Crayola Crayons

[HankTol]

Hey folks, got a kinda strange question.

I was cleaning out my old room at my mom's house recently, since she's trying to get it empty to sell. Anyway, I came across an old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figure case full of Crayola wax crayons.

So, after coming upon these artifacts from my childhood, the materials that started me down the path of art, I've been playing around with them a little bit. Obviously nothing serious, just messing around.

Anyway, I was wondering, just out of weird curiosity, if anyone had any information about Crayola Crayons as art implements. Stuff like light-fastness, colorfastness, or archival qualities. I'm not expecting much, I long ago learned the difference between artist-quality and student-quality materials. I'm just curious.

Also, anyone have any awesome crayon stories? Anyone work with Crayola-type wax crayons?

EDIT: Meant to put this in the Lounge, sorry. If the mods want to move it, that's fine.

[dbclemons]

...I'm not expecting much...

You won't be getting much. The pigments are mostly dyes. The wax is paraffin which will stain and bloom over time. If you place no importance in the drawings you make with them then they can be handy.

[Noah Bradley]

I've done a few little drawings with them... they're interesting to work with. But if you want to do more archival work, get some good oil pastels. They're very crayon-like, in many ways, but more archival and versatile.

[HotDamnMan]

You should try to contact the crayola people. I saw a story in one of the art magazines about a man that used crayons in an abstract melting/mushing the colors about kinda way. The point I'm trying to get to is that the crayola company provided him with allot of product to work with, so they my be more artist friendly than you think.