If one wants to get more use of their NEOCOLOR II crayons... [A] I've dipped the crayon tips in water for literally just a second, waited a few seconds to let it activate, then drawn with the tip. It's a much different sort of line than with a dry crayon and they will activate further with brush and water differently. [B[ I've used them on 98lb Mixed Media paper employing much less water than one would for watercolor. I get something approaching a dry(er) brush technique. I've even used them on some slightly glossy paper that was the insert from a greeting card was repurposing and some blank cardstock I picked up from the thrift store. The key is much less water than you'd use for watercolor techniques. [C] I've used them on scraps of fabric. I use fabric in mixed media and small slow stitching projects. I've played with the NEOCOLORS on fabric and gotten some interesting results. Lots of people were youtubing about drawing on fabric with Inktense so why not NEOCOLORs? I sprung from a larger set of 40, using gift money for the purchase. These things will last forever. The color is really intense. Of all the color media I have, these are definitely my favorite to play with. But keep in mind, I'm doodling and playing and creating textures and blends of colors. I'm not trying to draw or paint anything representative. So one's mileage may vary on their usefulness. I was looking for a video to put on in the background as I worked on series of small booklets painted with NEOCOLORS so it was serendipitous to find this video!
Lots of great ideas here, thanks! Just a remark regarding using Inktense vs. Neocolor on fabrics - Derwent (the manufacturer of Inktense) claims Inktense is water-resistant or even waterproof on fabrics after they've been activated with water and left to dry, whereas the Neocolor Ils will remain watersoluble forever. Both products have good lightfastness ratings, so as long as your fabric piece is never washed, it should be OK with Neocolor II.
You should try buying from Jackson’s. It’s a store in UK and the delivery fee is much less than from the US. I’m a fellow Canadian and Jackson’s is the art store for me!
SUGGESTION: I have a small plastic cutting board which is just for crafting and scribbling on it works great for blending these watercolors. Just enough texture for mixing. Thanks for sharing your insights on using them. I love them too.
I use one of those, too. With a lot less expensive water color crayons, and love the results. I'd rather just use my artist grade watercolors, though. I'm afraid if I spent so much money on these, they would become so precious that I wouldn't want to use them. I'm just now beginning to use my costly paper by Arches!😮 😮😮😮
The use of sharpen is a waste of material is my opinion, I never do that... so many years I paint with Neocolor II . I wet the point of Pastel and solve gently in my pan palette, so than I use the brush on my sheet of paper,( in my project) is the own brush what have the quantity of tint, let brushstroke express the use as if was a Watercolor painting. This that I descrive is just a technique. I made so many paintings and beautiful landscapes.
These are so fun! I have also found that when I want to use them in my journal (which is more of a drawing paper), I can blend them with a tombow water marker and get a completely different but also satisfying result without warping or pilling the paper. They are so versatile!!!
I found a small set of 10 that I'd purchased years ago while doing some de-cluttering last December. I've been playing with them since, primarily sticking with a limited palette (ie: carmine, cobalt blue, yellow). I really love their high pigment load. You actually have to be pretty careful with some of the colors, like the Cobalt Blue, for example, because it is extremely strong and can easily overwhelm your illustration. You can also use a blending stump on these to blend color. You don't have to use water to create smooth blends. I typically start off using water to blend but for my finishing touches I switch over to a blending stump so I don't have to worry about possibly lifting color underneath. For paper, I find I prefer 100% cotton hot press the best. Cold press creates too much texture for my preference, but I know that's just a personal thing. Look forward to seeing you using these more.
Hello. If you have a set of 10, I suppose you'll have to mix colors frequently. How do you mix color? Do you place the pastels directly onto the paper, then use water to blend? Or do you mix them on a separate palette?
@@barefacedquestions I layer them on the page. So if I want green, I'll put down a little yellow, then a little blue, then go over the top with a little water to mix them into green right on the page. You could absolutely mix them separately on a palette if you want, as well. Experiment and see what works best for you and what fits your creative flow the best!
I was so happy when I looked up the pigment information and found that the cobalt blues and greens are made with phthalocyanine, which unlike cobalt is completely safe to handle. It's also very staining with excellent lightfastness
Did you once use Oxgall as a wetting agent in the water for moving colors, like I use it sometimes for my Aquarell colours ( some trademarks have this and always glycerin and honey inside, for ex. Sennelier, Blockxx etc. ??
You don't really need the palette but it's convenient. I say this because I have always just scribbled on the inside part of the lid to mix my colors :) I think any glass, plastic or metal surfice will work for that purpose,
Great work. I bought 4 years ago 84 in a nice wooden case, but never used them , because normal aquarelle colours are this beautiful. But I see now I can use them for smaller fine graphic work. Congrats for your great introduction !
I bought my set of 84 last year at Jerry's Artarama during one of their mega sales. Even with the exchange rate and shipping to Ontario, they ended up being around $125.00. There are deals out there. You just have to look. Thanks Emma for all you do! 🥰
What a great video! I have the large set of these too and need the lessons. You’re right, there is something so fun and special about them. It’s like they are almost too easy to be real. The colors are so beautiful and vibrant. I want to see you paint anything at all with them, just to get the techniques figured out. Florals would be great. I saw where one girl said she uses a sharpener to get color from each crayon, smooshes it down in small palettes with water and lets it dry. Then uses it for a travel palette.
Great video! I've seen some people use the neocolor 1's as a resist in watercolor and they are quite lovely as well. I can't wait to see how you use these. They're so pigmented and versatile. ❤
I seriously (am an art supply hoarder and am finally shameless about it) keep a small box of neocolor 2’s, ones (non soluable) and Sennelier oil pastels on my desk because all have gorgeous colors, and if I want to block in a color zone or add bright detail, I can quickly get it down with these. I can also “fill in” the tones I don’t have in watercolor pans- they are quite convenient and their lightfastness is noted in each set. A fun tool to change up your approach when you get in a rut!
You will be happy to know that there is a wholesale art supply store in Canada. Delta Art and Drafting Supplies is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They have the Caran d ache Neocolor I and II sets and open stock. The prices are lower than retail and they have sales every month. They are one of the largest art supply stores in Canada.
Would these work in conjunction with watercolor pencils? I have a few Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer water color pencils and was wondering if they would work together. Thank you for the video. These look like fun. I'm new to art but these have a bit of a nostalgic draw to me. I used to love crayons.
I would say that they would. I’ve used the Neocolor II as well as the Albrecht Dürer with watercolours and they’re great! So I can only imagine the two would work together.
Great idea! I'm trying to avoid buying more plastic stuff so I keep debating about buying this palette. But I do have an old white cutting board I could repurpose!
I followers a course coloring with Caran d'ache. 10 weeks of coloring with all sports pencils and crayons of Caran d'ache. If there is still left over color on your palette, you van remove it with a Magic sponge. In Belgium it's called a "wonderspons" Thanks For the tutorial, dind't really like the neocolors II but seeing you use thema makes me feel curious to try them again ❤
I love these... I've had my set for over 20 year's. I always used them with a wet brush 🖌️ straight on the crayon as an opaque colour for illustrations. (More like a gouache). Such a worthwhile investment 😊 🎨
I loved this video! Good to know all this info. I live in Seattle WA & we have a Dick Blick. I bought a few of these pastels there & would also want to get more. Thanks for the vid.
Wow! The thing I noticed most, is the palette you used! It is for a left handed person. The writing is the right side I would assume and yet the thumb hole is in the right. Do you know how difficult it is to find holes on the right? There is a closing watercolor palette I like for plein air and the hole is on the left so I have to mix upside down. You might think, so what turn it around. But in a closing palette the lip or wall of the wells are upside down then and you have to mix backward which is very awkward and not good for bristles.
So you dont need the fancy pallette to get the same result, just press the crayon onto any pallette, it will come off just the same. You can use these crayons on many surfaces.
To be honest I think this is a waist of money. For the price of this crayons you can buy a professional watercolor. I have them but they are lost in some shelf.
The shavings would be great to create your own colors. But Caran D’ Ache is hella hella expensive and I’m in the US another place to order then signally is Jerry’s Artarama which is also a great great store. But now can i suggest a pallet to use next? QOR!! Please remember the name bc other then Caran D.. it’s second to none! Just as good and almost as pricey believe you me when I say that.. lol Ty amazing video.
I purchased a set of 40 neocolors on Amazon (US) after your first few tutorials and I LOVE them! I am struggling with how to create with them, so your neocolor tutorials are always so helpful, I need more ideas. Your tree tutorial was magical. The vibrant colors add to the appeal. I want to expand to perhaps a bouquet in a vase, landscape, mountains, cottage... Looking forward to more tutorials!
I can't see the purpose of these, it's just watercolour in a stick. Why would I spend so much money on them, I rather buy some more expensive and professional watercolours.
Travel and or storage space and safety of transport! But mostly the issue I had is the issue of housing or work space rules in the area where my husband worked I had to wait for him to get off work and then travel home with him I was not allowed to have my paint out in public these would have been good cuz I could have add the water later
I love my neo colours. I'm in Canada, and would suggest looking at Opus art supplies for them. They sell them individually and in sets (online - just checked) they are pretty decent for cost and do have discounts if you're an accredited art teacher or a full time student.
Additional comment. I would recommend you also buy the Caren D’Ache palette aquarelle to use with these. I also use the palette for watercolor pencils.
I watched one of your previous videos & found them interesting. At the Blick’s (actual storefront) yesterday, passed them on the shelf. I was Interested in the DS crayons but they only had these sets in store. So, why not? Bought the 10 set to try. I see they can be used on wood, stone, etc. I like them. Bought some Fluid paper - (made by Speedball) cold press and I declare there’s got to be at least 50% cotton in it. Also some Blick’s cotton & Arches. I’ve tried them on all 3 …. (will try some Mixed Media paper today) These crayons are gorgeous! I definitely see them becoming part of my , ‘draw it don’t drown it’ , urban sketch kit. Very good info! Thank you
TIP: The stickers are to label the tins (I have many caran d’Ache products) but I love how you put all of them on the small tin including the gouache tube sticker lol
I find the lyra water colour crayons do really well with wet on wet, but it was interesting seeing how the caravan d'ache work because I don't have them, the colour you're getting from them is just as juicy as the lyra. Thank you for sharing. Cheers!
I love these crayons so much, I have about 20 caran dache that i hand picked from jacksons, and I have a set of 24 lyra crayon. The lyra crayons I got half off and they are so close to the quality of caran dache, but if not on sale just get the caran dache the price isn't much different. And they are wonderful.
From my understanding, the watercolor sticks are essentially meant to be a portable pigment to lay down color. They aren’t intended to be a drawing tool so they don’t have the … creamy “touch” like a watercolor crayon . I have heard that you can lay down color on a palette and activate it with water, or cut off a chunk and put it in a watercolor pan, but the experience of trying to draw with them wouldn’t be the same as the neo colors. However- they are an affordable and long-lasting way to invest in Daniel Smith watercolor paints, so that might be reason enough to try them!!!
I have the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks and they are pure watercolor pigment and gum arabic as a binder. They are not meant for drawing on dry paper as they are very hard and dry. You can wet the paper and draw with them but that often pushes pigment into the paper fibers and makes blending difficult (unless you are after that effect). I find the best method is to use a wet brush and pickup pigment from the stick directly. You can also put down some water on a palette and rub the stick in the water to make a wash of the color. The color that comes off the stick is very intense and concentrated. The sticks are usually priced at about $9.50 (USD) on Dick Blick no matter which series the pigment which is a great deal as the tubes are at various price points depending on the series (series 1 is least expensive and series 5 is most expensive). You can also cut the sticks into pieces and put them in pans. I like them a lot.
I like "canson mi teintes" paper for this. But only for wet on dry. It will buckle if it get to wet. You could work on both sides. Smoot or rouge as you like.
Second Tip: these are sold individually too (my local art store sells them each for $2) so you can buy the small set to test then buy individual colors.
I really regret getting the 10 pack. Like you, I had never used them before and didn't want to spend a lot of money on something I was unsure of. I about died when I first added water to them. The best watercolor pencils/crayons ever! I love my Faber Castells, but this is a whole other level! Thanks for showing some ways to use them because I really haven't had a chance to do much with mine other than swatch them out and a little bit of doodling. They are every bit as good as you say they are!
Have you tried the Lyra Aquacolor crayons and if so, how do they compare? I want the BIG set of Caron crayons but that is a steep price to lay out! I'll take your advice and just get a smaller one. I'm eyeing set of 40.
theres quite a few comparison videos out there...Lyras are great and affordable. I bought these first many moons ago and have bought some CD since that fill in the blanks.
I have crayons & pallet. First time they just seemed like doing same thing as watercolor the hard way😂. Watching this has inspired me to give it another try. Hope you will use them in some painting videos! Thanks Emma for all you do. Painting allows me to shut off from all that noise in our brains and relax. I started with acrylic & then you turned me on to watercolor. I never traced even though I couldn’t draw at all. I found that by making myself follow along sketching I have improved so much! I do a lot of sketching for ideas or to practice and really enjoy it. I remember how hard it was to get how to have a leaf or petal fold over, but then it just clicks. The wonderful thing about art & and creating is there is always new things to learn!
Loved the video! I've found the best way to remove residual color from the Caran D'Ache palette is to rub it lightly with a wet melamine sponge (e.g. Mr. Clean sponge.) I got the set of 84 last year but now I feel braver about using them.
I just got these not as hyped as I thought I'd be everyone makes them sound great, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I feel like I was doing better with inktense, but I want to figure them out ,help
THANK YOU MA'AM EMMA FOR MAKING THIS VERY HELPFUL VIDEO ABOUT THE CARAN D'ACHE NEOCOLOR ll WATERCOLOUR PASTELS BECAUSE THIS INK ARTIST I AM MOSTLY REALLY DOES APPRECIATES YOUR HELP
My stickers consisted of a crayon and a paintbrush. I think, because Caran D’ache tins are quite uniform, this allows you to use the sticker that corresponds with the contents of your tin. Currently, mine contains the crayons, so I put my crayon sticker on the front. At least, I assume that’s the logic; there wasn’t any explanation on the packaging of any of my products.
Thank you. Loved the video. I have a travel pouch/bag with Neocolor 2 crayons. I added additional colors to the 15 set. In my bag, I have waterbrushes. They work well with them. I also have pieces cut from a poly file folder. It has a rough surface that works well for a palette. I also have a few drawing materials and some watercolor postcards. Looking forward to seeing your future videos with this medium.
Exactly what I have done! Because of Emma I ordered the 15 set and switched a few colours I liked more. Together with an A6 cold pressed sketchbook and a waterbrush it makes the perfect little on the go set. I go on holiday in a few days and I can't wait to use them in Italy.
Those exact ones are Etchr spelled just like that. It looks like a golden taklon brush, I've got some from Michael's that I use for both gouache and these.
Thanks for the demo! Just learned about these and wondered how they work, what they’re like, etc. In Canada, you can currently order multiple sizes of sets from OPUS Art Supplies in BC. The 84 pc set is over $300 CAD. There’s also a wooden box premium set of 84 for an eye-watering $600+ CAD. 😅 They also sell singles, so I think I’ll pick up a few in-store just to give them a whirl. Always love trying out new supplies, even if they don’t make it into my regular routine.
You’d have to mix them a bit. Just like watercolour. For example Add red to green to mute the colour. You can also add a bit of ochre to your colours to desaturate your brights. Hope this helps because they are fun to use!
Midoco has the 30 pack and Above Ground Art Supplies carries the 40 pack and also sells open stock singles. I order my singles from Jackson's in the UK. The prices are amazing and as long as you don't order the sets (because they have to be shipped flat) the shipping costs are really reasonable as is the price per unit ($2.19 per unit) I just make sure every order is under $20 or you have to pay a charge at customs. I haven't seen the 84 pack at any of our art stores though.
I bought the 10 pack on a whim last year when I was looking for fountain pen ink. I'm so glad I did! I finally tried them out a few months ago and played around with them, and had a lot more fun than I thought I would. I've tried water soluble pencil crayons before, but there's just an absolute joy when I play around with these! I didn't know they had a palette for mixing this, so I've just been layering with different colours and playing with the amount of water. It was a lot of fun seeing you experiment and have with these wax pastels to show what they can do. Thank you for this video 😄
Surprisingly, I’ve found that Karin Decobrush Pigment works really well with the neocolor II. You can get some really interesting effects. I use a combo of inktense, neocolor II, and the decobrush pigment.
Hullo Emma, this is a wonderful instructional and example video for these crayons! If your not going to use 100% cotton paper you might consider multi media papers, my favorite is the newer Bamboo paper! If you want a similar experience for less money try the Charvin brand of water soluble pastel sticks. I purchased the Caran D’Ache 10 color sets for years and finally got the 40 stick set and then purchased some colors individually from Blick’s that I thought I would need or just want! If you have friends or relatives that live in the USA they can mail your purchased supplies for much less than international shipping charges! Just an idea for those of us who simply cannot afford to pay more for shipping than for an actual product! Lovely video, thanks for sharing your ideas! Oh! I have used synthetic hair brushes and they last much longer than natural hair brushes! 😊
If one wants to get more use of their NEOCOLOR II crayons... [A] I've dipped the crayon tips in water for literally just a second, waited a few seconds to let it activate, then drawn with the tip. It's a much different sort of line than with a dry crayon and they will activate further with brush and water differently. [B[ I've used them on 98lb Mixed Media paper employing much less water than one would for watercolor. I get something approaching a dry(er) brush technique. I've even used them on some slightly glossy paper that was the insert from a greeting card was repurposing and some blank cardstock I picked up from the thrift store. The key is much less water than you'd use for watercolor techniques. [C] I've used them on scraps of fabric. I use fabric in mixed media and small slow stitching projects. I've played with the NEOCOLORS on fabric and gotten some interesting results. Lots of people were youtubing about drawing on fabric with Inktense so why not NEOCOLORs? I sprung from a larger set of 40, using gift money for the purchase. These things will last forever. The color is really intense. Of all the color media I have, these are definitely my favorite to play with. But keep in mind, I'm doodling and playing and creating textures and blends of colors. I'm not trying to draw or paint anything representative. So one's mileage may vary on their usefulness. I was looking for a video to put on in the background as I worked on series of small booklets painted with NEOCOLORS so it was serendipitous to find this video!
Lots of great ideas here, thanks! Just a remark regarding using Inktense vs. Neocolor on fabrics - Derwent (the manufacturer of Inktense) claims Inktense is water-resistant or even waterproof on fabrics after they've been activated with water and left to dry, whereas the Neocolor Ils will remain watersoluble forever. Both products have good lightfastness ratings, so as long as your fabric piece is never washed, it should be OK with Neocolor II.
You should try buying from Jackson’s. It’s a store in UK and the delivery fee is much less than from the US. I’m a fellow Canadian and Jackson’s is the art store for me!
Great video. Thank you. I just bought a set of 12 and can't wait to play with them!
I'm curious(I live in the US). Have these become more available to the lovely Canadian artists?
Anyone know … are these Gouche?
I have gouache and a set of these crayons. They are not the same. But I enjoy using both mediums
@@kathyn3978 Thank you
SUGGESTION: I have a small plastic cutting board which is just for crafting and scribbling on it works great for blending these watercolors. Just enough texture for mixing. Thanks for sharing your insights on using them. I love them too.
I use one of those, too. With a lot less expensive water color crayons, and love the results. I'd rather just use my artist grade watercolors, though. I'm afraid if I spent so much money on these, they would become so precious that I wouldn't want to use them. I'm just now beginning to use my costly paper by Arches!😮 😮😮😮
@@jimflack9462 Enjoy your Arches!
I so get that!!🤗
Great tip! Thanks!
The use of sharpen is a waste of material is my opinion, I never do that... so many years I paint with Neocolor II . I wet the point of Pastel and solve gently in my pan palette, so than I use the brush on my sheet of paper,( in my project) is the own brush what have the quantity of tint, let brushstroke express the use as if was a Watercolor painting. This that I descrive is just a technique. I made so many paintings and beautiful landscapes.
These are so fun! I have also found that when I want to use them in my journal (which is more of a drawing paper), I can blend them with a tombow water marker and get a completely different but also satisfying result without warping or pilling the paper. They are so versatile!!!
I found a small set of 10 that I'd purchased years ago while doing some de-cluttering last December. I've been playing with them since, primarily sticking with a limited palette (ie: carmine, cobalt blue, yellow). I really love their high pigment load. You actually have to be pretty careful with some of the colors, like the Cobalt Blue, for example, because it is extremely strong and can easily overwhelm your illustration.
You can also use a blending stump on these to blend color. You don't have to use water to create smooth blends. I typically start off using water to blend but for my finishing touches I switch over to a blending stump so I don't have to worry about possibly lifting color underneath.
For paper, I find I prefer 100% cotton hot press the best. Cold press creates too much texture for my preference, but I know that's just a personal thing. Look forward to seeing you using these more.
Hello. If you have a set of 10, I suppose you'll have to mix colors frequently. How do you mix color? Do you place the pastels directly onto the paper, then use water to blend? Or do you mix them on a separate palette?
@@barefacedquestions I layer them on the page. So if I want green, I'll put down a little yellow, then a little blue, then go over the top with a little water to mix them into green right on the page. You could absolutely mix them separately on a palette if you want, as well. Experiment and see what works best for you and what fits your creative flow the best!
@@kellyro77 Thank you.
I was so happy when I looked up the pigment information and found that the cobalt blues and greens are made with phthalocyanine, which unlike cobalt is completely safe to handle. It's also very staining with excellent lightfastness
Did you once use Oxgall as a wetting agent in the water for moving colors, like I use it sometimes for my Aquarell colours ( some trademarks have this and always glycerin and honey inside, for ex. Sennelier, Blockxx etc. ??
I could see this working great for travel. A sketch book, a bundle of crayons, and a water brush is all you need.
Yes, but be careful if you are traveling to a hot climate - unlike pan watercolors, neocolor 2 can melt. (I speak from messy experience.) :)
Just got a set of 84 today from the thrift store for 25$ CAD 🎉 almost brand new! Can’t wait to try these!
Freezer paper could be used instead of caran d'ache paper just a tip.
You don't really need the palette but it's convenient. I say this because I have always just scribbled on the inside part of the lid to mix my colors :) I think any glass, plastic or metal surfice will work for that purpose,
Great work. I bought 4 years ago 84 in a nice wooden case, but never used them , because normal aquarelle colours are this beautiful. But I see now I can use them for smaller fine graphic work. Congrats for your great introduction !
Thank you for your Video :) is it easy to clean the caran a'dache Palette?
I bought my set of 84 last year at Jerry's Artarama during one of their mega sales. Even with the exchange rate and shipping to Ontario, they ended up being around $125.00. There are deals out there. You just have to look. Thanks Emma for all you do! 🥰
What a great video! I have the large set of these too and need the lessons. You’re right, there is something so fun and special about them. It’s like they are almost too easy to be real. The colors are so beautiful and vibrant. I want to see you paint anything at all with them, just to get the techniques figured out. Florals would be great. I saw where one girl said she uses a sharpener to get color from each crayon, smooshes it down in small palettes with water and lets it dry. Then uses it for a travel palette.
Great video! I've seen some people use the neocolor 1's as a resist in watercolor and they are quite lovely as well. I can't wait to see how you use these. They're so pigmented and versatile. ❤
I seriously (am an art supply hoarder and am finally shameless about it) keep a small box of neocolor 2’s, ones (non soluable) and Sennelier oil pastels on my desk because all have gorgeous colors, and if I want to block in a color zone or add bright detail, I can quickly get it down with these. I can also “fill in” the tones I don’t have in watercolor pans- they are quite convenient and their lightfastness is noted in each set.
A fun tool to change up your approach when you get in a rut!
I found all 3 sets on Amazon for $17, $25, and the biggie $250. 10/13/2023. Thank you for your tutorials and being real. Coral
I just got a couple “crayons”. I would like to see landscape and flower tutorial . Thank you
You will be happy to know that there is a wholesale art supply store in Canada. Delta Art and Drafting Supplies is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They have the Caran d ache Neocolor I and II sets and open stock. The prices are lower than retail and they have sales every month. They are one of the largest art supply stores in Canada.
Didn’t see them listed
Would these work in conjunction with watercolor pencils? I have a few Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer water color pencils and was wondering if they would work together. Thank you for the video. These look like fun. I'm new to art but these have a bit of a nostalgic draw to me. I used to love crayons.
I would say that they would. I’ve used the Neocolor II as well as the Albrecht Dürer with watercolours and they’re great! So I can only imagine the two would work together.
Looking forward to seeing you do a tutorial using these. I was gifted some and have used them a little but I'm excited to see what you come up with.
I used to use a white cutting board before I purchased the palette. Works quite well with watercolor pencils and crayons.
Great idea! I'm trying to avoid buying more plastic stuff so I keep debating about buying this palette. But I do have an old white cutting board I could repurpose!
I followers a course coloring with Caran d'ache. 10 weeks of coloring with all sports pencils and crayons of Caran d'ache. If there is still left over color on your palette, you van remove it with a Magic sponge. In Belgium it's called a "wonderspons" Thanks For the tutorial, dind't really like the neocolors II but seeing you use thema makes me feel curious to try them again ❤
I am in Canada and I buy my Neocolor 2 crayons from Jackson’s. They have the best selection and price for Canadians❤
I have started saving up my orders and ordering from Jackson’s. Big difference in prices.
I love these... I've had my set for over 20 year's. I always used them with a wet brush 🖌️ straight on the crayon as an opaque colour for illustrations. (More like a gouache). Such a worthwhile investment 😊 🎨
I loved this video! Good to know all this info. I live in Seattle WA & we have a Dick Blick. I bought a few of these pastels there & would also want to get more. Thanks for the vid.
You stated you would add Blick in the description.Ido not see anything but Amazon.😢😢
Wow! The thing I noticed most, is the palette you used! It is for a left handed person. The writing is the right side I would assume and yet the thumb hole is in the right. Do you know how difficult it is to find holes on the right? There is a closing watercolor palette I like for plein air and the hole is on the left so I have to mix upside down. You might think, so what turn it around. But in a closing palette the lip or wall of the wells are upside down then and you have to mix backward which is very awkward and not good for bristles.
So you dont need the fancy pallette to get the same result, just press the crayon onto any pallette, it will come off just the same. You can use these crayons on many surfaces.
Danke für das tolle Video wie die Stifte funktionieren und was man tolles damit machen kann. 😊
To be honest I think this is a waist of money. For the price of this crayons you can buy a professional watercolor. I have them but they are lost in some shelf.
Thanks for this video! I really loved your tip about using the sharpened pieces, add water, and start using the shavings once again!
does it contain so much wax as to make it not work as a background with watercolor paint over it.
How do these compare to watercolor sticks? Do they feel and lay down about the same?
The shavings would be great to create your own colors. But Caran D’ Ache is hella hella expensive and I’m in the US another place to order then signally is Jerry’s Artarama which is also a great great store. But now can i suggest a pallet to use next? QOR!! Please remember the name bc other then Caran D.. it’s second to none! Just as good and almost as pricey believe you me when I say that.. lol Ty amazing video.
Thank you!! I received mine 2 weeks ago. ❤ SET of 40. Sweet! EXCELLENT EXCELLENT Tutorial! Hugs!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤
I purchased a set of 40 neocolors on Amazon (US) after your first few tutorials and I LOVE them! I am struggling with how to create with them, so your neocolor tutorials are always so helpful, I need more ideas. Your tree tutorial was magical. The vibrant colors add to the appeal. I want to expand to perhaps a bouquet in a vase, landscape, mountains, cottage... Looking forward to more tutorials!
I love my set of 30 Neocolor 2s, but would enjoy a floral/landscape series. Thank you for this vid! 🎉❤
So why use these instead of just some WC paint?
I can't see the purpose of these, it's just watercolour in a stick. Why would I spend so much money on them, I rather buy some more expensive and professional watercolours.
Travel and or storage space and safety of transport!
But mostly the issue I had is the issue of housing or work space rules in the area where my husband worked I had to wait for him to get off work and then travel home with him I was not allowed to have my paint out in public these would have been good cuz I could have add the water later
Hopefully you didn’t answer this in the video, but how did these compare to the watercolor sticks? Like the Daniel Smith ones?
Also what’s that second palette with the circles? I like that
I love my neo colours. I'm in Canada, and would suggest looking at Opus art supplies for them. They sell them individually and in sets (online - just checked) they are pretty decent for cost and do have discounts if you're an accredited art teacher or a full time student.
Additional comment. I would recommend you also buy the Caren D’Ache palette aquarelle to use with these. I also use the palette for watercolor pencils.
I watched one of your previous videos & found them interesting. At the Blick’s (actual storefront) yesterday, passed them on the shelf. I was Interested in the DS crayons but they only had these sets in store. So, why not? Bought the 10 set to try. I see they can be used on wood, stone, etc.
I like them. Bought some Fluid paper - (made by Speedball) cold press and I declare there’s got to be at least 50% cotton in it. Also some Blick’s cotton & Arches. I’ve tried them on all 3 …. (will try some Mixed Media paper today)
These crayons are gorgeous! I definitely see them becoming part of my , ‘draw it don’t drown it’ , urban sketch kit.
Very good info! Thank you
Hi these should last for years .
You can buy a set of 40 also. I have the 15 for travel or I buy a few individuals from the art store in town. I do need to use mine more often.
Thank you very much for this great video! More neocolor video's! I really love them but are currently not getting too much attention :-)
TIP: The stickers are to label the tins (I have many caran d’Ache products)
but I love how you put all of them on the small tin including the gouache tube sticker lol
What size brush are you using?
Love this "water crayons". Have you tried the "mungyo" watercolor crayon ones? Theyre intense too.
I have a video comparing those ones coming out tomorrow
I find the lyra water colour crayons do really well with wet on wet, but it was interesting seeing how the caravan d'ache work because I don't have them, the colour you're getting from them is just as juicy as the lyra. Thank you for sharing. Cheers!
Any particular brush?
I love these crayons so much, I have about 20 caran dache that i hand picked from jacksons, and I have a set of 24 lyra crayon. The lyra crayons I got half off and they are so close to the quality of caran dache, but if not on sale just get the caran dache the price isn't much different. And they are wonderful.
What is the difference between these and for example the Daniel Smith watercolour sticks?
From my understanding, the watercolor sticks are essentially meant to be a portable pigment to lay down color. They aren’t intended to be a drawing tool so they don’t have the … creamy “touch” like a watercolor crayon . I have heard that you can lay down color on a palette and activate it with water, or cut off a chunk and put it in a watercolor pan, but the experience of trying to draw with them wouldn’t be the same as the neo colors. However- they are an affordable and long-lasting way to invest in Daniel Smith watercolor paints, so that might be reason enough to try them!!!
I have the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks and they are pure watercolor pigment and gum arabic as a binder. They are not meant for drawing on dry paper as they are very hard and dry. You can wet the paper and draw with them but that often pushes pigment into the paper fibers and makes blending difficult (unless you are after that effect). I find the best method is to use a wet brush and pickup pigment from the stick directly. You can also put down some water on a palette and rub the stick in the water to make a wash of the color. The color that comes off the stick is very intense and concentrated. The sticks are usually priced at about $9.50 (USD) on Dick Blick no matter which series the pigment which is a great deal as the tubes are at various price points depending on the series (series 1 is least expensive and series 5 is most expensive). You can also cut the sticks into pieces and put them in pans. I like them a lot.
Put down some crayon, say, yellow … then grab some blue watercolor paint …. Go over the yellow with the wet blue …. watch the magic. 😉
I like "canson mi teintes" paper for this. But only for wet on dry. It will buckle if it get to wet. You could work on both sides. Smoot or rouge as you like.
I recently bought a set of 30 for a good price on ebay and I'm loving them. Thank you for the tutorials. More, please.
I just got these for Christmas this year. This vid is very infromative. Thank you for sharing.
Second Tip: these are sold individually too (my local art store sells them each for $2) so you can buy the small set to test then buy individual colors.
I really regret getting the 10 pack. Like you, I had never used them before and didn't want to spend a lot of money on something I was unsure of. I about died when I first added water to them. The best watercolor pencils/crayons ever! I love my Faber Castells, but this is a whole other level! Thanks for showing some ways to use them because I really haven't had a chance to do much with mine other than swatch them out and a little bit of doodling. They are every bit as good as you say they are!
Have you tried the Lyra Aquacolor crayons and if so, how do they compare? I want the BIG set of Caron crayons but that is a steep price to lay out! I'll take your advice and just get a smaller one. I'm eyeing set of 40.
theres quite a few comparison videos out there...Lyras are great and affordable. I bought these first many moons ago and have bought some CD since that fill in the blanks.
This is a very well explained video. I have these crayons, and you have helped me understand their many uses! Thank you so much.
I have crayons & pallet. First time they just seemed like doing same thing as watercolor the hard way😂. Watching this has inspired me to give it another try.
Hope you will use them in some painting videos! Thanks Emma for all you do. Painting allows me to shut off from all that noise in our brains and relax. I started with acrylic & then you turned me on to watercolor. I never traced even though I couldn’t draw at all. I found that by making myself follow along sketching I have improved so much! I do a lot of sketching for ideas or to practice and really enjoy it. I remember how hard it was to get how to have a leaf or petal fold over, but then it just clicks. The wonderful thing about art & and creating is there is always new things to learn!
Plain ordinary oil pastels, with Turpenoid, the "Original" kind with blue label. All you need.
Loved the video! I've found the best way to remove residual color from the Caran D'Ache palette is to rub it lightly with a wet melamine sponge (e.g. Mr. Clean sponge.) I got the set of 84 last year but now I feel braver about using them.
I need these in my life.
I just got these not as hyped as I thought I'd be everyone makes them sound great, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I feel like I was doing better with inktense, but I want to figure them out ,help
Excellent tutorial. Thank you.
Just purchased the set of forty of these! Can’t wait to try them! Thanks for the info!
THANK YOU MA'AM EMMA FOR MAKING THIS VERY HELPFUL VIDEO ABOUT THE CARAN D'ACHE NEOCOLOR ll WATERCOLOUR PASTELS BECAUSE THIS INK ARTIST I AM MOSTLY REALLY DOES APPRECIATES YOUR HELP
Hi my friend I have 15 pack. In the case there is sticker sheet what do you use them for?
My stickers consisted of a crayon and a paintbrush. I think, because Caran D’ache tins are quite uniform, this allows you to use the sticker that corresponds with the contents of your tin. Currently, mine contains the crayons, so I put my crayon sticker on the front. At least, I assume that’s the logic; there wasn’t any explanation on the packaging of any of my products.
Thanks for sharing this! I use a dollar store cutting board to scribble onto because it's much cheaper and I can cut them too. Have a great day
I bought some a few months ago, I love them. Great tip for the shavings though.
Love using these crayons, yes more lessons please!
I’m currently in Mexico and I find it on Amazon but in another box 😟
Yes! I’m excited to see you do even more with these! I’m hoping to get a set soon. They look like so much fun. Thanks
I'm so glad you did this. Thank you. 🙂 Im thinking that they would be great to do letters
Thank you. Loved the video.
I have a travel pouch/bag with Neocolor 2 crayons. I added additional colors to the 15 set. In my bag, I have waterbrushes. They work well with them. I also have pieces cut from a poly file folder. It has a rough surface that works well for a palette. I also have a few drawing materials and some watercolor postcards.
Looking forward to seeing your future videos with this medium.
Exactly what I have done! Because of Emma I ordered the 15 set and switched a few colours I liked more. Together with an A6 cold pressed sketchbook and a waterbrush it makes the perfect little on the go set. I go on holiday in a few days and I can't wait to use them in Italy.
$467 in NZ
I bought these but never played with them. Your tutorial inspired me to start using them. Thank you
That Caran Dache palette is great and very fair priced. I definitely recommend it!
I buy them individually for 2.25-2.5
I’d love to see more water color crayon tutorials!
Can you use the metal lid as the palette or is it too smooth of a surface?
Can you please spell out the type of brushes (the black brushes)?
Those exact ones are Etchr spelled just like that. It looks like a golden taklon brush, I've got some from Michael's that I use for both gouache and these.
Thank you very much!!
If I already have lots of watercolors, what is the advantage of using these ? I need convincing. 😉
I wondered the same thing. I don't think there is any advantage, really. This is just another media to buy and play with.
Very helpful. Thank you!!
Thanks for the demo! Just learned about these and wondered how they work, what they’re like, etc.
In Canada, you can currently order multiple sizes of sets from OPUS Art Supplies in BC. The 84 pc set is over $300 CAD. There’s also a wooden box premium set of 84 for an eye-watering $600+ CAD. 😅
They also sell singles, so I think I’ll pick up a few in-store just to give them a whirl. Always love trying out new supplies, even if they don’t make it into my regular routine.
How would you get more muted colors from these? I had a small set and colors are so bright I was not excited to use them.
You’d have to mix them a bit. Just like watercolour. For example Add red to green to mute the colour. You can also add a bit of ochre to your colours to desaturate your brights. Hope this helps because they are fun to use!
Midoco has the 30 pack and Above Ground Art Supplies carries the 40 pack and also sells open stock singles. I order my singles from Jackson's in the UK. The prices are amazing and as long as you don't order the sets (because they have to be shipped flat) the shipping costs are really reasonable as is the price per unit ($2.19 per unit) I just make sure every order is under $20 or you have to pay a charge at customs. I haven't seen the 84 pack at any of our art stores though.
I bought the 10 pack on a whim last year when I was looking for fountain pen ink. I'm so glad I did! I finally tried them out a few months ago and played around with them, and had a lot more fun than I thought I would. I've tried water soluble pencil crayons before, but there's just an absolute joy when I play around with these!
I didn't know they had a palette for mixing this, so I've just been layering with different colours and playing with the amount of water. It was a lot of fun seeing you experiment and have with these wax pastels to show what they can do. Thank you for this video 😄
Oh the pallet ❤
Love these water soluble crayons as well
Surprisingly, I’ve found that Karin Decobrush Pigment works really well with the neocolor II. You can get some really interesting effects. I use a combo of inktense, neocolor II, and the decobrush pigment.
Hullo Emma, this is a wonderful instructional and example video for these crayons! If your not going to use 100% cotton paper you might consider multi media papers, my favorite is the newer Bamboo paper! If you want a similar experience for less money try the Charvin brand of water soluble pastel sticks. I purchased the Caran D’Ache 10 color sets for years and finally got the 40 stick set and then purchased some colors individually from Blick’s that I thought I would need or just want! If you have friends or relatives that live in the USA they can mail your purchased supplies for much less than international shipping charges! Just an idea for those of us who simply cannot afford to pay more for shipping than for an actual product! Lovely video, thanks for sharing your ideas! Oh! I have used synthetic hair brushes and they last much longer than natural hair brushes! 😊
For anyone in Calgary- Kensington Art Supply has sets of 15, 24, and 36, as well as open stock!