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Types of Crayons

Young and old alike can use crayons as art tools. Children can begin using special baby-safe crayons as soon as they can hold them. Kids who love drawing with crayons may be more interested in art when they get older. Even adults use crayons for fun and there are coloring books for this purpose. Some professional artists even use crayons in their pieces, but they have to pick the best kind for their purpose.
  1. Face-Painting Crayons

    • Face-painting can be done with paint, but there are crayons that serve the same purpose. These crayons are easy to use on skin, and wipe off with water and soap. Paints can be messy and take longer to use, especially on active children. With face-painting crayons, you can draw faster and with better control than with a paintbrush. Face-painting crayons can also be used on most parts of the body for art and fun.

    Shaped

    • Crayons can come in unique shapes and sizes. There are crayons shaped like things that children may be attracted to, such as dogs or cars. Crayons also come in a triangular shape, rather than a round tube, to prevent them from rolling off of a table. Oversized crayons can be purchased for toddlers who are learning to hold onto small items; they're more easily manipulated by small hands and also less of a choking hazard.

    Specialty

    • Unique crayons that have special traits or uses can be purchased in wax, vegan, and other materials. Some examples of specialty crayons are glitter crayons, which leave glitter on the paper as you color. Metallic-colored crayons in bronze, silver and gold are useful for coloring jewelry or machines. Window crayons draw on glass and can be wiped clean. Fabric and T-shirts can be drawn on with fabric crayons. Dry-erase crayons work on dry-erase boards.

    Vegan

    • Most crayons are made with wax, coloring and tallow (animal fat). For vegetarians, vegans and animal activists, vegan crayons can be purchased. These crayons contain no tallow, but draw just as well as traditional crayons. Vegan crayons can be found online as well as in health food stores. Companies that make vegan crayons usually provide as wide of a variety of colors as wax crayon companies do.

    Wax

    • Crayons made of simple paraffin wax and pigment are the most common and popular type of crayon. They are safe for all ages and non-toxic. The variety of shapes, colors and sizes that can be found in wax crayons is vast. Wax crayons can be easily found at most stores that sell art supplies or toys. Many wax crayon producers create washable crayons that do not leave permanent marks on clothes, walls or fabric.

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