There’s a specific kind of satisfaction in working with a medium that doesn’t let you hide behind the undo button. Once you start, there’s no turning back!
My regulars know how much I love crayons Caran d’Ache Neocolor II pastels. If you’ve used them, you know they’re basically the heavy-hitters of the crayon world, insane pigment and a wax-based texture that grips the paper unlike any digital pencil perpetually skating on glass.
I decided to skip the blank white page and opted for a pre-patterned, floral cardstock. It adds an immediate layer of depth that you just can’t get from a plain surface. Plus, it gave me a much-needed kick in the… head start.
Started with a rough sketch using my amazing pentel 0.7mm mechanical pencil to map out the two hanging pots. I wanted the characters to feel integrated into the paper, not just sitting on top of it.
I used the Neocolor II’s here in dry form. Even without adding water, the laydown is incredibly smooth. I pushed the blues and pinks hard to get that opaque, waxy finish that contrasts against the muted floral background.
The “hair”, inspired by a String of Pearls, was a lesson in repetition. I used a darker violet to define the vines, letting the weight of the stroke do the meditative work.
The final piece has that thick, tactile quality you only get from traditional wax pastels. You can see the texture of the paper fighting back against the crayon, which is exactly the look I was going for.
Are you a “work-on-white-paper” purist, or do you like starting with a textured or toned background to do some of the heavy lifting?
Drop a comment below :)
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