For the Studio Exploration assignment in my AVT 595 class, I decided to explore Crayons. I find that Crayons are one of the mediums available everywhere so I wanted to test them out for my future students to see what works and what does not. I also used the book "Exploring Studio Materials" by Mary Hafeli as a guide when exploring using the crayons.
What I used:
Crayola Original Crayons (24 count) - $2.49
Crayola Multicultural Crayons (8 count) - $2.99
Pacon Lightweight Drawing Paper in White (9x12) - $14.66
Strathmore Drawing Paper (9x12) - $7.29
Cream Pastel Color Card Stock Paper (8.5x11) - $19.50
Canson Black Drawing Paper (11x14) - $12.01
I already had the supplies at home, but I have provided links to the products above.
Let's Begin!
Color Swatches of the Crayons on different types of paper
Pacon Lightweight Drawing Paper in White (9x12)
I really liked how pigmented the crayons were against the white paper. I liked how even though the white crayon was not visible on the paper, you can still see it due to the wax layer it creates.
Strathmore Drawing Paper (9x12)
I feel that the crayons worked the best on this paper because the crayons showed really well on the off white paper and also glided smoothly compared to the white paper.
Cream Pastel Color Card Stock Paper (8.5x11)
I liked the crayons against the beige color of the paper because it was very different they looked. You can also see the white more on this paper due to the beige color.
Canson Black Drawing Paper (11x14)
I was somewhat disappointed with how the crayons looked against the Black paper because I was expecting more pigment. Since the wax of the crayon laid on top of the paper, I assumed the colors would show more and would create a different effect.
Testing mark making on the different types of paper
Pacon Lightweight Drawing Paper in White (9x12)
Strathmore Drawing Paper (9x12)
Cream Pastel Color Card Stock Paper (8.5x11)
Canson Black Drawing Paper (11x14)
Final Drawings
After testing out the crayons on the different papers, I concluded that the drawing paper was the best for the crayons due to how the crayons glided smoothly and were very pigmented.
I started creating my final piece on the drawing paper by taping the edges of the paper to create a frame, similar to how I would with pastels.
I found it hard to blend but found that by layering small and long strokes on top of each other, it created a blended effect. While it was not as smooth as I wanted, I liked how you can see how each mark was made on the paper.
Finally, I let my 6 year old cousin make something with the crayons and a paper of her choice. She chose the white paper and wanted to draw a landscape.
After drawing, she explained how she wanted to create half circle mountains similar to the ones I created when I tested the mark making on the different papers and drew trees like how her teacher had taught her. I was not expecting her to be paying attention while I was creating, so I was surprised to hear this. This also made me think of how my future students might follow how I create even when I am not teaching that specific way of creating.
I noticed how compared to the piece I made, she used less pressure so the colors were lighter on the page. The textures of the two pieces were also different which was interesting since we both used the same medium and surface to create. Something else I noticed was how my cousin drew and colored in shapes with solid colors instead of blended different colors.
Overall, I think Crayons are great for all ages, especially students in elementary schools as there are so many ways they can be used. Crayons also act different on different papers so it would be interesting for the students to try using crayons on different types of paper and explore.