My Thoughts on Caran d'Ache Neocolor I

      

 Crayons aren't just for kids!

    I recently had the pleasure of trying the Caran d'Ache Neocolor I wax pastels and reviewed them for my YouTube channel. The Neocolor I wax pastels are just what they sound like, pastels made of wax, IE: crayons. This line is Caran d'Ache's water resistant line of wax pastels but they also offer a water-soluble line called Neocolor II. Their Neocolor II line seems to be a bit more popular amongst enthusiasts because of their versatility and ability to be blended with water. That being said, the Neocolor I line has many attributes of it's own. 

    My first impression of these pastels was that they are very highly pigmented. I got the largest set, which consists of 40 colors and within that range there seems to be a good selection. I was particularly excited about the amount of colors that could be used for landscape drawings, but there is enough variety to also do a number of other subjects as well.

    For my project I decided to go with a still life of cherries, something with a simple composition that would afford me the ability to test out how well these pastels blend. I worked on cold pressed watercolor paper which had the advantage of allowing me to layer as much as I wanted. However, it was also a disadvantage at times because I felt like I was fighting the tooth of the paper. I will need to experiment with other surfaces in the future to find out what I like best.

    I was very pleased with the amount of layering that I was able to do. I tried a number of blending techniques from blending with just the crayons, to using a colorless blending pencil, to rubbing alcohol, Holbein Meltz colored pencil blender, and odorless mineral spirits. Of these blending techniques, blending with the crayons themselves, the colorless blending pencil, and the OMS worked the best for my techniques. To see my complete review of these pastels check out my video below. 

Scroll down further to see more highlights from my review. 

So let's get to the highlights shall we:

Pros:

* Highly pigmented.

* High lightfast ratings.

* Can cover large areas quickly.

* Easy to layer and blend.

* Can be blended with odorless mineral spirits and turpentine.

 Cons:

* Water-resistant so not as easy to blend as the Neocolor II.

* Pricey (But not out of line for a Caran d'Ache product.)

* Harder to get fine detail (but that's the nature of this kind of tool.)

 Miscellaneous:

* Harder than oil pastels but softer than colored pencils.  

Specs:

* There are 50 colors in the line, which includes 10 metallic colors.

* Available open stock and in sets.

* In regards to the lightfast ratings, of all the colors in the line only a few would fade quickly or be considered fugitive.

To see full color chart and lightfast information go HERE.

To see available sets or to purchase go HERE.

Please note: Product links used in description are often affiliate links, this means I earn a small profit when someone uses my link to purchase a product. However, there is no additional charge to the person who is purchasing the product.