Caran d'ache Neo Art Watersoluble Wax Pastels a.k.a. One of my Favorite Mediums to Use


**Please read all the way through if you intend to order these.**

If you've taken an in person class with me, chances are you've seen me demo and had a chance to play with my Caran d'ache Neo Art Water Soluble Wax Pastels. They're one of my most favorite tools to use to add color to the page. I call them the "Insert Expensive Car Name Here" of watersoluble crayons.
There is a HUGE difference between these chunky crayons vs. the neocolor II (skinny) crayons. They're expensive but there's a good reason for it. Use the skinny neocolor II's and then use these babies and you'll see what I mean. There is MUCH more pigment in the chunky Neo Art wax pastels vs the skinny crayons. MUCH MORE. They also last FOREVER. I still have my original set (and have only had to replace a handful of colors) which I bought more than ten years ago. It's the ones we use in class. The above set is my personal set for at home.

You can blend these with *anything* wet (paint, acrylic mediums, water, tea, spit, beer, etc...) and they will move. My favorite way to use them is dry, colored hard and then rubber with an old rag or paper towel. You don't need to seal them at all but rub them in with a rag *OR* use something wet to blend them into the page.

You don't need a full set of 60. The colors that I continually reach for are:
Golden Yellow
Ice Blue
Gold
Silver
White
Black
Cobalt Violet
Purplish Red
Grass Green
Lemon Yellow
Spring Green
Azurite Blue
Burnt Sienna

Shop around as they used to average (MANY years ago around $3.50 a crayon.) The price has gone UP since then and now average about $4.50-5.50 per crayon.

Also, if you do buy a set of 30, don't go looking for a second set of the other 30 colors. They don't sell them that way. It's rare to see a store owner have the full set of 60 "open stock". I learned that the hard way many moons ago.

Caran d'ache names EVERYTHING neo art and it is VERY confusing as to what to buy. *IF* you want the crayons that I am talking about you want THESE, Caran d'ache NeoArt Aquarelle Water Soluble Wax Pastels. They are NOT chalk. They are NOT oil. They are FAT crayons (they are about the size of your thumb). Please do not confuse them with these, these, these or these. Unless you buy the Caran d'ache NeoArt Water Soluble Wax Pastels at wholesale price, you will NOT find them for less than $4 *per* crayon.

Update from 2018:

Caran d'ache Neo Art Water Soluble Wax Pastels have, sadly, been discontinued. I have heard that the company plans to reformulate SOME of the Neo Color II's to have the same pigment quality as the Chunky Neo Art Water Soluble Wax Pastels but emails and requests for more information have gone unanswered.

Comments

lynne h said…
wow, kelly, i've never tried these, but if they're as great as you say, i must give them a whirl. thank you!! xoxo
Anonymous said…
If I recall, correctly...you used to sell these. I am pretty sure I bought
my set from you several yrs ago. Mine are still going strong. I love all supplies period....and I need a 12 step program because I am art supply addict. I want to be buried with my art supplies--so I can continue to enjoy them in the after life. I credit you with stoking the fires of my art supply addiction--THIS IS A BLESSING Kelly. Sometimes, it is the hunting down of an elusive art supply, and playing and organizing pens, paper, and pigments and mediums of all stripes, that keeps my sagging spirits from falling deeply down into the dumps...and for this, I am grateful to you, and to other fellow art supply afficionados.
Emma R.
Kelly Kilmer said…
Lynne, I messaged you. You will love them.

Emma, :) Yes, I did sell them a few years ago. I haven't been able to find a vendor for a couple of years now. Thank you for comment. If you ever want to talk about art, art supplies, etc..., I'm around! Big hugs! :)
laurie said…
thank you for this recommendation. i am always looking for something new that really works. there is so much out there so it is a bit overwhelming to decide what to get.
Monica said…
I love them and they are easy to travel with. bought them when i stumbled on your advice on pens and paints annual roundup. Actually wrote it down and had DH order them for Xmas. The only way to get any worthwhile gift. it also made him feel good.
stamping bella said…
Great.. Now I am gonna have a sleepless night worrying about where to find them. Lol. I already have an idea of where to find them and already asked my dearest husband to take me there tonight. I think the anonymous poster is my soul sister as I feel the same way about my supplies. I want to marry them.. Is that wrong? Lol.
Kelly, you started me on this journey years ago.. I thought I owned everything bu nope I don't have these.. I have the crayons (skinny) and the oil pastels. *sigh*. Kelly we need a JUICY post about art supplies please or journaling supplies.. It's been too long!
Mwah
Em
Kelly Kilmer said…
Laurie, I totally understand! There are so many toys out there and so few that you actually really need (or are worth buying!) I hope this post helps!

Monica, I love it!

Emily, LOL! A quick google search and quite a few venues come up including ASW and the two vendors I mentioned in the post (you have to contact Debbie directly but she is awesome to order from). So, what kind of a juicy post do you want? I really haven't bought much in the past few years. It's been my staples (paper, glue, tape, pens) and everything I've bought, I've shared here. Money has been tight all around and nothing has knocked my socks off except for what I've posted. :)
Antares Cryptos said…
*Raises hand*
Me too.

When it comes to art supplies, just browsing and looking is often enough.

Do I need more? No. But more is more;)

Thinking of putting up my favorites (the ones that actually work). I think that's what I like so much about your posts, you recommend what you actually like, not just the newest hyped fad.

P.S. You met Ellison??? A little jealous.
Kelly Kilmer said…
Thanks, Antares! Funny as I've been thinking of doing a series of posts profiling my favorite supplies. I always tell my students that I work for me and my students, not any companies. I only recommend what I've bought, tried, tested and loved. I don't and won't hype the latest and greatest unless it's amazing, it works and I love it. :) Thanks for the kind words!!

Yes! We're all still talking about Ellison. :) It was a memorable night, indeed!

Thanks for stopping by!
Unknown said…
I just ordered the pack of 80 from Amazon. I am quite excited to give them a try. I use some watercolor pencils a lot so I am sure these will be something I use a lot. Thanks for sharing this information!!



shanna3206 said…
I found a set of these basically brand new on FB marketplace recently. I paid a pretty $$$ but I am sure they are worth more than I paid. It is the 60 set in the wooden box. I can’t find any eBay listings, no idea what they might be worth. I have played with them a bit and they are dreamy. I love having such a treasure. They are definitely so much better than Neocolor II. Why did Caran Dache ever stop making such a wonderful product. Wow.
Kelly Kilmer said…
@Shanna3206 Caran d'ache was supposed to reformat SOME of the NeoColor II's with the NeoColor pigment. Several years later, we're still waiting.

I agree with everything you wrote. They never should've stopped making them as there's a huge difference between them and the NeoColor IIs.

Before they stopped producing them, the going price was about $5.50 per neo color crayon.

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