Crayola Crayons

Got a new box of Crayola crayons to test and play around. Despite their popularity, I have not used them much lately myself since I prefer the softer and more pigmented Caran D'Ache Neocolor crayons. Still we always have a few sets available in most of our classrooms as a quick and easy coloring tool option.

While obviusly all were new, they were not arranged as shown on the picture on the back of the box.

Had to pour all six cardboard sleeves on my desk and sort them into their color families.

Also set aside the gel crayons and metallic versions.

Prefer to start a new box of coloring tools with every color neatly arranged accordin to their hue and tone.

Quick color sketch drawn on Deleter comic book paper. They work ok even on its smooth surface. Takes regular pressure and repeated passes to deposit enough colored wax over the paper surface. I consciously have to control my drawing pressure to avoid breaking the crayon since they are rather fragile.

Middle School Students Art Enrichment Lesson 1 with Goof-Proof Pop-Up Cards Project - Day 2

The students kept turning in their completed pop-up card projects.
Ninjas and Halloween characters team up together on this student project.
Coloring character cut out sheets with Crayola Super Tip markers. A handful of students skipped pool day to practice their drawing skills and complete their cards started on the previous day.
Completed Halloween Pop-Up card.
Coloring the Halloween Pop-Up Castle diorama with Crayola Twistable crayons.
Pop-Up Fairy Castle WIP.

Sharpie Pen and Crayola crayons: a couple of inexpensive sketching supplies available locally

Some of the discounted supplies found on recent trips to Office Depot: large 11" x 14" Mead sketchbooks and oversize 14" x 17" Foray Marker pads for $3 each that I plan to use for in-class drawing demonstrations. They will come in handy when the limited range of expression of dry erase markers becomes an obstacle to the clear exposition of drawing tips and techniques.
It had been a while since I actually tried using Crayola crayons for anything, but decided to test a box of 24 crayons on the Mead sketchbook paper as a potential inexpensive coloring tool for the cartooning classes. While the colors appearance on the paper is nowhere near as saturated as that of the Caran D'Ache Neocolor I wax crayons, I have to admit that for 30 cents this compact set is a pretty good value for the quick-sketching of early rough color studies.
Comparing the line quality and writing performance of several pigment liner pens of similar nib size (around 0.3 mm in diameter) on Foray marker paper, no significant difference was apparent at first glance. Unlike most of the specialized pigment liners shown, the Sharpie Pen is a fairly common find at local retailers and office supplies stores while costing the least of this bunch.
While marketed primarily as a precision writing tool, I find the Sharpie Pen quite suitable for doodling with ink. The nib feels strong and glides smoothly on both marker paper and regular copy paper leaving dark uniform lines with no bleed through. Despite some online reviews warning of poor durability (mainly paint chipping off the barrel and loosening up of the plastic cap after posting it on the back of the pen), the Sharpie Pen seems promising as a sketching tool given its initial performance and recently lowered price (found the 2-pack for $2.50 at a local Walmart Supercenter store). I just plan to either use it at home or carry it securely in pencil cases that would prevent rubbing against other tools that might cause the dreaded paint chipping. When posting the cap on the back of the pen while in-use, avoid using excessive force and do not push the soft plastic cap all the way down to prevent it from getting loose prematurely.