Pressure Variations

 

Vary the pressure on a crayon by pressing hard or lightly to create a deeper or lighter color. Vary the pressure in the same scene to create a sense of depth or distance. Use light pressure to create shadows and heavy pressure to create visual dominance.

Create Oodles of O's with Upside Down Crayons

 

Hold a crayon upside down and roll it between the fingers to make small circles. Use these O shapes to create pictures with the pointillism technique.

Triple or Double Stripe Designs

 

Tape several crayons together to create a multiple point drawing tool. This tool can be used to make stripes or plaids, or multiple lines with an easy stroke. The crayon tips should rest evenly on a flat surface when taping.

Scribble Designs

 

Scribble a design on a piece of paper. Color in each shape with a different colored crayon.

Outlining

 

Use black or dark crayon colors to outline shapes in large murals, child-made big books or wall stories. Outlining the objects makes them easy to see from a distance.

Create New Colors

 

Mix new colors by gently overlaying light coats of various crayon colors on white paper. Each time you add a new layer, observe how the color appearance changes.

Sketch Lines

 

Use many loose, overlapping strokes to build up dense, lively-looking shapes.

Shiny Artwork

 

Fill in all shapes with thick crayon layers, which can be polished to a mellow sheen with a soft cloth.

Crayon Etching

 

Cover a thick layer of crayon with a dense layer of black crayon. Use a paper clip or toothpick to scratch lines through the top layer to reveal colorful layers underneath.