Introduction
Crayola Colored Pencils are like those handy cans of chili in the back of the pantry- underestimated, but boy are they a joy to see in a pinch.
The appeal of the Crayola brand is quite obvious, with most of us having used them almost exclusively from pre-school to 11th grade Natural Science. Even artists still keep the long, durable pencils around and for good reason- they are practically the most practical colored pencils on the market.
Crayola colored pencils come in a standard soft cardboard package with a variety of color selections in packages ranging from 8 to 64 colored pencils.
A novice grade colored pencil, Crayola manufactures its colored pencils for durability and extended use, as they are the preferred colored pencil for scholastic use. Even the 200 pack of colored pencils is designed for use within a large group setting, such as a classroom given that despite the count, there are only 12 repeating colors available in the jumbo Classic pack.
Crayola colored pencils hold their own in the quality department featuring a thick wax-based core and smooth, creamy colors that have improved immensely over the years.
What They’re Good For
Crayola colored pencils are good for a wide range of use, depending on your personal skill. Although they are designed for basic drawing and coloring, they perform well with more sophisticated coloring techniques such as blending and layering.
The basic 12 color set includes a range of basic colors that mix well and produce a smooth, vibrant pigment that is surprisingly workable.
This brand of colored pencil is an excellent choice for practice purposes since it is extremely durable and very affordable. That being said, they are definitely not the easiest to work with.
Ratings Breakdown
There are a few different things that make a basic colored pencil a great colored pencil. Let’s see how the most popular novice grade colored pencil performs as an art tool.
Lightfastness 1/5
Crayola colored pencils are not designed for artistic use. Therefore, they tend to fade over time which is why when you dig out that “family portrait” from second grade, you’ll notice that what was once an awkward doodle of your family, is now an even more awkward Rorschach test.
Sturdiness/ Durability 5/5
Crayola colored pencils are perhaps the sturdiest pencil in the business. Again, this is why schools love them so much. Manufactured with a thick wax core and reforested wood casing, they can be sharpened dozens of times without breaking.
Binder/ Quality 2/5
Crayola colored pencils are made with a wax binder, which contributes greatly to their durability. That being said, the binder to pigment ratio is quite poor compared to scholastic or professional grade colored pencils.
Color Intensity 2/5
Compared to other novice grade colored pencils, Crayola holds its own, coming second only to Prang Thick Core Colored Pencils. Since they are designed for durability, the pigment quality is quite poor.
Value 4/5
Taking into consideration its quality, Crayola makes the cheapest colored pencil on the market. At mere cents a unit, each pencil has a long shelf-life, is extremely resistant to breakage, and performs remarkably well on a wide range of uses.
Final Verdict
Despite its novice grade and childish packaging, Crayola makes a pretty okay colored pencil. While I’m not going to say that the colored pencil was entirely responsible, great pieces of art have been created with a modest Crayola 12-pack.
With an unbeatable value and surprisingly good performance, Crayola is definitely worth a try, especially if you’re just starting out and want to spare the higher end pencils your present skill set.