How to choose chalk for drawing?

Chalk drawing is one of the easiest childhood pastimes. Chalk is an adaptable tool that encourages creativity in children of all ages, whether they are using it to create art on a chalkboard or to decorate the sidewalk with vibrant designs.

But it can be a little difficult to choose the best chalk because there are so many varieties available. Every type, from conventional sticks to dustless variants, has advantages and disadvantages of its own. Choosing the best chalk for your child’s drawing adventures can be facilitated by knowing what to look for in the material.

This post will examine the various kinds of chalk that are available, go over what to think about when choosing, and provide advice on how to make sure your child has the most fun possible when drawing. Together, we will explore the vibrant realm of chalk art and discover the ideal fit for your budding artist!

Why chalk?

• Undemanding to the surface. Good colored chalks nowadays allow you to draw not only on asphalt. Some varieties are well suited for drawing on paper. Often parents buy them for an easel (a surface covered with a special enamel that allows you to draw directly on the board). This material can even be used to draw on the wall.

• Brightness of shades. Ordinary children"s crayons of Soviet times were rather faded and uninteresting, but today drawings with some types of crayons look like full-fledged oil paintings. Charcoal, pastel, wax crayons – all these types give different results, due to which they can replace the entire range of other drawing tools.
• Convenience. For the youngest children, parents themselves often choose crayons as the first creative gift. The thing is that you still need to learn how to hold a pencil or brush in your hands, while chalk leaves a mark on any side. This allows even one-year-old children to draw, who are not yet capable of creating masterpieces, but can already begin to learn colors and train fine motor skills of their hands.

• Possibility of developing technology. Leading global manufacturers have long taken note of the wide popularity of crayons, so they began to produce them in a variety of forms. A set can include large or small elements, have the form of sticks, triangles or even shapeless "stones" that can be sharpened at your own discretion. For the most complex techniques, pencils are produced on a pastel or wax base, the filler of which is chalk.
• Relative ease of cleaning. If you "discard" fat-based products, you can choose classic crayons that are perfectly washed off with water. This argument is unlikely to be taken into account by the young artists themselves, but for parents there is a point in buying an easily washable artistic product. In addition, such a composition is also suitable for use in the bathroom (for example, the Bath art set), allowing you to color even water, which will definitely be appreciated by children.

Not to be overlooked is another crucial point for parents: regular crayons with no professional claims will only cost pennies on the family budget.

Safety, quality, and ease of use are important considerations when selecting chalk for drawing. Choose chalk that produces bright colors without producing a lot of dust, look for non-toxic options that are safe for kids, and select pieces that are small hands can easily hold. These features guarantee that your child will have an enjoyable, imaginative, and secure drawing experience.

Varieties

It should be noted that the chalk that is still used in comprehensive schools to write on the whiteboard is not the same as modern crayons. This is typically a blend of various ingredients, each of which is meant to give the substance some essential qualities.

Today, there are many different kinds of crayons, but there are typically three main types that can be identified.

• Classic chalk. Despite the fact that it got its name from the natural substance of the same name, in fact, the percentage of chalk in such items is usually small. In any case, grated chalk is used with the addition of fillers (gypsum, clay, alabaster), binders (wood glue, gum arabic, dextrin, oat paste and even brewer"s yeast) and dyes. A small amount of soap can also be added to soften the substance. This solution is considered primitive and is used for drawing exclusively on hard surfaces such as a board or asphalt.

Drawing on asphalt is challenging due to the substantial amount of clay in the mixture. The least difficult kind of chalk to remove from clothing or other non-absorbing surfaces is this one.

• Wax crayons. This variety is a slightly improved classic recipe, in which beeswax acts as a binder. Using wax makes the chalk stick less fragile, as well as gives the colors increased saturation. Despite its greasy base, which is felt to the touch, wax crayons do not leave colored marks on your hands. However, stains left by them on fabric or wallpaper will be extremely difficult to wash off. A disadvantage is also a higher price, although the collected crumbs can be melted in the oven and reused to form new crayons.

• Oil pastel. A significant amount of natural oil is added to this recipe to soften the consistency, which achieves another interesting effect – drawings with such chalk resemble real painting and are distinguished by the contrast of shades. Ordinary pastel, designed for children"s use, is relatively inexpensive, but gets dirty very easily. It can leave colored marks even on hands.

Children’s pastel is frequently produced by manufacturers in special plastic cases that allow you to protect the relatively soft product from breaking, allowing for greater accuracy in the work. In contrast to the first two kinds of crayons, oil pastels can even be highly expensive and sophisticated.

Many professionals use it to sketch and draw small details because it resembles paint when applied on paper. Pastel, either dry or watercolor, can also be used to foster children’s creativity.

What to look for when choosing?

There is a wide variety of these products available on the market today, and those who lack knowledge may find it difficult to discern between a worthwhile purchase and a subpar item. When selecting quality crayons for a child, there are a few things to consider.

• Type. When choosing, you should start from the type of surfaces on which the future owners of crayons will draw. If the child is small and draws wherever he wants, it is better to give preference to the classics. If we are talking about creativity of a decent level, it makes sense to buy pastels.
• Form. The main advantage of chalk for children"s creativity is the ability to write on any side. Therefore, for the little ones, you need to choose only open shapes in the form of sticks or stones. At the same time, it is imperative to take into account the size of the baby"s hand so that he can hold such a tool in it. If the child is already at least 3 years old, you can gradually move on to forms that imitate a pencil. This will help to achieve a higher level of detail in the depicted.
• Composition. Parents of small children should study the composition of literally everything they are going to buy. Children under 3 years old should never buy crayons even with a small amount of harmful synthetic components. In particular, wax crayons must contain natural wax, not paraffin. This is due to the desperate desire of children to try everything "by tooth", however, even after reaching the age of three, synthetics in the composition are not considered a plus for crayons, unless it is the only way to achieve complex creative goals.
• Color palette. The properties of crayons do not allow manufacturers to produce full-color sets, as is the case with water-based or oil-based paints. However, there are still sets on sale that include a couple of dozen shades. The youngest children do not need such refinements. Six colors will be enough for them, as long as they are bright. You should increase the number of shades in the set only as the child grows.
• Additional accessories. If crayons are bought not only for asphalt, you should pay special attention to sets that include additional tools. Such additions include, for example, a knife for sharpening crayons and a pencil case for storing them, an album made of special paper for oil pastels, etc. .

After receiving the entire set as a gift, the child stops drawing in inappropriate places because he starts to feel accountable for it.

Choose chalk that is safe, easy to use, and vibrant in color for your child’s drawing activities. To protect your child’s health, you should give non-toxic options top priority, particularly if they have a tendency to put things in their mouths.

Seek for chalk that makes writing easier and lowers the possibility of frustration for beginning artists. Break-resistant types can also be a wise investment because they require fewer replacements and last longer.

Finally, take into account the setting in which the chalk will be used. While indoor chalk should be simple to remove from surfaces, sidewalk chalk should be robust and weather-resistant. You can ensure that your child gets the most out of their creative time by considering these factors.

Video on the topic

Marking of Pencils for Drawing / How to choose a Pencil

Review of WAX CRAYONS

This is how pastels are actually drawn!

PASTEL PENCILS | How to draw, how to choose, how to sharpen?

CHOOSE TO KNOW WHICH DRAWING MARKERS ARE BETTER ! THAN I DRAW ? MY STATIONERY

CHOOSING A PENCIL FOR DRAWING. Which pencils are the best?

Which PENCIL to choose? – A. Ryzhkin

How to choose a pencil for drawing (what pencils are needed).