By Spramani Elaun
How to Buy Color Pencils for Your Child
In today’s market there’s many color pencils to choose from.
This can make parents or adults confused as to which ones are the right choice.
After spending many years teaching kids I’ve come to understand which ones work best for certain projects.
The truth is there is no right or wrong color pencils to use.
Professional artist choose which works best for their own style.
Which ever pencils work best for you is the right choice!
I do have advice on which ones will help you better understand how to select color pencils.
However, I do have some great advice to help understand the differences and the best to invest in for a beginner artist.
When I was a little girl my mom sometimes sat-down with me and enjoyed coloring my coloring book pages. We used Crayola crayons which at that time were satisfying to me. They were perfect and I didn’t know the difference until I became an artist. All I remember is a wonderful time and great memory.
Color Pencils Range in Cost
Color pencil sets can range from 5.99 to 69.99 this depends on six factors:
• student or professional grade
• wax or oil based
• variety of color selection to choose from
• pencil count 12, 24, 36
• Thick or thin pencils
• packaging cardboard or metal storage tin
Differences between student & professional
High quality color pencils are considered professional artist grade, and low quality are usually student beginner grade.
Professional color pencils are rich in pigmentation which can layer and darken easily, which experienced artist prefer.
Professional pencils blend and burnish colors easily, another feature professional artist enjoy.
Professional pencil cores are stronger and the leads don’t break as easily as student grade.
Student grade is usually lower in quality in all these features above, therefore making the price much lower.
Student grade is perfect for beginning coloring and doodling projects.
I only recommend buying professional artist grade for young students producing many drawings and showing high interest in this medium.
High quality artist grade color pencils can be made by brands like Prismacolor, Lyra.
A medium cost range can be made by companies like Faber-Castell, Lyra or Staedtler.
Student grade color pencils are made by companies like Crayola, Prang, Rose Art and Lakeshore.
Wax or Oil Color Pencils
Color pencils are made with a wax, or oil binders combined with pigment for color.
Wax and oil binders behave differently on the surface of paper.
Wax-based binders are generally hard at the tip and waxy.
Oil-based binders are typically soft at the tip and creamer and smug easier.
Usually it comes down to the artist trying both wax, or oil out on several projects before a preference is preferred over the other.
Color Pencil Tips for Buying
I recommend starting your child out with a good pencil count of either 12 or 24.
If quality is important investing in 12 quality pencils will give your child a good color selection.
You can also see if they gravitate to this medium and if you should expand his or her color selection.
Otherwise if you want a set around for occasional coloring I recommend a 24 count student grade, which is decent in cost and can function for all coloring occasional projects.
If you are trying to support a quality visual art program regularly, then I recommend medium to professional grade.
Happy colorful day!
All rights reserved ©, Nature of Art For Kids®
No part of this blog may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.