Let Me Save You The Bother (Art Tools)

4:32 PM

By nature, I am a curious person, and I've found some fun "tools" to use in my art along the way. I've also found a lot of duds. This one is a dud....for artists older than the age of 9. If you're younger than 9, you'll think these are pretty cool! I found this Crayola No Spill Watercolor Set during my brief foray into Target yesterday. Curiosity got the better of me and they came home with me.
On the strip of paper in the middle, you can see where I painted on regular watercolor paper with their "paint" on the left as well as my name. On the right of that same paper strip, I used their brush but with regular watercolor paint. In the lower right corner is a quick illo of some galoshes I did in the Moleskine just to see what would happen and what the "tools" were like.

The brush is actually like a brush marker tip with no reservoir of ink. The tube is hollow with no way to add water. (If there were a way to add water, this might actually be a cool tool.) You dip the brush tip into the little cups of fluid which are really cups with foam in them. The fluid doesn't spill because the foam keeps it all soaked up. (I suspect it is washable marker ink as it is NOT watercolor paint.) When you're done, you pull the white pad out of the blue tray and wash it and the brush in the sink and it totally washes out. No fuss. No mess.

The packaging gives instructions to wash everything out and not to let it dry on the pad or brush. The regular pigmented paints did not wash out of the tip but stained it. The packaging also says not to get it on the wallpaper, painted walls, vinyl flooring, etc. My guess is that once dry or with the right combination of materials you'll have a problem on your hands. I found no real value in the brush, which was what I was after in the first place. It was like using a dried out marker to watercolor with. Not much blend-ability with either their paint or my own. Verdict: Don't waste your time or money unless you're 6 years old.
You may have to enlarge the image, but you can see where the "brush" started to make the paper in the Moley roll up and peel. Not pretty. I'm not particularly hard on my other brushes or my paper nor are there a lot of layers on this. Just a bad combination. 

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11 Creative Thought(s)

  1. I seem to have gotten past trying things just because of what I am sure they are but am a sucker for getting things like this for Grandkids. Was always in trouble with family for picking up Fingerpaints. Nephews, nieces, kids, grandkids all had a blast with them as well as myself. I finally was restricted unless I brought some old clothes along

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  2. Too bad this didn't work better. It's always nice to find something new to play with.

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  3. It may not have been what you were after, but it looks like a good excuse to "play". Hope you atleast had some fun .... pretending you were younger than 9.....

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  4. I was always trying out "kid friendly" art supplies, being an elementary art teacher. I am like you Laure, I am always checking out all the new Art Stuff. Here in Kansas City we have a Crayola Store. I don't know if that is because Hallmark Cards is here and they own Crayola, or they have them other places. I do love it though.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  5. ...and besides, no spill = no challenge. tee hee...

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  6. Gary, you sound like a super cool Gramps to me!! We (hubby and I) also got in trouble when we gave our nephew (about 5 yo at the time) some Batman stamps. He proceeded to stamp everything in his room and his person with the stamps. Parents blamed us. We said no harm done, it washes off! They weren't happy.

    KJ, they were fun to play with just not useful for the long term.

    Oh, Claire, I can become a little girl in a flash with Crayola stuff!

    Martha, I would LOVE to visit that Crayola store!! Don't know if they have more or not, I've never seen one, but that doesn't mean anything.

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  7. I like your spirit of adventure! ;-)

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  8. Funny also reviewed this set recently after finding it on clearance at an Office Depot for 44 cents, and definitely agree that they are best suited for the younger kids. Fun to play but not useful for users accustomed to regular watercolors and the convenience of actual waterbrushes.

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  9. I wondered about these as well. Now I don't have to give in and try them! I bought some of those "brush pens" though but haven't tried them. Someone said they could soak up ink, paint or anything and then you could use it like a brush pen. I'll have to try that sometime but my purpose wasn't for painting a picture but using it for calligraphic writing.

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  10. Laure, sorry the new toy didn't work out...sounds like it started out to be promising! But I think your rubber boots are just FAB!!!

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  11. I love that you're testing these out for us, Laure--now I don't have to wonder. They don't sound too appealing, but you managed to make something pretty with them!

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