LyraAquacolor Water-Soluble Wax Crayons, Set of 48 Crayons, Assorted Colors (5611480)

Although I'm generally reluctant to write reviews, and that's because of a combination of reasons, I wanted to give others the benefit of my experience. And I expect that there are many who are in the same situation as I was -- that is, of deciding between various competing watercolor pencils/crayons (WCPs) -- and are looking for further insight before making a purchase decision.Recently, I decided to 'get into' the water color pencil/crayon (WCPs) market because it offered a less-messy way of painting that combined drawing and using a brush. Since that point, I've had the opportunity to experiment with a variety of types of WCPs and have been able to reach some conclusions.Initially, I had focused on using pencils, under the belief that the sharpened pencil point would allow me to add details and overlay sections I needed to emphasize. While this was true, my initial experience with WCPs was with Caran D'ache Neocolor II's, and I found that I missed the speed and ease to which they afforded adding substantial amounts of pigment to paper. I'm used to working fast, and pencils were a slower way of working that didn't mesh as well with my working style.One of the concerns I'd had about crayon types of WCPs was over detail, which is harder to control when using them, but it turned out to be far less of an issue than I had expected it to be. Also, since I typically focus on landscapes which I render in an impressionistic-expressionistic style, control over detail was not particularly important, especially for the early stages of a picture. Moreover, I can always use pencils to add details during the later stages.LYRA's Aqua Colors offer a very pigment-rich and quite reasonably-priced alternative to many of the other WCPs on the market. In fact, they probably rank very near the top when both criteria are measured together. This also makes them an appropriate media for beginners, since one can add lots of bright colors quickly without using much pressure, and also without the 'scratchiness' of many of the water color pencils.* - late revision: it seems that one of my aquacolors was mis-mixed during the production process, which resulted in an almost unusable crayon. Currently, the seller is offering no real resolution to the problem. The color suffering the defect is "moss green," which is in the 24 set, as well as being in the 48 set (which I purchased).I plan to contact the manufacturer in order to learn whether they have corrected the problem. Until I hear from them and amend this review, potential buyers should be appropriately cautious of flawed merchandise.

They go down like wax crayons, smudges only a tad; so finger blending is not going to happen. They do dissolve completely without the marks from the initial application. I tested them out on Derwent Academy Watercolor paper. They are a tad more pigmented than the Mungyo ones, but not much. Although, they are advertised as being Light Resistant on the cardboard sleeve, I highly doubt they are really lightfast. No lightfast ratings on any of the sticks. And, they do blend very well when wet, even better than the Mungyo ones.

They are just as shown. They come in a nice tin and cardboard sleeve. They feel softer or creamier than Neocolor II crayons which I owned before in a 40 set. These feel more like the creamiest pastel in your hand like a Sennelier oil pastel. They dissolve easily to create a surprisingly watercolour like wash. They are just slightly semi-opaque. The advantage of these for me is that when used with the Caran D'Ache two-sided palette it is like having a watercolour set where you can mix paint easily. The accompanying palette was on the recommendation of YouTuber - 'The Art Spirits' in a video she has on color mixing with Neocolor II. I bought these Lyras to go with the palette instead because they seem less milky looking than Neocolor II's and had more natural colours. I use it to do colour studies and compositions in my watercolor journal or artwork that I will scan since the colours are so distinct and clear. I think these would also be great for colouring books and mixed media journaling and painting. They are very worth the cost. Keep them in a cool dry place. If you are thinking about which set to get, the 48 set is completely worth it. I would work with these when I want a consistent mixed colour or to select a palette of colours for a project since these can range from more gouache-like to more watercolour-like depending on the concentration. Caution: don't dip these directly in the water as they are prone to splitting since they are so pigmented with apparently less waxy binder. This is the advantage of using it with the palette mentioned earlier. You can color swatches unto the palette and use it like you would use a watercolor pan set.

Such a treat to work with, Watercolors are my favorite this is a new experience for me working with crayons and water brushes I was hesitant at first they sat in my Studio for a week before I could find a project I felt comfortable to start with, as I look back I feel silly I waited so long. Easy to work with , convenient and fun, really are a wonderful go to new asset to my supplies, I am delighted

The metal case was dented in shipping but the crayons thankfully were all fine. I've only so far tested a few out so far. Colors are of a nice range with the full set.

I'm giving these a 5 start because they really do work like the more expensive type of water-soluble wax crayons at about half the price. They are lovely. I use a lot of multi-media and watercolor and I am really impressed with these. I am sad because at least 10 of the crayons melted in transport. As soon as I cooled the tin down they came in (I waited a couple of hours) they crayons were still in a strange melty shape and a couple of them cracked but they worked fine. So if you live in a hot climate, or leave them in a hot area....(as in a hot delivery truck) they will melt. Just be aware. I still really love them. I am sad that I have 10 weirdly melted ones but they seem to work as they would if they hadn't melted so I am fine with it.