I first encountered them by accident. A practically brand new box of 15 Caran D'ache were part of a garage sale hoard of art supplies.From the first time I used them I was thrilled by their intense colors, and the variety of ways I could use them. Wet, dry, combination of both, rough surface or smooth - always a great result. They have become a staple of my senior art classes because they are both easy to handle and bright enough to see, even with vision problems. And they ability to see work get better by adding water is always a huge hit.
So, if I wasn't crazy for these cool crayons before, my newest application for them would have put me over the edge. They are an amazing tool for use in monotype printing. I can use them to draw on even the smoothest plates and surfaces, and their water soluble nature allows them to transfer beautifully when wet paper is laid on top. I can't stop experimenting.
This is one of the pieces I have created. It is based on a favorite painting, and the colors are a close match to the original. The first print was a little light, but because the paper was wet, lightly going over the shapes restored all to full color. Monotype with Caran D'ache on Arches paper. 16"x20"
