Crayon Studio Exploration
Understanding how common K-12 studio materials respond in practice is essential to an art educator's knowledge base. This understanding will allow me to teach artistic techniques with greater confidence in the desired outcome.
When I think of crayons, I think of coloring cute illustrations at my desk in elementary school, the smell, the feel, and familiar pigments filling my mind's eye before even opening the box. I have had many experiences with crayons in both my childhood and my adult life. I was reintroduced to crayons as a hostess in my late teens and early twenties and fell in love with them all over again. I used them quite a bit in my own artworks during that time, but I soon forgot them as I transitioned into a primarily digital artist.
For this exploration, I compared Crayola, Cra-Z-Art, and Jupitearth crayons on rough multimedia paper and smooth marker paper. Through swatching, pressure tests, detail work, blending, and personal artworks, I explored how each material performed.
Crayola
When most people in the United States think of crayons, they probably think of Crayola. This classic brand has been a classroom staple for decades, but is it the best box to reach for? Keep reading to find out.
64 crayons | $14.00
Paper and Color Exploration
On rough multimedia paper, I immediately noticed white gaps while swatching. The performance varied widely by color: oranges, browns, and some blues felt smoother and produced stronger color than many of the pastel shades. Lighter colors varied but often felt waxier and applied less evenly.
The Crayola crayons left very noticeable shavings on the paper.
On smooth marker paper, application felt more consistent and enjoyable, with less noticeable white gaps in my swatches. Differences between colors were also less obvious. Overall, the colors appeared softer and less saturated than on rough paper, but shavings were still present.
Smooth Paper
Rough Paper Swatches
Strengths
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Crayon tips stayed sharp through repeated use
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Stippling was fairly successful with normal pressure.
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Crayola offers a wide range of colors.
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The crayons were generally durable in my testing. A few survived being dropped on a hard stone floor, although one broke under heavy pressure after several uses.
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The box included a sharpener.
Limitations
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Gradual changes in pressure did not produce as much value range as I expected; intermediate values were difficult to achieve.
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Smooth blending was challenging. The warm colors I tested blended less smoothly than the cool colors.
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Coverage and texture varied between colors, especially on rough paper.
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Shavings accumulated during use.
Classroom
Considerations
I would consider Crayola a useful option for everyday K–6 projects, particularly activities involving line, pattern, texture, and color choices. My set was labeled for ages 3+ and carried AP certification and nontoxic labeling.
For students who need support with grip and fine motor control, I would consider larger crayons. Younger students would need supervision, as small broken pieces and loose wrappers could be hazardous if swallowed.
My Takeaway
These felt like dependable, classic crayons. Although they were not my favorite for smooth blending, I enjoyed their color selection, detail control, and overall durability. I particularly preferred how they felt on smooth paper.
Cra-Z-Art
These budget-friendly crayons offer a wide range of colors at a lower price than Crayola, but do they perform as well?
16 crayons | $1.99
Paper and Color Exploration
On rough multimedia paper, Cra-Z-Art crayons felt harder and less waxy than Crayola. They also appeared less shiny and left fewer shavings. At first, they felt less sturdy in my hand, but held up better than Crayola after repeated use.
Like Crayola, the oranges performed particularly well. As I gradually increased pressure with the green-yellow and green-blue colors, I noticed shifts in the hues that appeared on the paper, which was unexpected and not the case with Crayola.
On smooth marker paper, the colors appeared more saturated than
Crayola in my tests. Blending also slightly improved compared with rough paper, although not by much, while the detailed lines looked similar on
both surfaces.
Smooth Paper
Rough Paper Swatches
Strengths
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The tips created smooth, controlled lines for detail work.
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Crayon tips wore down more slowly than Crayola's during repeated use.
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Swatches showed fewer white gaps than Crayola on rough paper.
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The crayons produced fewer shavings.
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Blending was somewhat better than Crayola, especially on smooth paper, but not by much.
Limitations
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The harder texture felt less smooth during drawing.
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Although blending was better than Crayola in my tests, smooth transitions remained difficult.
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The set offered fewer color choices than the other two sets.
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The crayons initially felt more fragile, which I would want to consider during classroom use.
Classroom
Considerations
Based on the control I achieved, I would consider these for elementary activities involving lines, patterns, and small details. Their lower purchase price is also relevant when considering classroom supplies.
My set was labeled nontoxic. As with other standard crayons, I would supervise younger students and remove away loose wrappers and small broken pieces.
My Takeaway
Cra-Z-Art surprised me with its detail control, slower tip wear, and stronger saturation on smooth paper. I preferred Crayola’s drawing feel, but Cra-Z-Art performed well in several of my comparisons.
Jupitearth
I decided to add these silky crayons to my studio exploration because they're specifically marketed for young children, but are they the best option for little ones?
36 crayons | $24.69
Paper and Color Exploration
Jupitearth’s silky crayons were a very different formula compared to Crayola and Cra-Z-Art. The formula was similar to that of oil pastels. They felt much smoother than the other two brands and blended well. They produced strong saturation with less white space, and most colors felt consistent, except for a couple of pastels. Unlike the other brands, they didn't name the individual colors.
They performed similarly on both paper types, but smudged much more easily on smooth paper.
Rough Paper Swatches
Smooth Paper
Strengths
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Smooth application made them fun to use.
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Strong color payoff allowed broad areas of coverage.
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Most colors had a consistent texture.
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Blending worked much better than with the other two brands.
Limitations
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The soft material made sharp lines and small details harder to achieve.
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Colors smudged easily, even on rough paper.
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Smudging increased on smooth paper, making the material messier to handle.
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Unnamed colors made it harder to identify specific shades in my notes.
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This was the most expensive set I purchased.
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The small caps make them more hazardous for young artists
Classroom
Considerations
Jupitearth's product listing described these crayons as nontoxic and washable, with an age range of 1–8. However, I would be cautious about using th crayons for very young children. The small removable caps, twist mechanism, and tendency to smudge easily would require more supervision.
I would be more inclined to use them with older students for blending, gradients, color relationships, and light and shadow. I would also plan for protected work surfaces and cleanup time.
My Takeaway
These were my favorite crayons to use during the exploration. Their rich color and blending possibilities encouraged me to experiment, even though they offered less precision and created more mess.
Applying the Materials: Personal Artworks
Apple Core
Crayola and Jupitearth on smooth paper
For this piece, I used both Crayola and Jupitearth crayons on smooth marker paper. During the creation process, I used many different techniques to test the crayons' capabilities. I used Crayola for the apple core, testing its blendability and trying to achieve different textures.
The Crayola crayons were effective at achieving smooth, detailed outlines and shapes, making them great for precision work.
I used the Jupitearth silky crayons for the background and stars. I covered the background in dark blue and used my fingers and a small paintbrush to blend the color over a large area. This produced a very soft, seamless effect. I then tested the layering capabilities by scribbling lighter blues over the base color.
During this process, I found that the Jupitearth crayons weren't very useful for precise details and were better for blending, laying color, and covering large areas.