How to Use Water Soluble Crayons

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!

Many of you have been asking about water soluble crayons and how I use them. 
I was out in the park on a walk. Like always, I had my sketchbook and tools with me. Why not stop right here and show you?
So that's exactly what I did. With a handful of Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons and a couple of Stabilo Woody pencils, I got into this simple but so satisfying process. 

This is how to use your water soluble crayons

Scribble color onto the page, then go over it with a water brush to turn those scribbles into a wash. Let it dry a bit, then scribble again, deepen the color, soften a line, add another layer. And get into the flow.

Bit by bit my view in the park came together. Trees, tall grass and flowers along the path, a fence... I wasn't trying to capture every detail. This is an interpretation, not a copy, and that's kind of the point.

Don't be precious or precise

With blunt tools like these you need to be a bit bold, in your marks and in your decisions. You can't be precise, and that's what makes it fun. It's an invitation to play, to experiment, and to trust your instincts instead of overthinking every line.

By the time I finished, the crayons were starting to soften and melt in my hands from the summer heat. I took it as my cue to wrap up.

Click the image to watch the video

Materials I used:

• Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons

• Stabilo Woody pencils

• Pentel Aquash waterbrush broad