Which crayons and colouring pencils should I choose?

On this page we will guide you to the right coloured pencils and crayons – regardless of which creative activity you are about to begin. We have many different types – drawing pencils, watercolour and oil-based crayons – and they are all designed for specific surfaces and for different techniques. Simply follow our guide to find the pencils and crayons that give you the best results.

Colours for drawing and colouring

Crayons are great for thick strokes and colouring larger surfaces, while coloured pencils allow you to create fine details. We recommend hard and waterproof crayons and coloured pencils for drawing and colouring in the traditional sense. If you want to work with techniques where you work in the colour with your fingers, water or tools, you should choose soft and water-soluble crayons/pencils respectively. Depending on requirements for light fastness, saturation or specific colours, you have several options.

Good quality

Studio quality

Professional quality

Good quality


Colours for the transfer technique of frottage

One of the great advantages of crayons is that they can be used for many different techniques. This includes frottage, where you take a piece of chalk or graphite/pencil and shade on a piece of paper over something textured/structured. This could be a wooden floor, a leaf or a coin. The impression from whatever you rubbed over will be transferred onto the paper. You'll get the sharpest results using hard crayons.

Wax Crayons

Wax pastels

Lightfast oil chalk


Colours for the technique of scratching and rubbing

If you want to work further with this effect by scratching or rubbing at the colours, you need to use soft crayons such as oil pastels or chalk pastels. The soft chalk pastels are very porous and are therefore easily rubbed out in a thin layer with your fingers. Oil pastels have a soft, greasy consistency that can be rubbed together and built up to form a thick layer upon which motifs can be scratched with a pointed object.

High-pigmented studio quality

Extra high-pigmented studio quality

High-pigmented school and institution quality

High-pigmented studio quality


Colours for a 'solidified' effect

With their soft, greasy texture, oil pastels are perfect for using when you want to transfer designs by melting them into place. Method: Draw and paint with oil pastels on paper or sandpaper and place your finished sheet with the motif facing downwards against a flat object such as wood, drawing paper or cardboard. Press onto the motif with a hot iron and the design will be transferred (or typically a mirror image of it). For this technique, it is important to use oil pastels.

Luxury quality

Good quality for school


Colours for watercolour (dry on dry)

Water-soluble crayons and coloured pencils can be toned out and blended to make new colours after you have drawn and painted with them (dry on dry). This is done with water and a brush, which is why it is important that you work on watercolour paper rather than ordinary paper, which will curl up when wet. Water-resistant (wax) crayons and coloured pencils, on the other hand, are not affected by water and will not run. If you want to work with masking, it can be a good idea to work with both types, as the water-resistant crayons will stay put and not run into the water-soluble crayons or pencils when you brush them with water.

Good blending properties

Impressing blending properties

Watercolor, chalk and crayon in one

Soft water-soluble watercolor crayon

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