A popular and versatile dry medium, crayons have remained a favorite staple for artists of all skill levels since their invention in the early 20th century. With vibrant colors and an accessible price point for even those on an “artist shortage” budget, crayons are a must-have for hobbyists as well as professional artists.
When I received my first set of Crayola crayons in elementary school, I felt like a professional artist. After all, crayons are a huge step up from the modest set of crayons that started my love of art.
While 12 crayons felt like a full set when I was a kid, I’ve continued to add more crayons to my collection over the years.
If you’ve never tried crayons, you may be wondering how many crayons you should have for a full set. The answer to this question depends on your crayon goals, budget, and several other factors.
We’ll discuss the perfect number of crayons to add to a full set, as well as related questions about crayons, in the article below.
How many colored pencils are in a full set?
While some say that a set of 48 crayons is an affordable choice for the best variety of colors for creating most art forms, others argue that artists can use as little as possible. three colors – red, yellow and blue – to produce all possible colors.
As Adventureswithart.com points out, “sets of 48 crayons tend to offer a good balance between cost and number of pencils on offer.”
Over 48 crayons can provide fun and exciting color for the crayon collector, but it can also lead to a bunch of unused colors. Fewer than 48 colors can limit even the most casual artist and hinder creativity.
The main drawback of the large crayon set is the significantly higher cost. For those who have never used crayons, it is best to try a smaller set and expand on it as you develop your skills and love of the medium.
In most craft stores and art supply retailers, crayons are usually sold in prepackaged sets or as individual pencils. This means that artists (and those who buy gifts for the art lovers in their lives) can pick and choose from different crayons or choose a conveniently curated collection. without thinking too much.
It’s important to note that a prepackaged set of crayons is not necessarily what most people would call a “full set” of crayons. Some crayon packs feature several crayons that revolve around the same color theme, such as “portrait” for skin tones or special finishes like metallics.
These sets can be a great addition to a crayon collection, but they often require other colors to create all sorts of artwork.
Of course, if you only draw portraits, a crayon portrait tablet might be all you need. Likewise, if you are simply coloring basic coloring pages and want a glitter coloring experience, a set of glitter crayons could be a full set for you.
Note that while you can create any color with the traditional primary colors of red, yellow, and blue on white paper, you won’t be able to control the shades. With a set of crayons consisting only of red, yellow, and blue, you will be able to create red, yellow, blue, green, purple and orange colors.
The exact colors of these shades will still be quite limited for serious artists.
If you want precise colors like magenta or cobalt blue, we recommend purchasing at least a set of 12 crayons to start and expand as your budget and skill set allow. Most art experts agree that a beginner set of any medium should include a minimum of black, white, cool yellow, warm yellow, cool red, warm red, cool blue. and warm blue.
This way, you can combine warm tones and cool tones in every primary and secondary color on the color wheel.
What is considered a full set of crayons depends on what you define as a full set of crayons. For some artists, a set of 120 crayons meets their need for a variety of colors and shades.
For the casual coloring book enthusiast, a set of 12 simple crayons will allow them to indulge in their favorite pastime without worrying or getting overwhelmed.
Are watercolor pencils colored pencils?
Contrary to popular belief, watercolor pencils are by definition not colored pencils. While you are welcome to use watercolor pencils in a piece of paper mixed with crayons, watercolor pencils can work differently than traditional colored pencils. They may not blend well with crayons.
Because crayons have an oil-based binder for pigments and watercolor pencils have water-soluble pigments, they are best used for different purposes. Oil-based crayons give deep and vibrant colors, while watercolor pencils can cover large areas with minimal application if the artist smears water on the page after coloring with them.
As many of us know, oil and water don’t mix – mixing water-soluble crayons with water-insoluble crayons can lead to disastrous results like a ruined work of art. .
If your crayon set is only complete because you included some watercolor pencils in the mix, you may want to get oil-based crayons that are the same color as the watercolor and use them for other purposes. together.
How do you blend crayons to create different colors?
Contrary to popular belief, watercolor pencils are by definition not colored pencils. While you are welcome to use watercolor pencils in a piece of paper mixed with crayons, watercolor pencils can work differently than traditional colored pencils. They may not blend well with crayons.
Because crayons have an oil-based binder for pigments and watercolor pencils have water-soluble pigments, they are best used for different purposes. Oil-based crayons give deep and vibrant colors, while watercolor pencils can cover large areas with minimal application if the artist smears water on the page after coloring with them.
As many of us know, oil and water don’t mix – mixing water-soluble crayons with water-insoluble crayons can lead to disastrous results like a ruined work of art. .
If your crayon set is only complete because you included some watercolor pencils in the mix, you may want to get oil-based crayons that are the same color as the watercolor and use them for other purposes. together.
For “wet blending,” use a solvent such as rubbing alcohol, mineral oil, or turpentine to blend two or more colored pencils after applying them to dry paper. This method tends to blend colors more smoothly than dry blending methods like the ones mentioned above.
Finally, in a pinch, rubbing an area of colored pencil gently with the fingers often does the trick to blend it out. Blending with fingers is the least precise method while blending with a fine-pointed colorless colored pencil will provide the most control.
