Open a World of Artwork With Crayola's 50 Colored Pencils
Written: May 30 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Broader palette than smaller packages, good price, high quality, rich colors
Cons: Can be too many choices for younger kids.
The Bottom Line: A few shades beyond ROY G. BIV.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Smith & Wesson Crayola 684050 Colored & Drawing Pe... |
When it comes to coloring, I generally prefer using crayons to colored pencils. I don't know if it's the smell of the waxy crayons, or the varied texture you get on the paper, or simply the nostalgia of using crayons to color, but I do like using crayons better. But when it comes to fine details or the mapwork that I have my social studies students do in class, it's all about the colored pencils. And watching students work with different brands, I see a lot of variety. From the cheapest (American Scholar) to the mid-range (RoseArt, Crayola) to the pricier ones (Prang) I see the kids using lots of different kinds. But when it comes to what I buy for myself and my own kids, it's gotta be Crayola.
The Crayola Colored Pencils come in a variety of sizes. We typically stick to the 12-packs and 24-packs for school use, but I decided it was time to expand my palette a bit, and splurged for the 50 color set. It cost $8.00, which is more than I was planning on spending, but I'm glad I did.
The 50 colors included in the package are: Black, White, Gray, Cool Gray, Dark Brown, Maroon, Brown, Taupe, Mahogany, Tan, Harvest Gold, Light Brown, Orange, Yellow Orange, Mango, Sand, Peach, Light Orange, Salmon, Red, Red Orange, Pale Rose, Pink, Bubble Gum, Mauve, Orchid, Magenta, Raspberry, Lemon Yellow, Golden Yellow, Yellow, Bronze Yellow, Jade Green, Lime Green, Yellow Green, Green, Teal, Pine Green, Aqua Green, Turquoise, Sky Blue, Green Blue, Slate, Light Blue, Blue, Cerulean, Violet, Navy Blue, Gold, and Silver.
Each is its own distinct color, although I admit that I tend to think that the pink-to-purple shades are all pretty much the same--girly. But you can get nice shading and blending effects by combining the colors, getting truer-to-life colors than you can from a 12 or 24-pack. The metallics have a particularly nice sheen on the paper--one that's not too "glittery," but almost look like foil on a colored page.
The pencils are hard wood, and sharpen well--the lead is brittle enough that it comes to a fine point, but smooth enough that it colors and blends nicely without breaking or spotting. When we opened the package, several of the pencils were already broken, which concerned me, but after sharpening them and using them several times, I haven't had any further breakage issues.
Honestly, for most families, the 50-pack might be too many colors. When my boys (ages 3 and 6) sit down with crayons or colored pencils, it's best to have a fixed number of colors for them to choose from. Otherwise what ends up happening is they dump all of the pencils, pick one, put it back down, pick another one, and then feel overwhelmed and frustrated and go do something else. But if you're an older kid or adult, the 50-pack might be nice to keep on hand.
If you're artistically inclined, but you're still in the low price range, Crayola's Colored Pencils are a good choice. But if you just want something for the pups to use on a road trip, go a little smaller than the 50 pack. The 50-pack is impressive, and would make a nice birthday gift for an artsy-craftsy kid in your life.
I picked these up at a craft store, but they're available at most retailers with a school supplies aisle. I've seen them for as little as $8.00 and as much as $12.00. Don't pay too much for them, but whatever you pay, they're probably worth it.
Even the girly colors.
Recommended:
Yes
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JediKermit
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Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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