Through the years, I've collected quite a few sets of
watercolor crayons. They are convenient sketching and coloring tools that can double as watercolor pans with the help of a nice sable brush or a waterbrush. Thus, I decided to review the quality and performance of a few sets of the top brands available. We'll start with an old favorite:
Faber Castell Albrecht Durer aquarelle sticks. Each round stick measures roughly 2.75" in length and is ½" wide. They were available in a full range of 60 colors and are a perfect color match for the rest of the
Faber Castell artistic product lines for succesful mixed media projects.
Though currently discontinued by the manufacturer, from time to time loose individually paper wrapped
aquarelle sticks still pop up in clearance sections of brick-and-mortar stores. Some
Pearl stores also still have the
Faber-Castell display with open stock crayons. In this format they are cleaner to use for drawing purposes. A bit of online sleuthing sometimes reveals
tin box sets of unwrapped aquarelle sticks which function well as oversize watercolor pan boxes. Tins were packed in multiples of ten: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 aquarelle stick sets were available. A
deluxe wooden box with the full set of 60 sticks bundled with a large sable brush, porcelain mixing plate, and natural sponge was also released.
Color chart for the tin box set of 20
Faber Castell Albrecht Durer aquarelle sticks drawn with the dry crayons on
Cotman paper. The
aquarelle sticks are stronger than children's crayons and have good covering power over the moderately textured paper surface.
Quick sketch drawn with a
Winsor & Newton Series 7 #4 Kolinski sable round brush.
Color chart for the tin box set of 30
Faber Castell Albrecht Durer aquarelle sticks painted with a 1/4"
Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold II flat brush after wetting the sticks with a
Holbein watercolor atomizer bottle. The dimensions of each stick make it easier to pick up a generous amount of a watercolor wash with larger brushes, and their waxy texture reduce the wear and tear on the brush bristles
The first postcard was painted by dabbing the
aquarelle sticks watercolor washes in short strokes.
The dragon postcard's outline was first colored with dry
aquarelle sticks applying them just like watercolor pencils.
Then the wartercolor crayon marks were blended with water using a
Winsor & Newton Series 7 #4 Kolinski sable round brush.
The last postcard was drawn with a brown
Prismacolor Premier archival brush marker and colored with washes of
aquarelle sticks used as watercolor pans. Couple of coats yielded the nice bright colors that resemble markers. The tin box set of 20
Faber Castell Albrecht Durer aquarelle sticks is compact and sturdy enough to haul around in a regular sketching kit, I did so for a while. Just avoid leaving it locked in a car on a sunny day.
Though currently discontinued by the manufacturer, from time to time loose individually paper wrapped aquarelle sticks still pop up in clearance sections of brick-and-mortar stores. Some Pearl stores also still have the Faber-Castell display with open stock crayons. In this format they are cleaner to use for drawing purposes. A bit of online sleuthing sometimes reveals tin box sets of unwrapped aquarelle sticks which function well as oversize watercolor pan boxes. Tins were packed in multiples of ten: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 aquarelle stick sets were available. A deluxe wooden box with the full set of 60 sticks bundled with a large sable brush, porcelain mixing plate, and natural sponge was also released.
Color chart for the tin box set of 20 Faber Castell Albrecht Durer aquarelle sticks drawn with the dry crayons on Cotman paper. The aquarelle sticks are stronger than children's crayons and have good covering power over the moderately textured paper surface.
Quick sketch drawn with a Winsor & Newton Series 7 #4 Kolinski sable round brush.
Color chart for the tin box set of 30 Faber Castell Albrecht Durer aquarelle sticks painted with a 1/4" Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold II flat brush after wetting the sticks with a Holbein watercolor atomizer bottle. The dimensions of each stick make it easier to pick up a generous amount of a watercolor wash with larger brushes, and their waxy texture reduce the wear and tear on the brush bristles
The first postcard was painted by dabbing the aquarelle sticks watercolor washes in short strokes.
The dragon postcard's outline was first colored with dry aquarelle sticks applying them just like watercolor pencils.
Then the wartercolor crayon marks were blended with water using a Winsor & Newton Series 7 #4 Kolinski sable round brush.
The last postcard was drawn with a brown Prismacolor Premier archival brush marker and colored with washes of aquarelle sticks used as watercolor pans. Couple of coats yielded the nice bright colors that resemble markers. The tin box set of 20 Faber Castell Albrecht Durer aquarelle sticks is compact and sturdy enough to haul around in a regular sketching kit, I did so for a while. Just avoid leaving it locked in a car on a sunny day.
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