got a great deal. I got one pack of the distress crayons but they didn't seem to be anything special so I didn't buy anymore. I did get the Portfolio crayons sometime back from Amazon as well as the gel sticks from Faber Castell but they don't come in all the same colors as the gelatos. I might give the gel sticks to my grandson to play with as he loves painting. I do have a full set of Inktense blocks which I got because they're permanent when dry.
Thanks for your reviews Lindsay. I have Gelatos which are totally dried up so unusable. I also have the Jane Davenport Coloursticks & Portfolio oil pastels. I didn’t know that the JD Coloursticks were more for amateur use & Portfolio for artists’ use. Your reviews are much appreciated!!! Best wishes 😊
Super Review On Variety Of Products!
I bought the Neocolor Ii crayons a few? years ago when you did some videos with them. I stalked ebay until I found a set OBO and got a set of 36 (I think) at a steal. They are still sitting in the sealed tin in my craft room. I love that sunflower so it is time to give them a workout. Thank you for this great comparison video!
Yes! This was a great help.I bought one , the red sample one, Maribu crayon from Jerry's and really love it, but as you said they are pricey, so are gelatos. So what did I end up buying? Hahaha a 48 pc set of gel crayons from Shuttle Art on Amazon hahaha I love them. They are plenty colorful and cheap enough to let my grandkids play with them too. Now I'm on a mission to find the ultimate cheap crayon hahaha
So informational. Thank you so much we want to save money and get good quality products.
Hi there! Since you have done this great video can you do another with uses for these products sometime?
Sure!
Thank you for another great review - I'm not sure I'm ready to expand into the world of water soluble crayons yet - still so much to learn with what I already have - but I will be sure to refer back to your review when the time comes.
Lovely collection of wc crayons. The only wc crayons that I have ever tried are the water soluble crayons by Pelikan (directed at children) and the Neocolor 2. I love the Neocolors so much that I did actually never feel the need to try out any other wc crayons. But watercolor sticks, now they actually look pretty interesting. I never really looked into those because I always figured that if I have wc crayons, wc pencils, and regular wc I would not need another something, but being able to save that much on DS watercolors, just because they are a stick, sounds like exactly what I have been asking for.
And that disclaimer at the beginning, just in case you mentioned that because someone was actually saying that to you: Please don't feel obligated to explain yourself to any of us. I mean, sure, if you want to then go ahead, but if anyone has a problem with you owning and showing your supplies, then that person really has issues that they should look into. You do so many reviews and tutorials, everyone should be happy that you have all those different art things to do them with.
I have never try the gelatos... but when to Michaels and found a lot of them on clearance for 25 cents and got them all. I will try them . Love the video thanks. Very educational regarding product and pricing . Love it 😍
That is awesome!
I bought used gelatos and I was TOTALLY excited about them! I don't like them. I don't like the way they feel in my hand. Today, I gave them to a friend. I greatly enjoy my portfolio water soluble oil pastels. My lyra watercolor crayons are incredibly fun! I also adore the recollections ones. I love the pearlescent sheen of those. I have 1 neocolor 2 red that I bought open stock to try. That is AMAZING! Its phenomenal! I eventually want more colors.
I have a VERY cheap set that was bought at Walmart on a back to school sale. Maybe $7 for 24 or so. Those lay down a bit too thick and waxy for me. I am letting my daughter use them. They were marketed for young children.
The lyra, portfolio, and neocolor 2 were all bought because I trust your reviews and suggestions
I am looking at the mungyo because I love pearlescent colors! I will have room for them if my daughter uses up the kids set, or if I give that set to a friend's grandson.
THANK YOU! Great video!
Great informative video, thanks Lindsay!
Thanks Lindsay. I have the smallest set of CD ones. I've only used them twice. It's fun when I add water but seems like twice the time/ work . Color then paint. I like the black the best. I'm waiting for my soft pastels to arrive. I love January clearance sale time. Anything I want to try out I wait once a year for the fire sales. 😉🤣💜
Have you seen any good sales yet? Not that I need anything but window shopping is fun!
@@thefrugalcrafter Yes Amazon 64 color set mungyo soft pastels 12 bucks, Hornell 30 halfstick handrolled soft pastels 38 bucks, Mi Tienes pad 9x12 with glacine divider pages 12 bucks. I wanted the mungyo soft pastels because they are a little harder and won't fill up the tooth and pastel pencil details go over them easily. Where the hand rolled deposit so much that the pencils don't have any tooth left to grab.
I might try these..really cool!!
We depend on your frank recommendations ALWAYS
TQ for yr work
I love Neocolor II! For straight drawing/painting type projects they would be my first choice, or non-soluble oil pastels. But I also enjoy the gel type crayons and Gelatos for different kinds of projects. I like to use them on stencils, you can build them up with a little dimension and texture because they're so soft, and they eventually they solidify/dry to keep that texture. I have to admit I enjoy the kids set of gel crayons I bought (King Art brand) as much as Gelatos or more in terms of creamy soft texture and performance for that purpose, but the Gelatos have a more nuanced range of colours that is very attractive.
I have had a set of gel crayons for years and had no idea how to use them!
The first water soluble crayons I ever tried were Neocolor IIs. Nothing else has ever seemed quite as good. That being said though, I do like Marabu, especially on wood. One thing I have discovered is that I can use NeoColor II on fabric as long as I blend with a fabric medium. I have a tshirt that I made about 11 years ago and the color is just as vibrant.
I only recently tried Neocolor I and I am in love. I love how buttery smooth they are. Not water soluble, over course, but can be blended with fingers or a paper stump.
Awesome, I've used inktense on fabric but not neo2
This was super helpful, thanks!
I got some for Christmas. They are brea reese brand. Haven't figured out how to blend them seamlessly yet lol
Crayola used to have a program where the accepted empty marker barrels back. All brands if you saved them and sent them back to them. Then it was suspended and I'm am not sure if they picked it up again.
So don't know what the status is. If you are interested. Check their web site.
Love my Lyra crayons
I found mine today! They were hiding behind my spray inks lol!
I was looking for a video to compare lyra and Neocolor II I had no idea that gel crayons could be used wet. Great video. Thanks.
I agree that the Neocolor 2 are the best to get. The 40 set offers a good color variety for stampers. I had the Lyra ones but didn‘t like the color selection as it was more suitable for landscapes.
So helpful!....as usual ❣
Soooo helpful!! Thank you.
I swear it's like we're on the same wavelength lol It occurred to me while I was watching a video about watercolor paints I could never hope to afford that perhaps some of them were made with watercolor paints, and shimmer pigments? It appeared that way in the video, at least for the transparent, pearlescent-looking ones. A few were bright neon, but I guess they're not light fast in the least, which made me feel better because I have this bad impulse that if I can't have ALL THE COLORS then I can't possibly create, which is super unhelpful and I just end up paralyzed with too many choices.
After all that I wanted to add that it would be great to see someone with way more experience than me play around with duping some "fancy" versions of that paint in a more frugal (😉) way...ya know, if you got time and looking for ideas. If you already did something like this, than please forgive my memory.
I also adore the neo color twos! I have made the unfortunate mistake of not realizing the neo colors have a non water soluble series that is often mixed in at random at open stock brick and mortar stores, which is an expensive mistake you only make once ha! I am so tactile with my art supply shopping it's hard for me to buy online.
This comment is long enough. I love your channel Lindsay 😍
I do have diy metallic watercolor videos and tons of videos using cheaper watercolors:) on my blog you can search crafty recipies as well. Http://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com
Munygo are available from Currys Art out of Ontario Canada. Staples carries a set of water colour stick colours by Derwent. They also carry the watercolour pan set too
Thanks for the info!
I have to try watercolor crayons. Thanks 😊
Gosh neocolor are over $7 each where i live in NZ. Can’t wait to get mine though. Have ordered a set of 15.
That's a great assortment tho.
With your new watercolor crayon class starting I thought I'd watch this again. Very helpful. I really like watercolor crayons! Years ago I found a small box of Caran d'Ache neocolor II at an estate sale for $5 -- what a wonderful find! About 5 years ago I took a class with Lynne Perrella, and Portfolio Oil Pastels were a required supply. I love how smooth they are to blend and burnish. Have you ever tried Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks? I haven't, but like that they don't have plastic and aren't too expensive. Thanks again for your product review videos. ~Marilee
I have. They seem a bit firmer to me but not bad
Just had to post a few comments. 1. The Jane Davenport products were put on clearance at Michael's and most are gone. They apparently want to carry more of their own Recollections brands of papercrafting supplies. 2. I do own all of the Distress crayons, as I want things to closely match the Distress and Distress oxide inks. 3. Gelatos? I have them, but hardly use them. They just don't go down smooth enough for me. 4. The NOYO seem to be identical to Michael's kid's brand Creatology. I got a set of 24 on the clearance aisle for $3.97. Very pleased. One of the pluses is that the set has colors that you don't expect for kid's art supplies (incl. yellow ocher). 5. I caught a flash sale on Amazon for a 48 set from KingArt. each crayon is almost identical to Recollections (except no shimmer, but I have those Recollections shimmer ones, too). The KingArt were just under $35. When I put all of my sets together, I only need to buy an olive green (probably Marabou open stock).
I really want to get a set of water soluble pastels at some point, they look like a ton of fun! Definitely getting the paper wrapped kind though, not the ones in a plastic holder. I low-key want something like a clutch pencil lead holder for pastels though - they'd let you carry a few crayons without a case, use them with less mess, but not be single use... Someone should make that a thing :P
Honestly the paper wrapped ones are not messy
They made chalk holders for old school chalkboards for forever. I bet those would work. Google “pastel holder”.
AVLE Multi Magnetic Pastel Holder 5 Pack - Protect Hands to Get Dirty from Pastels for Kids - Red, Blue, Gold, Silver Colors Chalk Keeper www.amazon.com/dp/B08JGL65N4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_3O-8FbVHRRDQS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
@@thefrugalcrafter You should've seen me the last time I played with pastels. Believe me, I can _make_ it messy 😂
I do also sometimes have a bit of a tactile issue where I just can't stand the feeling of touching stuff of certain textures, and a holder that lets me keep my fingers far away from the actual pastel could really help with that too :)
@@krystinsawyer ooh, of course they're already a thing!! Thanks for the heads-up, I'll definitely be trying a few out!
Thank you for this video. I was hoping you'd do one on water colour pastels. About 20 or more years ago I used to go to workshops put on by a local art supply store where I learned about lots of different products. Recently I came across a box of the Neocolour II pastels. The tin is a smaller version of your Neocolour II tin. Plus I must have bought about another 20 or 30 extra colours separately. A lot of the sticks are obviously well used but I can't remember using them. Now I've found them I want to use them but I've discovered I'm frightened of them as I feel clueless on how to use them. I'm accustomedvto using tubes of watercolour and gauche. I have lots of Albrecht Durer and Derwent water colour pencils which I do use. I currently can't find my box of tubes but do have a few of a variety of brands. Mostly these days I scan my art works and load them to Redbubble so I suppose lightfastness isn't much of an issue at the moment. The problem is I love watercolours and they are convenient to use. But I am most familiar and comfortable with oils or acrylics. I have plenty of oils and acrylics but I mostly choose to struggle with the watercolours and seem to mostly worry about those Neocolour pastels that I'm not using at all. So I got quite excited when I saw you had a huge box of them. Thank you for this video.
Go and play with them! They are so slow wearing and you only live once!
Thanks for this video. I'm embarrassed to say, I got the Lyra last year and COMPLETELY forgot I had them. Ugh. I just pulled them out and am enjoying them a lot!
Those are great and I cant find mine! I think I must have gave them to a friend.