Recommendations on good quality art supplies?

[rowan25]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm looking for some recommendations on good quality color pencils and crayons.  We've been using Crayola brand pencils and they don't sharpen well and break easily.  Also my kids love the Stockmar beeswax colors, but as they have gotten older, they are frustrated at the lack of point on them.  Does anyone know of any beeswax crayons that are more similar to regular crayons?

 

Thanks in advance,

Aimee

[Hunter]

All colored pencils break. I have spent a ton of money on all sorts of "better" art materials, and have gone back to Crayola regular crayons and Crayola twistables.

 

I do like Prang better than Crayola, but I'm too lazy to special order them from Rainbow and just get my Crayolas locally.

 

The trick to Crayola crayons is lots of light layers, and to sharpen off the lip, so you can use the SIDE of the tip for large "washes". I like the crayon "painting" instructions in Augsburg Drawing. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/359033-augsburg-drawing-free-and-awesome-and-complete-1-8/

 

I sharpen the twistables with a regular pencil sharpener and get a great tip that way. It's not as precise as a colored pencil, but I don't like giving students knives and that is the only way I know to sharpen colored pencils without breaking them.

[EmilyGF]

Super ferbies colored pencils are amazing, and they generally don't break. Ours have lasted a few years and are down to the last few inches now.

 

The hardest part is getting the kids not to lose them.

 

I think they end up being cheaper than Crayola in the long run because they stay somewhat sharp and the colors are *so* much better. Our yellows otherwise break with the first coloring with the cheap pencils. The first time we saw something drawn with them, I thought it was done with oil pastel.

Emily

[Murphy101]

I've had most of my prisma pencils for over 8 years. They only break easy if you press too hard or over- sharpen.

[Hunter]

Prisma have been a disaster here. They break and break and break as we sharpen them until there is nothing left. Some never even touched paper.

[TraceyS/FL]

The best thing I learned from Barry Stebbing at FPEA one year was that the pencil sharpener is the key. If you sharpen a pencil "off" the first time, the lead will break over and over. He suggests a high quality sharp pencil sharpener, taking your time to try to keep it straight. If you look at a pencil and the wood part isn't even around it - you are going to have an issue.

 

I wasn't sure, but it has proven true over the years! You can get a good Staedler sharpener at office stores, they are good. I bought one with replaceable blades from Dick Blick - haven't tried it yet, but it got good reviews.

 

http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2011/09/26/the-best-colored-pencils/

 

I just bought DD some of the Koh-i-noor woodless ones for her birthday - she hasn't used them much yet, but everyone else in the house is trying to steal them (she also go Prismacolor markers - so those are taking center stage!).

 

Oh, and some of my Prismacolor colored pencils have been around since I was in college!

[Plink]

For a 9&6yo, Prang gives you the best bang for your buck. The colors are true, the quality is nice, and the price is affordable. If you are concerned about breaking, try these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FW0FDS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002FW0FDS&linkCode=as2&tag=libhilhou-20 as they are a bit thicker and come with a nice sharpener. We also enjoy Prang pastels, paints, and crayons.

[rowan25]

Thanks for the recommendations, folks.  Keep them coming!!!

 

Any thoughts on a crayon similar to Crayola, but in beeswax?  My sensory sensitive daughter would appreciate any ideas you have!

 

Aimee

[Eagle]

I have never had a Lyra Super Ferby pencil crayon break. Totally worth the money. I just wish they made a million colours.

[Guest]

Lyra Color Giants and Stockmar crayons, either block or stick are THE best. Ours have lasted years.

 

http://waldorfsupplies.com/#cat

[Hunter]

I don't like how beeswax crayons smear all over the page and on student's hands and clothes. Blendable means messy. I like the smell, yes, but not the mess.

[Pen]

I suggest practice to learn to use the Stockmar crayons on their various edges, points and sides.  They do come in both block and stick form, but block actually are more versatile with practice.

 

I like prismacolor pencils.    In general with color pencils, teach your children to handle them with great care and gentleness.  If you drop them the color sticks inside break, which then leads to breaking off during sharpening.

[Pen]

PS.  Aside from "sensory sensitive" issues, I think the Stockmar beeswax ones are also safer for health even for someone not aware of whatever it is smell, feel, affecting your daughter.  We have to be careful about that kind of thing too.

[chelsmm]

I love the Lyra Super Ferby pencils, and so do my children.  They get dull, but they never seem to break.  :)

[rowan25]

I'm definitely leaning toward the Ferby's for our pencil choice.

 

My kids like the size, shape and point of the Crayola crayons, but HATE the smell......to the point where they won't color even when they want to do so.  I was really hoping to find something like that in beeswax.  I guess we'll just stick with the Stockmar's, even though they get frustrated with the size of them and find the blocks too unweildy in their hands. 

 

Thanks everyone, this was quite helpful!  :-)

 

Aimee

[briansmama]

We love our Prismacolor colored pencils, Ferby giants for my K'er, Stockmar crayons (blocks and sticks), and our Stockmar watercolors. We also use the good quality watercolor paper and natural brushes. We take great care of all of these and they've lasted all year.

 

I buy the beeswax modeling sheets from A Child's Dream online. Although I like the stuff, my dc prefer the plasticine clay from our local craft store, so the beeswax modeling clay I ordered 2 years ago is still around (even the new sheets, and we do reuse it). I try to keep a good supply of both for them. Modeling is so good for those hands!

[birchbark]

Faber Castell now sells an economical beeswax crayon, but I have not tried them yet so I cannot say if they hold a point better than Stockmar's.

[TraceyS/FL]

Faber Castell now sells an economical beeswax crayon, but I have not tried them yet so I cannot say if they hold a point better than Stockmar's.

I bought these, but I have nothing to compare them to - nor have they actually been used yet! :D

[warneral]

We got some inexpensive colored Lyra pencils from amazon

 

See here

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Lyra+colored+pencils

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

Prisma have been a disaster here. They break and break and break as we sharpen them until there is nothing left. Some never even touched paper.

I have a set of prismas from when I was 8.  My grandma gave them to me.  Most of them my kids still use. They hardly ever break.  My mom got us a new set last year, but those new ones break and break and break and some have never touched paper too.

[birchbark]

Here is another variety of beeswax crayon and here are some homemade ones on Etsy.

[rowan25]

Faber Castell now sells an economical beeswax crayon, but I have not tried them yet so I cannot say if they hold a point better than Stockmar's.

 

Oooohh, good to know.  Might try those out!

[rowan25]

Here is another variety of beeswax crayon and here are some homemade ones on Etsy.

 

Thank you, I haven't heard of those before.

[rowan25]

We have a sharpener for our beeswax crayons that works just fine when they need a quick sharp point ...do you not have a special sharpener?

 

and yes I second the block crayons for that too.

 

I think Lyra makes the sharpeners and I know I have seen them at Amazon...we got ours at paper scissors stone for about five dollars.

 

We love the Lyra pencils as well and of the 6 sets (we do lots of drawing!)  we have had over the years only one pencil kept breaking and most of them are still floating around in use albeit as nubs ...we have a wooden extender we use with the littlest nubbins of pencil.

 

NO, we don't have a sharpener!!!  In fact, at the time I bought our Stockmar's, I looked for one and couldn't find one anywhere!  Yes, it's been a few years!  I will definitely be looking into that!  Thank you!!  :)

[Upward Journey]

I have a set of prismas from when I was 8.  My grandma gave them to me.  Most of them my kids still use. They hardly ever break.  My mom got us a new set last year, but those new ones break and break and break and some have never touched paper too.

 

 

This has been our experience as well.  The prismas that I bought myself in highschool over 20 years ago are still going strong and much loved (at least the ones that we still have ;) )  The new set that I bought 4 years ago have been chewed up by the pencil sharpeners because they break so often.

 

My kids also like the Ferby's.  Bt they are so expensive, and we use them a.lot., so they're not lasting nearly as long as I had hoped.

[Upward Journey]

I have never had a Lyra Super Ferby pencil crayon break. Totally worth the money. I just wish they made a million colours.

 

This is the only reason that my kids don't prefer the Ferbys.

[Sobeknofret]

If you have a Michael's near you, they've got their own brand of art supplies called Artist's Club. They're pretty good quality for a reasonable price. I buy their paints, colored pencils, and some drawing pencils from that line, and have found them to be durable.

[Hunter]

The Faber Castelle crayons are harder than Stockmar. They don't blend as well, but are less messy. Beware that the FB 12 pack does not contain purple, so if you want purple, you will need the 24 pack. I think it was purple; it was one of the secondary colors.