Crayola crayons

[eye_of_toad]

Another impulse purchase. I couldn't pass up a box of crayons for only $1.25 even though I don't really like crayons.




I played with it for a bit longer...


And then remembered why I don't like crayons and got bored and switched over to ink. (I'll post that one separately in a moment.) Ink is just so much faster than either crayon or colored pencil. I still think it's super cool that there's a set of 24 different shades of skin tone, but ... I'm not sure I'll be doing that much with it just because I'm lazy.

Comments

Re: art supplies

[eye_of_toad]

Part of my complicated relationship with sketchbooks is that I'm far more productive with the sketchbooks I hate (because I just want to fill them up and get it over with) and then I'm hesitant to use the ones I like best (because what if I mess up a page and "ruin" the fancy sketchbook?). Also, I can't seem to behave and limit myself to the correct medium for each sketchbook so I'll end up doing watercolor in a sketchbook absolutely *not* meant for watercolor so there will be these random wrinkly pages in the middle. And I'm always like, "Oops, I must remember this sketchbook wasn't meant for that" and then a dozen pages later I go and do it again. ("I won't use as much water this time. It'll be fine." It's never fine.)

Re: art supplies

[amberdreams]

This is so relatable! I have my sketchbooks for scribbling and working stuff out, but then I'll do a drawing in one of those and it looks exactly how I wanted, and I know if I try and replicate it on the right paper, it won't look as good. So I end up either trying to scan it and colour it digitally or use watercolour and have it all wrinkled.

Re: art supplies

[eye_of_toad]

And then there was the time I bought a Copic sketchbook specifically designed for markers... right about the time that I was falling out of love with markers and so I ended up filling up several pages with pen drawings and thus "wasting" the marker paper. (Markers are lovely and vibrant when they are brand new, but they dry out so quickly so you constantly have to refill them with ink ... whereas watercolors last practically forever and you only ever run out of a handful of favorite colors.) And I bought a two-pack of sketchbooks designed for colored pencil ... right around the time I realized that I'm too lazy to ever do colored pencil justice (it requires so many layers and detail work and I'm just a splash-and-scribble kind of artist) so the second one is just sitting there unused while I ponder what to do with it.

Also ... I have determined that I have an irrational dislike of spiral bound sketchbooks. I can't logically explain why, because I also hate a hard-bound sketchbook with a tight binding that doesn't let you open the book out flat. But ... I've never liked any of my spiral sketchbooks and I think it might just be that slight shift of the pages when you move your hand and the page doesn't stay still. (The current Talens sketchbook is now my favorite for a hard-bound sketchbook that actually opens up flat.)

And are you ever tempted to buy that gigantic 600-page sketchbook that was trendy a few years ago? (It seemed like everyone on YouTube was doing the "challenge" to fill up the giant sketchbook.) The reviews are exactly what you expect (it's so heavy as to be unweildy, the paper isn't good quality, etc) and yet I still find myself tempted.

Anyhoo... I'll have more art to post after work. I started to post something last night and then my laptop battery died mid-post (even though the plug is *right there*, I wasn't paying attention and left it unplugged) and I just took it as a sign from the universe that it was time to go to sleep.

Re: art supplies

[amberdreams]

I think you are my art twin. 😂
I'm so glad I'm not the only one to buy a load of markers and special marker sketchbooks and then go back to watercolour/gouache because it's easier to put colour down...
I did look at some artists filling the giant sketchbook and yes, I was tempted! Even though I know I'd do two pages then it would be relegated to an expensive door stop. Before Covid, I did a sketch-booking evening course for a few years and loved it because not only did he persuade us to try things we'd never have tried otherwise, but I actually filled a few sketchbooks.

Oh! And I too dislike spiral bound sketchbooks...

Re: art supplies

[eye_of_toad]

I miss art classes just because I get so much more done with a schedule reminding me. I love to draw. You wouldn't think I'd need reminders to do the thing I love, but... it's still easy to put off and get distracted doing other things.

Re: art supplies

[amberdreams]

God yes. If I didn't have fandom challenges with deadlines I'd be faffing around and never get anything done. And the art classes are great for that too.