Drawing with Lyra Aquarelle Gel Crayons

I am a sucker for art materials, especially stationaries. When I step into a store like Art Friend, my heart literally skips a beat, leaving me breathless. Haha, really, it's true.

When I discovered creative journalling, I learned that it was very much connected to my interest in mixed media. I went all out to find out what sort of drawing materials I can use besides illustration markers or sharpie pens; and that it led me to discovering gel crayons, which is interesting because it reminds me of a lot like a lipstick! Looks edible too, but no I didn't take a bite.

It was really fun to use the Lyra Aquarelle Gel Crayons. When I purchased it from Art Friend, The Gardens MidValley, a high-end shopping mall, it was pretty costly i'd say for a set. Roughly about RM50 and above, but worth it if you love exploring with different drawing materials. It comes with many colours, including additional colours like silver and gold. I think that's quite unique, plus the colours are vibrant and not dull.

You should give it a try if you enjoy doodling or journalling like me. It is convenient to carry along with you, and useful too if you include a waterbrush. The texture on paper is almost the same as a crayon, but because it is gel-like, it is also soft, easier to blend and can even be painted with water, like a watercolour pencil.

I did a comparison between a gel crayon and a regular crayon. The difference is that the regular crayon gives a much more coarser and drier effect, where else with the gel crayon, it's softer and easier to blend. The thing is there's no pros and cons here, I think it really depends what sort of texture or effect suitable for your artwork.

Oh and fyi, it is not the same as a wax crayon.

After testing it, I also used a wet brush to paint on it to see the outcome. Here's how it looks like:

and of course, if used too much water, it will seep through.

All in all, it is still a fun material to use. Lots can be done with the gel crayon, and good for mixed media techniques definitely. Here, let me show you how else I tested the gel crayons:

 Shade different colours with it...

 Sprayed water on it...

Dry brush it...

 Blended it with a toothbrush...

Blend it with my finger...

Happy exploring!